Tradition Meets Innovation In Rio De Janeiro’s Thriving Food Scene

At Marine Resto, the scenic restaurant at Fairmont Copacabana, the menu explores flavors from all regions of Brazil.

Tomas Rangel

For a few years now, São Paulo has been capturing the attention of food enthusiasts, boasting one of Latin America’s best dining scenes. But Rio de Janeiro, its sister to the northeast, no longer wants to sit under the shadow of South America’s largest city. Rio’s chefs want the Marvelous City to be known for more than the classic feijoada and pão de queijo, and the culinary world is starting to pay attention.

Like São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro comprises a cultural melting pot, thanks to immigrants from countries like Japan, Lebanon and Italy adding to the existing Portuguese, African and Amerindian population, resulting in an exciting and varied culinary offer. It’s no accident that Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants chose Rio as host for its annual awards ceremony in 2023 and again in 2024; at the latter, two restaurants from the city’s growing gastronomic scene placed among the Top 50, and one in the Top 100.

From the informal barracas serving seafood on the sands of Ipanema and Copacabana, to botecos in the historic Santa Teresa neighborhood where locals eat traditional snacks chased with draft beer and Michelin-starred restaurants where chefs are pushing the envelope to create a new Carioca cuisine, Rio de Janeiro is exploding with culinary excitement. Here are some of the most notable places to visit today in this Cidade Maravilhosa.

Lasai

At this cozy spot in Botafogo, serving only 10 diners per night, chef Rafael Costa e Silva gets daily inspiration from the restaurant’s two organic gardens, the abundance of local seafood, and vegetables sourced from area farmers to create daily-changing tasting menus, often featuring lesser known and indigenous produce such as beldroega (purslane) and chuchu (chayote) among other hyper local ingredients.

Chef Rafa, as he is known locally, worked in Spain with Andoni Luis Aduriz at his renowned restaurant Mugaritz for five years, which won the title of 3^rd best restaurant in the world when Rafa was executive chef. It was here that he met his wife and restaurant partner, Malena Cardiel. In honor of their time spent here, they chose Lasai, a Basque word for serene, as the name and ethos for the restaurant they opened in Rio a few years later.

Chefs explain each dish to diners as they present a tray displaying the raw materials they will use, before they prepare the food in what is best described as an artistic yet expertly coordinated performance. What they produce is as visually stunning as it is surprising and delicious. Sommelier Maíra Freire pairs each dish with selections from a wine list that features natural and biodynamic producers, including many from Brazil, as well as unexpected offerings like fresh fruit juices and vermouth.

Add a warm, welcoming hospitality by a friendly team led by Cardiel and it’s no wonder that Michelin has awarded the restaurant two stars. Lasai has also featured in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants every year since opening in 2014, placing seventh and becoming The Best Restaurant in Brazil in 2024, and finally debuting on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2025 at number 28.

Ocyá

The magical experience of dining at Ocyá begins even before you set eyes on the property. It starts a few steps from the Jardim Oceânico metro station, where you board an unassuming little boat for a short but beautiful trek to Ilha Primeira, in the Barra da Tijuca area. You arrive to a bright blue building with a rustic waterfront patio where friendly and knowledgeable staff offer you a welcome cocktail as you soak up the atmosphere.

When you walk into the small dining room, your eye focuses on a striking centerpiece – the glass-lined chamber where chef owner Gerônimo Athuel expertly dry ages the local catch. An experienced fisherman and diver, the chef grew up among fishermen, from whom he learned the secrets and techniques of catching, cleaning, and preparing fish.

More than a just a restaurant specializing in fish and seafood, Ocyá offers innovative Brazilian cuisine from Athuel, whose pioneering work in aging seafood and maximizing fish production is the basis for the simple yet enticing menu. It is one of those restaurants where fellow chefs dine and drink when they’re not at work. It’s that good.

