10 Great Restaurants In Porto Alegre, Brazil

Opened in 1981 by a Lebanese family, Baalbek presents authentic Arab tastes to the Brazilian public through long-held family recipes and traditions. Dishes hold true to their origin as best as possible but with slight alterations to accommodate the Brazilian palate. The first Arab restaurant to open in the city, Baalbek has over 25 years of experience within its walls and serves most of its dishes with the traditional Arab bread khoubiz. Specialising in baked goods using this bread, the restaurant brings the Middle East to South America with flavour and panache.

An Indian restaurant which serves up dishes honest to their country of origin, Sharin presents the best in Asian cuisine in the traditional surroundings of the subcontinent. A mainstay of Porto Alegre for over a decade now, many of the specialty dishes on its menu are cooked in their own tandoor oven bringing a complete level of authenticity to each meal. Tandoori duck and Bollywood prawns are two such dishes that conjure up images of India and, rightfully so, hold major sway on the menu. Not just content with the dishes of one select area, Sharin presents food from both North and South India to offer a comprehensive taste of the country as a whole.

Showcasing the best in gaucho cuisine and culture, Churrascaria Galpão Crioulo is a typical gaucho farm that serves up hunks of meat prepared in a traditional South American way. Similar to the steakhouses of North America, this restaurant, or churrascaria, is a real meat lover’s heaven with an assortment of different cuts in different marinades barbecued to perfection in order to tickle the taste buds of any carnivorous connoisseur. Beyond the food, traditional shows of gaucho song and dance are performed whilst you eat which give an insight into the costume and music of this richly diverse region.

A tremendously quirky open-air bar spread over two levels, the Boteco Natalício finds itself adorned with many an amusing or philosophical rumination from comedians and local patrons alike. Delicacies of the region, such as honey-smoked pork ribs and crunchy shrimp sandwiches with catupiry cheese, drift sumptuously from the kitchen to the tables whilst customers sample the local chope (draught beer) available. A little like the pubs and bars of Britain or America but with that distinctive Latin atmosphere atmosphere, combined with the flowing beer, sees Boteco Natalicio mark itself out as one of the city’s bustling night spots.

Fittingly situated right by the harbour side, the Portuguese restaurant Gambrinus brings an old world charm to the city with its range of seafood and steaks, and European cooking in the heart of Brazil. Dishes like fillet of sole and conger eel sauce bring the flavours of the seafaring nation to life, and delicacies such as salmon fillet with capers and shrimp dishes elevate Gambrinus to a level of sophistication. Grand overarching doorways and chandeliers hint at a grand, historical context and the restaurant itself is the oldest active restaurants in the city, having been open since 1889.

French cuisine has long been lauded as the height of sophistication and elegance. Chez Philippe sets out to prove this by providing the best of French gastronomy to the diners of Porto Alegre. French classics spill forth from the menu, with confit de canard and crème brûlée taking up prominent positions. There’s not just the suave interior finery to dine in but patrons can also enjoy the much-loved tradition of al fresco dining within the restaurant’s well tended gardens, which also offer a refined dining space with tasteful lighting.

Bringing Irish drinking culture to Brazil, Mulligan Irish pub does this and in a big way with over 100 beers to choose from. The food menu also follows this theme with Eire classics such as the Irish breakfast or a selection of boxty (Irish potato pancakes), some of which take into account local tastes such as the meaty boxty carne de panela, next to fare more closely associated with the area like torta de sorvete. For those wanting to try something closer to Irish cuisine than Brazilian, the Boxty Gaelic is a house favourite that sees a potato pancake served up with meat in a whisky and mushroom sauce.

A vegan restaurant that breathes sustainability and environmentalism, Bonobo serves all sorts of treats for the eco-conscious consumer from small snacks like vegan cookies and brownies served with sorbet to a full-blown lunch menu that boasts toasted sandwiches, veggie burgers and burritos. All the dishes here are prepared with exclusively organic ingredients, while drinks such as shakes and hot chocolate made with almond milk provide specialty refreshment. Beyond dining, there is also a library with a wealth of vegan cookbooks that can be perused, so that customers can try their own hand at cooking up some of the treats they’ve been served at Bonobo.