I just came back from South America and although Yelp has no presence in many parts of the…read morecontinent that I visited, I at least can blast out reviews on Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires!!
I'm obviously not a Carioca (Rio local) so this review is geared more towards other people from the U.S. that visit Rio for the first time like me. Although I think they thought I was local or at least Brazilian because people would ask me for directions, ask me to watch their stuff at the beach, try to make conversation with me, all in Portuguese! Street vendors didn't even really bother me. I noticed they would first try in Portuguese with me, but in English with other tourists around me LMAO. I realized Brazilians look so mixed race that a Filipino from the U.S. could easily be mistaken for a Carioca. I think I just fit the skin tone swatch of the city. I feel like I look very favela-ish.
I believe Megamatte is a chain cafe around Rio. This location is near Fort Copacabana, in an area called Arpoador, which is the area in between the main attraction beaches, Copacabana and Ipanema. So if you're making the walk between beaches along the main drag, then you are bound to pass by. You might as well stop in and grab some classic Brazilian treats because they are delicious here.
Unbeknownst to me, I happened to arrive really early in the morning on their Proclamation Day (aka Independence Day) so lo-and-behold all the businesses were closed till 3 pm...except this one. How great a stumble this was because it was the perfect, convenient, easy, and quick snack breakfast to start my first day in Rio before going straight to the beach. The main things you wanna try here are their 1) Huge, soft, and extra cheesy pao de queijos, the Brazilian cheese bread everyone loves, 2) Guarana drinks of which they have many flavors, but I liked the original plain gaurana, which is a sweet drink made from some plant, not carbonated, but not juice either--it's like this weird but tasty "in-between" drink, and 3) Acai, which we all know and love--you can also get these on the street, but if you want them from a store, this is a good place to go. It really is a great cafe to transition your taste buds to some of the staples of Brazilian eats before you delve into the world of street/beach food, feijoada, moqueca, and churrasco! They also have all kinds of little pastries (savory and sweet, some recognizable, some not) and cakes displayed in their cases, so it's easy to just point to what looks delicious if you don't speak Portuguese. Although eggs and pancakes will likely be available complimentary in your hotel, it's nice to try what Brazilians (and other South Americans) eat for breakfast on the daily (aka not eggs and pancakes lol).
Although I was able to check into our hotel very early, if you arrive before check in time and you're not able to check in, just leave your bags with the concierge and start strolling the beaches IMMEDIATELY. If you come across this place, it looks very tiny (with very little seating) and very local, but stop in and try a few things or save them for later as snacks! They accept credit cards and they're cheap.
