Salvador and the Bahia Coast Restaurants

1. Bar do Raúl

The freshest of such Bahian delicacies as mariscada (seafood stew), casquinha de siri (shredded crab), and arroz de polvo (octopus rice) at great-value prices and served right on the beach are what make Raúl’s a longtime local favorite. The service is friendly and slick and the portions so generous that one main course can be shared among three or four people. Set on the beach of Saquaira, Raúl’s is a lot more laid-back than the beach bars in Barra Grande and a good opportunity to catch a slice of local life.

2. La Taperia

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a Spanish restaurant in Brazil that matches the outstanding food and cocktails served at this vibrant bar-restaurant overlooking the bay in Rio Vermelho and packed with locals every night of the week. Located in a converted town house, tables are scattered through a series of small rooms, styled with vintage Spanish prints on exposed-brick walls. While the most sought-after spot is out on the terrace, if you are in a hurry, opt for one of the stools along the bar and tuck into the delectable menu, featuring inventive salads, fresh seafood, and world-class paella. While the extensive wine list offers Spanish classics, don’t miss the expertly prepared cocktails, such as the jabuticaba caipiroska (a vodka caipirinha made with native jabuticaba fruit).

3. Paraíso Tropical

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.

4. Restaurante da Sylvinha

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.

5. São João Batista

6. Thaicoso

A compact menu of delicious, fresh-flavored Thai dishes changes daily at this affordable, alfresco spot, with a handful of candlelit tables set out in front of the vibrant pink facade of ecelctic design shop Quadrado 13. The green papaya salad and sweet-and-sour slow-roasted pork make a particularly welcome change from endless moqueca. A great spot for cocktails, too.