The Best Restaurants In Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro

Located inside of the Santa Teresa Hotel, Restaurante Térèze is a sophisticated and alluring restaurant serving innovative Brazilian cuisine with a few other dishes from around the world. Restaurante Térèze is set in a large dining room with floor-to- ceiling windows overlooking Santa Teresa’s treetops and colonial houses. Recycled wooden furniture and potted flowers on each table create an eco-chic yet tranquil ambiance. The restaurant also has an extensive wine collection, so make sure to pair one of their 200 wines with any of their delicious Brazilian items.

Aprazível in Portuguese means “pleasant”, which is an incredibly suitable name for the Aprazível restaurant in Santa Teresa. Seeming like a colossal tree house, most of the restaurant is situated outdoors under massive awnings made out of dried palm leaves. The ambiance is natural, with tropical trees, plants and woods integrated seamlessly throughout the space. As though the gorgeous decor wasn’t enough, diners also get to take in breathtaking views of Rio de Janeiro and the Guanabara Bay. Aprazível’s food matches the natural Brazilian tone of the restaurant; organic, natural and healthy.

Since 1992 Bar do Mineiro has been a popular meeting spot among Santa Teresa’s locals. The bar is a casual destination for a Caipirinha, Brazil’s national cocktail, or a beer and an easy-going Brazilian meal. Their menu is straightforward, with Brazilian staples such as feijoada, black bean and meat stew, and baked cod with rice, beans and salad. However, be sure to plan some extra time when dining at Bar do Mineiro: since the restaurant is so well-loved, there is often a long wait be seated.

Guests searching for an alternative to Brazilian cuisine should look no further than Adega Do Pimenta. This German restaurant is well liked by locals and tourists. When guests dine at Adega do Pimenta, they feel as though they are in an old wooden German cabin rather than Brazil. The walls are lined with antique German instruments, deer antlers and old beer mugs, while the menu is large, filled with traditional German cuisine. Try the sausages with sauerkraut and potatoes and make sure to wash it down with a glass of one of their real Bavarian beers.

Run by chef Natacha Fink, Espírito Santa is a restaurant that is meant to feel like home. Taking natural ingredients from the Amazon, chef Natacha then uses cooking techniques from all around the world to transform them to appeal to every diner who visits. The menu ranges from Brazilian meat dishes to Asian-inspired vegetarian options. In addition to the food, the setting is homey, featuring a cozy light yellow dining room, an open kitchen, circular wooden tables and numerous windows providing a lot of natural light.