Fancy tapas bar with very good tapas (the octopus ones are highly recommended) in Leblon. Very crowded at peak times, so it is best to visit around noon or during the afternoon (between 3pm and 5pm).There is another outpost in Ipanema (Rua Garcia d’Ávila, 147B, 55 (21) 2512-9826).

Brazil was a Portuguese colony, and the heritage is especially present in the food. This traditional Portuguese restaurant in Copacabana specializes in salted codfish (bacalhau). Don’t miss deep-fried bolinhos de bacalhau (codfish fritters). As a main course, try the “Bacalhau à patuscada”, with garlic, broccoli, potatoes and black olives (serves two to three people, ask for a half portion for one). Finish off with the sweet and delicious pastel de nata, a pastry stuffed with delicious soft custard.

Perched on top of Santa Teresa, Rio’s Montmartre, Aprazível is known for its dramatic views. The food is OK – and it’s expensive, but even so the place is always packed. The best way to enjoy it is to come after lunch (the restaurant opens nonstop from lunch to dinner), order some appetizers and many caipirinhas, and enjoy the afternoon view in the bucolic setting.

With views of Guanabara Bay and Sugarloaf Mountain in the distance, Assador is an authentic Brazilian steakhouse.

This great gastropub from the same owners of Bráz made a lot of noise when it opened in Ipanema across from the beach, after years of popularity in São Paulo. The ambiance is casual but hip, with a retro brasserie-style design. Ask for a chopp (draft beer) and order one of their Brazilian great main courses (like the picadinho, a classic beef stir fry with beans, rice and a fried egg). From the terrace, watch the idyllic sunset. Opens at 6pm on weekdays and at lunchtime on weekends.

This is a well-hidden gem in bohemian Santa Teresa. It’s the romantic bar & lounge of the Hotel Santa Teresa, with a huge terrace and an amazing view. One of the best spots in Rio to relax, have a cocktail, and enjoy the sunset.

Called only Londra by the locals, this is the trendy bar of the sophisticated Fasano hotel. Beautiful people, celebs and guests mingle in a classy pub-like ambiance, with top service, great music and expertly prepared cocktails. Next door is Fasano al Mare, with good seafood and steep prices.

The twelve-seat counter is the place to be for tapas-cum-champagne in Rio. Actually, there’s an array of options by the glass, including a sample of Brazilian best sparkling wines, like Cave Geisse’s Terroir Nature and Miolo’s Millesime Brut. A selection of artisanal beers and interesting jerez are also available. The bar is part of the Bazzar group, an established brand in Rio, with a number of restaurants and a line of gourmet sauces and creamy deserts. The new Bubble Bar has it’s own menu of creative tapas (although it’s also possible to order from the main Bazzar menu) with options like Brazilian trio of cheeses and wagyu tartar on a single French fried potato slice. The ambiance is modern and trendy, and the location is dead-center in Ipanema. Open nonstop everyday, from lunch to dinner (early closure on Sunday).

This outstanding seafood spot is located in the fishing village of Guaratiba, just outside of Rio. Expect ultra-fresh fish and seafood prepared in a number of traditional ways—mostly baked or stewed with fresh herbs and seasonings—to be enjoyed in a rustic and authentic environment.

Bráz is the perfect pizza place: a cantina-like ambiance, fun and trendy, with tasty and perfectly made pizzas. Ingredients are first class, many of them Italian. No wonder it always receives accolades from local magazines. Pizzas are neapolitan-style. Best sellers include the caprese, with tomato, italian mozzarella and giant basil leaves, and the provençale, with eggplant, zucchini, and a touch of garlic. Come prepared for the long lines, specially on weekends. Closed Monday, dinner only.

Anyone visiting Rio should jump on a cab and drive up to Santa Teresa, the bohemian neighborhood par excellence, with dramatic views and lots of character. A nice option for some local flavors is Café do Alto, specialized in food from the Northeast of Brazil (Bahia and further North). Breakfast, served buffet-style on weekends and holidays, is a great way to try specialties like tapioca pancakes with fillings like curdled cheese and honey or shredded sun-dried meat, and delicious cake Souza Leao, with manioc flour, coconut milk and eggs. The place is laid back and no frills, but charming like its neighbors. Closed Monday.

This is Rio: a restaurant which carries only organic food, served buffet-style (called “por quilo” because the plates are weighed and charged by the kilo), on the expensive side, and adored by all cariocas. It’s always an amazing and fun variety, salads being their specialty—currently they offer about 40 different ones. Desserts are to die for.

For a particularly proper high tea (and coffee), visit the centuries-old Downtown location on Rua Goncalves Dias. For a spectacular view, try the outpost at Forte de Copacabana (Forte de Copacabana; 55 (21) 3201-4049), which feels like it’s in the middle of the ocean.