At Ocyá, diners gleefully share plates of smoked fish croquettes with lemon aioli; smoked fish sausage with grilled onions and house-made chili jelly; grilled garlic bread stuffed with shrimp; and the signature crispy dry-aged fish bites, among other delicacies, as they watch the sun set.

The accompanying cocktails follow the same concept as the food, using products and techniques from the kitchen to pair perfectly with Athuel’s innovative fare. If you prefer wine, a small but thoughtful list is also at play.

San Omakase

In Leblon, an exclusive dinner-only chef’s table for eight goes beyond the traditional Japanese sushi bar. At San Omakase, culture, architecture and art merge with traditional cuisine for an immersive gastronomic experience awarded with a Michelin star. Led by chef André Nobuyuki Kawai, Sushi Ambassador in Brazil and Portugal and president of Nagoya Sushi School, the largest Japanese culinary school in Latin America, the restaurant offers a unique opportunity to feel transported to Japan from the moment you step through the door.

The tasting menu is defined each day based on the fish selected that morning, but many ingredients such as teas, rice, unique condiments, and the restaurant’s own natural wasabi, which is a must-have, come from Japan, as do many of the eating vessels, knives, cutting board and utensils. The art and architecture are inspired in Japanese tradition, creating an intimate atmosphere that makes you feel as if you would walk out the door right into a Tokyo street.

In addition to chef Kawai’s impeccable technique and affable personality, the experience is enhanced by the fish aging process overseen by chef William Albuquerque. He pioneered his technique in northern Brazil, and his groundbreaking processes are all approved via microbiological analysis. The menu ends on a sweet note via pastry chef Cesar Yukio, who lived most of his life in Japan and specialized in pastry at the École Leôtre in Paris.

The sake selection is led by renowned sake sommelier Leandro Ishibashi, whose expertise and dedication include training in Japan and Brazil. His knowledge of pairing sake with food leads to impeccable matches that enhance the intimate experience.

Oseille

In October 2023, chef Thomas Troisgros opened a restaurant in a mansion in Ipanema: Toto, a nickname given to him by his grandfather, Pierre Troisgros, one of the creators of French Nouvelle Cuisine. The restaurant, set in the style of Parisian neo-bistros, quickly earned acolades thanks to its uncomplicated, affordable comfort food.

In February 2024, the chef opened the doors to Oseille on the second floor of the building, a restaurant in a style which the chef describes as “fun dining.” It opens only for dinner, with a tasting menu of five to seven courses comprised of dishes Troisgros likes to cook, combining technique, seasonality, and creativity with a light atmosphere.

Although Oseille was recognized with a Michelin star at just over a year of opening, the chef wants customers to feel at ease here. That’s why the dining room consists of a chef’s counter with only 16 seats with full view of the kitchen, and the music is whatever customers wants to hear.

The menu changes according to ingredients available, but always showcases freshness and innovation, combining French techniques, Asian influences and Brazilian ingredients. Think fresh oysters with mignotte and tucupi; fish of the day with hearts of palm, white wine and coconut foam, crispy bell pepper and ikura; and vanilla ice cream with mushroom whipped cream, chocolate crumble and mushrooms.

Casa 201

Opened in May 2023 in Jardim Botânico by chef João Paulo Frankenfeld and businesswoman Cris Julião, Casa 201 is set within a residential home turned restaurant, serving only 20 people per night by reservation only. Adding to the comfortable homelike vibe, almost 100% of the ingredients used in the menu, including naturally leavened breads, cheeses, charcuterie, chocolate, ice cream, pasta, and condiments are produced in-house.

Frankenfeld serves an eight-course tasting menu, which changes every three months and is based on artisanal production and a strong commitment to sustainability. The kitchen avoids processed products, focusing instead on procuring raw materials from small producers. With a menu crafted with consistently fresh ingredients, the chef’s signature touch and technical expertise, Casa 21 offers a unique culinary experience, with a French accent and Brazilian soul, which garnered the restaurant its first Michelin star in 2025.

