Minas Gerais Restaurants

Probably the most popular cuisine in the country, mineiran food is hearty and mixes Portuguese, Indian, and African flavors. Famous foods include tutu de feijão, mashed-up beans mixed with bacon, sausage, and cassava flour; frango ao molho pardo, a surprisingly tasty chicken dish with a sauce that is made with its own blood; and angu, a vegetarian dish made with polenta. For dessert, you can't go wrong with goiabada (guava paste, usually combined with queijo minas, a fresh white cheese that has a similar consistency to fresh ricotta). Pão de queijo, chewy cheese bread in roll form, is the state's culinary hallmark—mineiran bakeries get the consistency just right. The cachaça (sugarcane rum) from the northern region of Salinas is considered the best in the country. Mineiros tend to eat dinner after 8. Many restaurants close on Monday. Reservations may be required, especially on weekends.

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  • 1. Café Geraes/Escadabaixo

    $$$ | Centro

    A Parisian-like café and restaurant in an 18th-century building, this beautiful establishment serves delicious sandwiches, soups, and pastries, as well as full entrées. It's especially appealing on a rainy day to sip a cup of coffee or a glass of wine here to the accompaniment of a good novel. The happy hour bar downstairs, Escadabaixo, is the town's most popular hangout for wealthier ouropretanos and tourists. Escadacima is a small shop within the restaurant with a good selection of local and imported wine and beer.

    Rua Conde de Bobadela 122, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35400–000, Brazil
    031-3551–5097

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 2. Casa do Ouvidor

    $$$ | Centro

    A large and welcoming restaurant above a jewelry store, Casa do Ouvidor has won numerous awards for regional dishes such as tutu, feijão tropeiro, and frango com quiabo. The portions are generous. Since the restaurant's opening in 1972, it has hosted former President of France François Mitterand, actor Richard Dreyfuss, author John Updike, and many other luminaries. Try to sit by the windows, which look out on the street below and save room for the homemade sweets.

    Rua Conde de Bobadela 42, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35400–000, Brazil
    031-3551–2141

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 3. Estalagem do Sabor

    $$$

    Patrons of the Estalagem rave about the feijão tropeiro and frango ao molho pardo, just two of the Brazilian dishes prepared by friendly chef Beth, who often makes time to come and greet diners. Although the restaurant is small, the atmosphere is elegant. Light music and an attentive staff make this an appealing place to dine.

    Rua Ministro Gabriel Passos 280, Tiradentes, Minas Gerais, 36325–000, Brazil
    032-3355–1144

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner Sun., No credit cards
  • 4. Senhora do Rosário

    $$$$ | Rosário

    Ouro Preto's finest restaurant is in the Solar Nossa Senhora do Rosário hotel. An elegant atmosphere with formal place settings, attentive service, and soft Brazilian music makes this the ideal spot for a quiet, romantic dinner. The chef, whose menu changes frequently, focuses on Italian and French fare with a mineira accent: you might find intriguing, perfectly prepared dishes such as carne seca (beef jerky) risotto with Gorgonzola cheese. The dessert options include doce de leite (caramel), a Minas specialty, as well as international options like petit gâteau (cake). Argentina, France, Italy, and Brazil itself are among the nations whose wines are represented on the excellent list.

    Rua Getúlio Vargas 270, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35400–000, Brazil
    031-3551–5200

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations essential
  • 5. Vecchio Sogno

    $$$$ | Santo Agostinho

    What is widely considered Belo Horizonte's best Italian restaurant attracts a well-heeled clientele. Tuxedo-clad waiters serve selections from the extensive wine list as well as steak, seafood, and pasta dishes. Consider the grilled fillet of lamb with saffron risotto in a mushroom-and-garlic sauce; the gnocchi di mare, with spinach and potatoes, topped with a white clam and scallop sauce; or the badejo, a local white fish baked and dressed in a seafood sauce. The restaurant allows its diners into its kitchen to see the preparation of food. With its beautiful wood paneling and an extensive bar, Vecchio Sogno has the feel of a 1940s jazz club.

    Rua Martim de Carvalho 75, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30190–090, Brazil
    031-3292–5251

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch Sat. No dinner Sun., Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
  • Recommended Fodor’s Video

  • 6. Viradas do Largo

    $$$

    One of Brazil's best restaurants for comida mineira, the Viradas do Largo (also known as Restaurante da Beth) serves dishes such as chicken with ora pro nobis (a Brazilian cabbage) and feijão tropeiro with pork chops. Some of the ingredients, such as the borecole (kale), are cultivated in the restaurant's backyard. The portions are generous, enough for three or four people, but you can ask for a half order of any dish. The restaurant is also a market, with typical arts and crafts from Minas Gerais. Reservations are essential on weekends.

    Rua do Moinho 11, Tiradentes, Minas Gerais, 36325–000, Brazil
    032-3355–1111

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Tues., Credit cards accepted

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