For sheer ambiance, nothing surpasses this lovely bistro, inside an early-20th-century mansion in Parque Lage. Walls of green, orchids and hummingbirds provide the scenery, and chef Adriana’s pão de mel (honey cake) the gustatory ecstasy.

This small and homey place is perfect to try some Brazilian delicacies, like homemade cakes of carrot or cornmeal (in Portuguese, fubá, pronounced “foo-bah”), and different breads, like the ubiquitous pão de queijo (or cheese bread, a kind of cheese bun that is the official Brazilian snack). Try also pamonha, a sweet and creamy corn cake, and brigadeiro, the Brazilian version of the chocolate truffle, soft and sweet and chewy and enrobed in chocolate sprinkles – totally addictive! Open nonstop everyday (early closure on Saturdays and Sundays).

Tip: for the best gourmet brigadeiro, order two days in advance at Sweet Dreams (www.sweetdreams.com.br) and ask for the brigadeiro box to be delivered to your hotel.

This street concentrates a number of good bars and restaurants and is a great option for both lunch and dinner. Some options include: Pipo, CT Boucherie, ¡Venga!, Zuka, Brigite’s, Bottega del Vino and Chico & Alaíde.

The eighth floor rooftop pool bar is only accessible to Fasano hotel guests and their friends but it is one of the best spots in the city to enjoy cocktails. The views of the beach and the city are fabulous and so are the people watching and cocktails. Light snacks and sandwiches are served throughout the day so you can spend the day by the pool or linger after dark.

Fogo de Chão, the upscale churrascaria from Sao Paulo, is one of the city's traditional "meat temples." It serves top quality cuts, has a great salad buffet and boasts amazing views of Rio's bay. Don't miss the picanha and bottom sirloin cuts.

Rogerio Fasano has long served as the Sirio Maccioni of São Paulo at the restaurant in his superb Fasano Hotel. The family opened this outpost in Rio to share their brand of refined Italian cuisine with the city’s food lovers. Celebs and society types fill the tables nightly in the rustic yet sleek dining room, where plates of delicate pasta and perfectly grilled fish have made this the place for business meals, romantic moments and family celebrations.

Great options from the grill (both meat and seafood), affordable wines and great ambiance make this restaurant a popular choice for tourists and “cariocas” alike. As it opens nonstop between lunch and dinner on weekends, it’s the perfect place for a late lunch after the beach.

This traditional family-owned restaurant, whose menu is focused on codfish and seafood is located in Niterói, a small city that’s about thirty minutes by car from Rio (crossing through the famous Rio-Niteroi bridge). It’s worth the drive for the expertly prepared salted codfish. Diners sit in a Portuguese inspired room and can choose among 18 different preparations of the traditional dish, along with great wine options from the extensive list. There's a local vibe and cosy feel to the place. Come on a Saturday to escape the weekday commuter traffic, and visit the contemporary MAC Museum, designed by the late Oscar Niemeyer, and the historic forts, many of which have incredible views. Reservations recommended. Lunch only Sunday to Wednesday.

For a light, lovely meal in a mid-century Ipanema beach house, try Gula Gula’s flagship restaurant in Ipanema.

Popular year-round with locals, the bike path, parks, decks and gardens that surround Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas is one of the most relaxed ways to enjoy the glory that is a sunny day in Rio. There are bike and roller-skate rentals for the actively inclined, playgrounds for the kids, observation decks on the water for peaceful contemplation and inexpensive bars and restaurants. (Personal favorites: exotic caipirinhas at trendy Palaphita Kitsch.) On the Leblon part of the lagoon you will find the restaurant complex Lagoon.

As the only pan-Asian restaurant to have been awarded a Michelin star, MEE offers a delightful fusion of Asian flavors in a sleek, modern setting.

This ice-cream parlor, adored by cariocas, is the best place to sample the huge variety of Brazilian flavors, from sweeter options to tropical and exotic fruits. Try tapioca ice cream together with a scoop of açaí or taperebá. Besides the shop in Ipanema, there’s also an outpost in Jardim Botanico: Rua J. J. Seabra s/n, Jardim Botânico; 55 (21) 2511-2550

This buzzing Peking-style Chinese spot owned by Brazilian mogul Eike Batista is great for a fun night out. The grand dining room has a lounge feel, with its modern design in red and white in three levels – in a warm night (and they are plentiful in Rio), chose the top floor with its retractable roof and view of the Christ the Redeemer and Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. Mr Batista hijacked the chef (Mr Lam himself), from NY’s Mr Chow, placed two Xi’an warriors statues at the door, and filled the place with celebs and Rio VIPs, who nibble on Satay Chicken. The Peking noodles, artfully prepared in the middle of the dining room, add even more drama to the scene. Reservations are recommended, especially during weekends. Dinner only, except Sundays.