ORO

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.