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.

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).

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.

Controversial, modern, intriguing. Oro (which means “I pray” but also sounds like the word “gold”, in Portuguese) has been the talk of the town since it’s opening, in 2010. Felipe Bronze (today a kind of star chef in the country) was the first chef to really succeed in mixing molecular techniques with Brazilian ingredients, and won many prizes as the best contemporary restaurant in Rio (he has just opened another brainchild, Pipo, in Leblon). Among the prix-fixe menu (which is flexible, and starts at US$80), some standout choices are the Carioquices trio, a tribute to three classic Rio dishes in miniatures, the gnocchi duo (one made of Canastra cheese, the other of onion, in a garlic consommé) and the playful deserts, like “Everything Egg” or “Everything Chocolate”. The atmosphere is subdued, with an exposed brick wall and open kitchen. Dinner only, reservations essential. Closed Sundays.

The main restaurant at the stylish Hotel Santa Teresa has earned the property a spot in the acclaimed Relais and Chateaux association with a great wine list and sophisticated Brazilian cuisine. If you are staying in Ipanema or Copacabana, it can be a real trek to get here but for foodies it is worth it. If you are visiting the Christ or Santa Teresa neighborhood, it is also lovely for lunch. The décor is Brazilian organic chic with lots of natural woods and fun touches like bright red lampshades and lamps with wooden faces as bases. Floor to ceiling glass windows provide great views over the rooftops of Santa Teresa. The menu mixes local favorites with a modern twist. For example, a hearts of palm salad is served as a timbale layers of shredded hearts of palm and chopped mango, tomato and onion and suckling pig is served with caramel sauce and celery root. Save room for dessert.