bars · Rio de Janeiro
The best nights in Rio de Janeiro start at these addresses — award-winning cocktail rooms, beloved locals' haunts and views worth ordering a second round for. All rated 4.5 stars or higher.
Urca · $
Since 1939, cariocas have collected cold beer and pastéis from this tiny botequim and perched along the Urca seawall watching boats cross Guanabara Bay. It is the most beloved sunset ritual in the city.
Insider tip: Order empadas and a cold Original at the street counter and claim a spot on the mureta (seawall) before 5pm.
Santa Teresa · $
A wall-to-wall photo-covered Santa Teresa botequim pouring some of Rio's best cachaças alongside a famous feijoada served all week. The pastel de feijão (black-bean pastel) is a house invention worth the trip alone.
Insider tip: Weekend feijoada draws crowds; go on a weekday afternoon and try a flight of artisanal cachaças.
Leblon · $
A Leblon institution since 1985 with a library of hundreds of artisanal cachaças and caipirinhas in every fruit Brazil grows. The accompanying menu of escondidinho and torresmo is northeastern comfort food done right.
Insider tip: Ask the staff to guide a cachaça tasting from unaged to barrel-rested; the passion fruit caipirinha is the crowd favourite.
Lapa · $$
A three-storey antiques warehouse turned samba palace in Lapa, where live bands play samba and choro beneath chandeliers, vintage clocks, and apothecary cabinets. It is touristy and utterly worth it.
Insider tip: Buy tickets online and arrive by 9pm Thursday–Saturday to get a table near the stage before the dance floor packs.
Ipanema (Avenida Vieira Souto) · $$
A handsome São Paulo-born boteco directly across from Ipanema beach, mixing impeccable caipirinhas and serving polished bar food until late. The sidewalk tables face the ocean for prime post-beach hours.
Insider tip: Come at sunset for a beachfront table and order the caipirinha de limão with the bolinhos de bacalhau.
Copacabana · $
A classic 1957 Copacabana pé-sujo crowned 'best botequim in Rio' multiple times, famous for pataniscas (cod fritters) and ice-cold chopp on a buzzing corner. Plastic tables, paper napkins, perfect.
Insider tip: Cash and patience: it is standing-room busy after 7pm, so go late afternoon and order the pataniscas immediately.
December–March
Brazilian Real (BRL)
Portuguese
How this list is made: we only feature places rated 4.5 stars or higher with 1,000+ reviews from real travelers. Ratings and review counts are approximate and move over time — always check current numbers before booking. Photos are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under free licenses (credits in each gallery).
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Good to know
Four days is the sweet spot: one for Christ the Redeemer and Santa Teresa, one for Sugarloaf and Urca, one for the Ipanema–Copacabana beach life, and one for Centro's museums or a Tijuca rainforest hike. Add extra days for Carnival or side trips like Ilha Grande.