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$$$$ | Lagoa da Conceição |
On the second floor of the Marina Ponta da Areia complex, this restaurant has a grand view of the Lagoa da Conceição, with surrounding green hills as the backdrop. The fare, carefully created by chef Fedoca, a diver himself, includes a wide variety of seafood and pasta options. Fedoca's moqueca (a fish, shrimp, octopus, and mussel stew), inspired by the famed Bahian dish, is the house specialty, as are the lobster dishes.
Rua Sen. Ivo D'Aquino Neto 133, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88062-050, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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The village of Riberão da Ilha, a mere 21 km (13 miles) away from Florianópolis, is worth an afternoon jaunt to try the local specialty: oysters. There's no better place for oysters than Ostradamus, right on the beach overlooking the oyster beds. Seafood doesn’t get more local and fresh than this. Ask for a table out on the pier, or opt for air-conditioning inside, where the decor and staff are decked out in a nautical theme. Oysters are served numerous ways, from raw to au gratin. In winter, when the bivalves are plumper, you can opt for the degustação (tasting)—a sequence of oysters prepared 16 different ways.
Rodovia Baldicero Filomeno 7640, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88064-002, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Sun.
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$$$$ | Vale dos Vinhedos |
No restaurant is ever perfect, but Valle Rústico comes pretty close. The chef-owner Rodrigo Bellora—a Slow Food disciple—plucks organic ingredients from the garden and sources local produce to assemble simple but stunning dishes. The Italian-style, four-course set-menu (with three options per course) is a great value (R$78) and can be paired with local wines for an extra R$50. Unpretentious is the watchword here, from the dirt-road entrance to the dining room down in the basement of an old colonial house, where whitewashed walls and exposed wood beams lend a rustic, farmstead touch.
Linha Marcilio Dias s/n, 15 da Graciema, Bento Gonçalves, Rio Grande do Sul, 95720-000, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No dinner Sun.
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An eccentric little gem, Bistrô Isadora Duncan is best known for its romantic vibe and views over Lagoa da Conceição. The dark, wood-paneled interior is softly lighted by lamps and chandeliers at night. The food includes mystically named dishes such as enchanted shrimp (flambéed with orange and green pepper) and blessed shrimp (with a Gorgonzola sauce). Book a table on the veranda and marvel at the moon and the crab-catchers below, who wade out with nets and flashlights in the shallows of the lake.
Rodovia Jornalista Manuel de Menezes 2658, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Tues. and Aug. No lunch
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$$$$ | Boa Vista |
On a leafy square in an upscale suburb, this place serves contemporary cuisine at its most creative. The eponymous chef offers a tasting menu (which must be booked the day before) of small, stunning dishes that are loaded with flavor. The dazzle and glitz extends to the space—all grays and blacks with mirrors and LED tube lights, with a well-dressed clientele. À la carte options are also available, and the wine list is extensive, albeit with few Brazilian options.
Praça Japão 155, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91340-380, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch Tues.–Fri., Reservations essential
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$$$ | Centro |
One of Porto Alegre's largest churrascarias, Galpão Crioulo serves traditional espeto-corrido—a prix-fixe, never-ending rotation of tender roasted and grilled meats brought to the table, accompanied by a salad buffet. If a full espeto-corrido sounds too much, ask for the miniespeto (a small sampler skewer of all meats). Another option is the comidas campeiras (countryside food) buffet, with plenty of dishes featuring rice, beans, and squash. You can also try chimarrão (a maté tea) at a tasting booth where the staff demonstrates the traditional way to drink it. Gaúcho musical performances take place in the evening.
Rua Otávio Francisco Caruso da Rocha, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91110-440, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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$$$$ | Lago Negro |
With a veranda that overlooks nearby pine trees and gardens, this German restaurant creates a relaxing ambience that perfectly complements its traditional offerings such as duck à la viennese (with an orange-flavor cream sauce)—the house specialty. Some tables are in the wine cellar, which has more than 1,000 bottles.
Rua João Leopoldo Lied 975, Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul, 95760-000, Brazil
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With fireplaces in the dining rooms and sheepskin rugs on the chairs, the family-run, Alpine-style Le Petit Clos is one for the winter, when families tuck into the house speciality: fondue. The excellent cheese fondue, with chunks of bread and potatoes for dipping, trumps the beef fondue, served with a fussy selection of more than a dozen disappointing sauces. The chocolate fondue, served with fruits, makes for a gluttonous end to the evening. And if that all sounds too heavy, opt for one of the fish dishes instead.
Rua Demétrio Pereira dos Santos 599, Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul, 95670-000, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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Decked out in purple leathers and black laminate, L’Assiette Cozinha de Autor has an enviable location looking out over the sweeping bay in Balneário Camboriú. Unlike the decor, there’s nothing of dubious taste on the menu here, with imaginative dishes emerging from a small kitchen. For maximum Franco-Brazilian flair, adventurous diners should book ahead to try the chef’s excellent tasting menu (six courses R$128, nine courses R$178), packed with surprises like a trio of tomatoes (powder, jelly, and chutney) and funghi ice cream with white chocolate foam.
Rua 4100, 21, Santa Catarina, 88330-000, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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$$$$ | Floresta |
An upmarket version of a traditional all-you-can-eat (rodízio) churrascaria, NB Steak has replaced the ubiquitous churrascaria salad buffet with a menu of made-to-order salads, and a sequence of delicious side dishes (crispy polenta chips, grilled palm heart, and tempura vegetables to name a few) to accompany the succulent cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and chicken that circulating waiters slice straight onto your plate. To drink, the wine list is vast and, for the most part, pricey.
R. Ramiro Barcelos 389, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90035-004, Brazil
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$$$$ | Batel |
A top-end option in Curitiba, Restaurant Manu is an intimate spot with a dozen tables, and a constantly evolving menu that emphasizes local ingredients with creative flair. Submit to one of chef Manu’s tasting menus—3 courses (R$118), 7 courses (R$158), or 11 courses (R$190)—for a show-and-tell of bite-sized dishes and surprising combinations: think seared fish with bacon, caramel, and sour melon. For a behind-the-scenes view, book the table by the kitchen window, just inches away from where the dishes are plated up. Expect to pay top dollar for wine.
Alameda Dom Pedro II 317, Curitiba, Paraná, 80420-060, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch. Closed Sun. and Mon
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The soft orange glow of lanterns sets a sultry tone by night at this top-end dining option in Praia do Rosa. Named after a bright red seed that’s used as a natural colorant, the restaurant’s focus is Brazilian cuisine, and in particular the hearty seafood stew, moqueca.. Whether you order yours with fish, shellfish, or extra spice, the moquecas more than feed two, and are served bubbling in clay pots, along with rice, farofa (toasted manioc flour), and pirão (a spicy seafood stock thickened with manioc flour). For dessert, don’t miss the creamy tapioca with frozen açaí.
Estrada Geral do Rosa s/n, Santa Catarina, 88780-000, Brazil
