26 Best Restaurants in Salvador and the Bahia Coast, Brazil

Ask locals and longtime expats alike what not to miss in Salvador and the response you get will be unanimous: Paraíso Tropical. In a tropical garden in the suburb of Cabula, a 20-minute taxi ride from the Historic Center, this relaxed, gourmet spot treats patrons to Bahian classics with a twist. Chef Beto reinvents heavy dishes like moqueca and bobo using natural dendê fruit rather than oil, combined with rare tropical fruits sourced from more than 6,000 square meters of native Mata Atlântica forest. Everything is cooked in agua de coco instead of water to increase the nutritional value of the dishes. Go with friends and go hungry, for while the siri catado (Bahia soft-shell crab), salada duca (mango, baby coconut, and cashew salad), and Beto's special moqueca stand out, you'll want to try everything.

This colorful cottage with some of the most innovative food in Bahia, set right on Praia do Espelho, draws Trancoso's jet set, who get here via a bumpy 40-minute drive on dirt roads. Sylvinha serves a generous set menu that blends Brazilian and Asian flavors (think ginger-infused fish and tropical fruit chutneys) to diners who gather around a few big tables on the terrace of her house. Daybeds are set under the coconut palms for post-lunch snoozing. Reservations are essential at this lunch-only spot.

This good-value, lunch-only, buffet-style restaurant attracts both locals and foreign visitors with its generous salad bar and variety of "slow-cooked" options. The restaurant serves a different type of cuisine daily, so the fare for any given day might include Brazilian, Italian, or Asian specialties. Price is charged per weight of the food on your plate.

Delicious Bahian dishes of fresh seafood are served at this longtime favorite, where the ample portions are great for sharing and the alfresco setting provides a convivial vibe for a family celebration. Pata de caranguejo (vinegary crab claws) is hearty and may do more than take the edge off your appetite for the requisite moqueca de camarão (with shrimp) or moqueca de siri mole (with soft-shell crab); try the cocada(coconut confections) for dessert, if you have room.

For a set price this top-quality, all-you-can-eat Brazilian churrascaria serves a selection of meat cooked to perfection and a generous choice of sides. A flurry of white-coated waiters appear at your table to carve different options of meat straight onto your plate rodizio style, so try not to fill up on the steaming pao de quiejo (cheese balls), salads, sushi, and seafood from the accompanying buffet—and also know that the best cuts are usually brought toward the end of the meal. Drinks and dessert are charged separately.

Run by three Italians, this beach restaurant combines fresh seafood with homegrown classics, such as fish carpaccio and gnocchi with pesto sauce. The place is packed with families most nights of the week, while on Saturday, sunset drinks and a DJ draw a younger crowd.

Located in the heart of the Quadrado, Capim Santo—which means lemongrass in Portuguese—is one of the best restaurants in town. Open since 1985, the family-run business retains an essence of informality and coziness, even though service is super sharp and the healthy, seafood-based menu sophisticated enough to warrant a second branch in São Paulo. Highlights include fresh fish cooked in lemongrass and lobster served in a whole pineapple. Reservations in high season are a must, where regular live music, the flickering candlelight, and jabuticaba caipirinhas make this one of the hottest, and most romantic, spots in Trancoso.

Tucked away on a quiet cobbled street, this lively cantina combines good-value Italian classics with a cozy atmosphere. Owner Rafaele makes the most of fresh local seafood for signature dishes such as spaghetti ai frutti di mare and grilled seafood platter to share. Homemade pastas, tasty meat dishes, and endless indulgent desserts have turned this into a local favorite. Come Sunday, regulars spill out onto tables on the street between watching international football on the large TV and sipping limoncello. The wine list is one of the most varied in town and is well priced, and the fixed-price lunch menu is an excellent value.

Fabulous thin-crust pizza, homemade pasta, and a happening scene keep this lively local spot ever popular, even if the prices may make your eyes water.

It isn't surprising that seafood fresh from the ocean is the specialty at this simple yet ever-popular Bahian restaurant on Praia do Forte's main street. Choose between eight different varieties of seafood moqueca, or opt for the lighter option of ensopado.

The delicious 30-dish buffet served in the wood-paneled dining room of this restored town house set right on the Pelourinho provides a comprehensive A to Z of Bahian cuisine for the uninitiated at a set price. Start at the small museum on the ground floor, where English-speaking staff will guide you through Bahian food's African roots, before heading up to the breezy dining room to experience it in action. Superbly run by the hospitality school SENAC, the students are responsible for the golden moquecas and impossibly sweet desserts—as well as excellent service. Everything is executed under the watchful eye of professors in suits. Vegetarians should make for the Kilo restaurant below.

Tucked away above a busy street in the Pelourinho, Uauá's tasty, typically Brazilian dishes and reliable service make it one of the most popular restaurants in Salvador—and therefore one of the most crowded. Come early to avoid the rush. Don't skip the Northeastern specialities, like guisado de carneiro (minced mutton), moqueca, or carne do sol com purê de macaxeira (salted beef with mandioca (cassava) purée). Portions are big enough to share.