Marine Resto

It’s not unusual to find high quality restaurants in landmark hotels, and Marine Resto is not an exception. Set on the pool terrace of the historic Fairmont Copacabana, with a marvelous view of Sugarloaf Mountain, Marine Resto offers carefully executed recipes by executive chef Jérôme Dardillac, a Frenchman who is passionate about Brazilian cuisine and its diverse ingredients.

The brasserie concept also embraces a strong focus on the grill, with many standout dishes cooked on the Josper. The menu offers a taste of the flavors of every region of Brazil, celebrating the culture and highlighting Fairmont’s appreciation of local producers. Here, ingredients and spices from around the country meet with a kiss of smoke and a light French touch, to create a beautiful harmony that matches the serene and picturesque seaside location. And yes, Michelin has taken notice.

At Marine, fresh oysters from Santa Catarina come simply dressed with lime and cashew vinaigrette, and cornbread is accompanied by a superb Brazilian olive oil. Fish, shrimp, octopus and lobster are served straight from the grill, simply steamed accompanied by a fresh vinaigrette and garnished with salicornia, or prepared in dishes such as Bahia’s iconic moqueca, a stew made with coconut milk and served with rice and farofa.

Incidentally, and as a testament to the restaurant’s commitment to local producers, most of the seafood is sourced from Fishing Colony Z-13, a group of Copacabana fishermen resisting urban expansion to maintain a lifestyle that’s increasingly threatened. These fishermen and their boats are located within a few meters from the hotel, right on the beach. It cannot get more local than that.

Fairmont Copacabana also operates Tropik, an informal beachside cafe that’s a great option for breakfast, or for drinks with a live music soundtrack as the sun sets over the sea.

Oteque

Led by Chef Alberto Landgraf, one of Latin America’s most influential chefs, Oteque opened in 2018 and since then it has become one of the most respected culinary destinations in Brazil. Oteque earned a Michelin star in its first two years of operation and is currently ranked 21st in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants and 81st in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Housed in a historic building in Botafogo, the elegant and modern interior showcases an open kitchen where chefs create a tasting menu that changes constantly, based on local and fresh ingredients, according to availability and seasonality, with quality and ethical farming practices as an important aspect for sourcing ingredients.

With a wine list comprised of approximately 400 labels selected by sommelier Leonardo Silveira, Oteque was included in the prestigious English list The World of Fine Wine in 2019, having one of the 100 best lists in the world for wine, service, and originality. In 2022, it reached the maximum rating of three stars.

Oro

Impossible to talk about Rio’s fine dining scene without Oro. Fourteen years ago, chef Felipe Bronze, one of the most important chefs in contemporary Brazilian gastronomy, opened this iconic restaurant in Leblon alongside Argentine sommelier Cecilia Aldaz. Since then, Oro has won national awards, plus 50 Best Restaurants Discovery, Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, and Michelin stars since the first Brazilian version of the guide.

Oro serves two tasting menus, a short Affectivity with 14 courses and the signature Creativity featuring 18 courses. The first 11 are comprised in the “snacks” category meant to be hand held bites, followed by main dishes, sweet bites and petit fois, including an insanely delicious brigadeiro, Brazil’s famous chocolate and caramel truffles.

All dishes feature an element of fire cooking, whether from the grill, yakitori, or charcoal, and all showcase an adventurous culinary approach to traditional carioca cuisine. For instance, oysters are paired with tropical fruit like jaboticaba or guava, and classic Rio fare like stuffed crab and the city’s most emblematic sandwich, the Cervantes, are reinterpreted into single bite sensations that look nothing like the original yet pay homage to these beloved local dishes.

Rio de Janeiro may not be the first place that comes to mind when it comes to culinary innovation and excellence, but major award organizations are paying attention. Rio is fast becoming an exciting gastronomic scene that honors Brazil’s rich cultural heritage, boundless diversity and abundant creativity as it marches toward the future.