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. 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
  • 4. Café Cultural

    $ | Centro

    Within the same building as the Tourist Information Office of Praça Tiradentes, Café Cultural is the perfect place to rest a bit and enjoy a cold drink and a quick bite. Quiches, little appetizers, and cakes are served, and the extensive beer list includes local gems such as the Backer beer. Ambient music and comfortable sofas allow you to sit back and watch the world pass by the café's large windows. A small bookstore and a collection of teas and local craft items are also available for purchase.

    Rua Claudio Manoel 15, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35400–000, Brazil
    031-3551–1361

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner
  • 5. Chafariz

    $$$ | Centro

    The best place for a mineiran buffet in Ouro Preto is in this vividly decorated eatery near the Casa dos Contos. The large dining room has beautiful furniture designed by Oscar Niemeyer, and the cupboards are decorated with antiques and candles. On the gorgeous balcony in the back, you can sip jaboticaba (a purple grape-like fruit) drinks as you peruse the countryside.

    Rua São José 167, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35400–000, Brazil
    031-3551–2828

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner, Credit cards accepted
  • Recommended Fodor’s Video

  • 6. O Passo Pizza Jazz

    $$$$ | Centro

    An excellent restaurant just oozing with charm, O Passo serves local meat and pasta dishes in addition to pizza. Large bay windows, subtle colors, and candlelight—as well as jazz and Brazilian popular music (MPB) played live on weekends—create a sophisticated but accessible atmosphere that attracts young couples and families. Among the many tantalizing pizzas worth a try, the calabresa with azeitona (wafer-thin slices of cured pork sausage sprinkled with black olives) and the quatro funghi (with four types of mushrooms) stand out. An extensive list of artisanal beers is also available. Try to book a table outside with a view of the river.

    Rua São José 56, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35400–000, Brazil
    031-3552–5089

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations essential
  • 7. Oro Nero Trattoria

    $$$$ | Antônio Dias

    Couples looking for a hearty meal seek out this trattoria in a beautifully decorated house next to the Sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception. The restaurant serves large pasta portions, often flavored with the house's signature and flawless arrabiata sauce; another good choice is the polenta with a sweet-and-spicy pork-sausage ragout. The wine list showcases Italian vintages. Save room for the lush yet light tiramisu.

    Rua Bernardo de Vasconcelos 98, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35400–000, Brazil
    031-3552–2930

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No dinner Sun.

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