Travelers beware - they will rip you off!! I'm pretty non-confrontational, so even though I was…read morepretty sure I was being overcharged, I paid anyway. A couple of us in our group came back from paying and said as much. One very smart friend of mine slipped the drink menu into his pocket when he went to pay - and when told the inflated price, he pointed to the menu and said "I had this, and this, should be only $20 reais (or whatever the price was). The girl went to get her manager. The manager arrived and confirmed the price. My friend said "What is the extra charge for?" The manager said, "It's for the band." There was NO BAND! We had been there for hours and no one played. The manager finally backed down. These people like to prey on homesick gringos. Don't be one of them. Eat down the street at Redentor; drink at Che Lagarto. Anywhere but Lord Jim Pub.

The doorman couldn't have been more rude if he'd tried. His aggressiveness and attitude do not…read moreresemble what I came to love about Rio, yet it was precisely this kind of thing that would appear to give the city a bad reputation. I didn't experience anything like it elsewhere. I was so put off, I turned around and went to the hostel bar next door which had a great vibe and friendly staff.

If you're in Ipanema and in search of some great beers, don't miss this hidden gem inside the…read moreshopping center. We were lucky enough to catch the sign on the newspaper stand outside advertising good beers inside and we were not disappointed. In addition to having a wide selection of beers from around the world (including Speakeasy!), they also have a several taps with rotating beers from both local and international breweries. The prices are a little higher than in the United States, but considering this is in Brazil, we were willing to shell out a few more dollars for some good stuff. For our first trip we tried a a Brazilian Imperial Stout from Schornstein and were impressed. It's not really an imperial stout, but it was far better than some of the other Brazilian stouts we've tried. Stop in, say hello to Bernardo, and grab some beers!

This place is located on the second floor of the shopping center on the corner of Visconde de…read morePirajá and Maria Quitéria, right across from Praça Nossa Senhora da Paz. Go up the escalator (it's a self-starting one so if it isn't moving when you get on it - be prepared) and then take a left. They've got pretty much any kind of beer you want. Lately I've been stopping by to pick up some Ballast Point Sculpin (they've even got the new Grapefruit Sculpin IPA). There's a refrigerator as well, which obviously has chilled beer, or you can pick any off the shelves. The people who work there are friendly and speak English so if you're able to read this you'll be able to get by OK. The only downside is that it is very expensive for just a bottle. However, they have several rare brews that I haven't found elsewhere in Rio.

Delirium Café is the beer bar the Río really needs. There are plenty of cocktail bars but this is a…read morefantastic option for wonderful beer. You'll find many imports from Belgium, Germany, and the US along with some Brazilian brews. Don't get too excited before ordering. You'll find they don't have many beers on the menu for whatever reason. It's pretty disappointing but a replacement beer will still be good. The burgers are their main entrée. They're actually very good, and the vegetarian one would be a good choice for anyone! Indoor and outdoor seating is available. Staff doesn't speak much English but does accept credit cards.

This place is lined with various bottles of beer and have a wicked menu but make sure you have a…read morefew beers in mind because they don't always have everything. Delirium Tremens is on tap, which is good because it's the name sake. I like dark stouts and though they have a few on the menu they don't always stock them. Food is decent and I tried the bacon burger which was filling. It comes with a side of fries. It gets crowded but they've expanded the seating outside which spills out onto the road which is nice for the smokers. The inside is narrow and has only one bathroom for each (male and female). Service was friendly and it's a fun place to hangout at.

Good place for hooking up the way Charles Bukowski would have wanted it. First night in Rio and I…read moregot lucky here with a girl (and necessary to say not a working one since too many bars have those). It closes at 5am-6am on Saturdays and it's a two-story house where basically each room has its own DJ and bartender. Same with the backyard. So it's like bar-hopping but all at one place!

Bukowski you say? And then you think: "oh that dirty-naughty old man, right?" And then I say:…read more "yep, but it is a bar!" And then you say: "Wow it must be awesome, underground and things". But no, it used to be. Sadly, Bukowski bar has changed a lot, it is not underground anymore, and it is not necessarily a bad thing, it really depends on what kind of place you are looking for. It is a cool two-floor house, located in Botafogo, a trendy-young district in Rio. There is a patio with some outdoor seating, great for chatting while having a beer with friends. There is also a garage, where, later on, a dj start to play and the whole thing becames a dance floor. Inside the house, you have a downstairs dance floor, with some serious sweety-too close-dancers and the second floor area, with some space and sofas for chatting and ladies queueing for the toilet and a second dance floor. It is open until late and always attracts young crowds. Just a bit too expensive compared to other places in Rio, around 40 reais entrance and 9 reais for a beer.

Very nice selection of beers. A tasting of days beers (chope do dia) was immediately offered. The…read moreowner is very nice and service is great. Calzone was simple but awesome.

Well I have to say I wasn't expecting much for this bar/nightclub/restaurant. It was surprisingly…read morereasonably priced for their executive menus, it would be ridiculous not to try them. You could choose grilled chicken two sides and a sauce for R$20 and get a dessert. The other options included pastas with meat and sauce. We tried the chicken and the bolognese sauce on spaghetti that was fairly decent especially for the price. The option side Service was fair and more attentive that other bars. The bathroom was upstairs and quite disgusting. For a late night bar it was ok but for a restaurant during the day it was gross. It smelled and the motion sensor light kept clicking off. Also if you don't like loud obnoxious daytime TV shows, sit outside where you can get away from the yappy TVs For a cheap executive lunch, this is the place to go.

Came here twice during my trip to Rio. With the exchange rate between 3.6 and 3.8 reals for one…read moreamerican dollar , prices were excellent. Service was pretty good which is not something I found very easily in this town. Drinks came out quick, dinner came out soon thereafter. Everything tasted great. Our waiter kept checking on us and made sure we had everything we needed. First night here was a quiet night while my second visit was in a packed house. Ambience is cool and casual - TV is on playing UFC and the music is blasting.

Bar Ponto da Bossa Nova is small bar with an attractively outdoor terrace. Most evenings you'll…read morefind someone playing bossa nova from about 8 o'clock pm. If you are there for a conversation with your friends I recommend you try and find a table outside because, even though the music is acoustic, the volume sometimes makes it hard to understand each other. I wouldn't recommend to order a drink such as caipirinha or caipivodka, because it seems you are buying mostly ice cubes.

Pretty awesome that my hostel is across the street from this joint. Came here for dinner on my…read morefirst night here and was treated to some excellent service by Raphael. He helped me navigate the Portuguese menu and recommended a couple of dishes and a beer. Good music playing and good people watching. I'll be back before I leave Rio.

Very good night out in rio. A place where you can dance, but eat very well if you want. The beer…read moremenu is big, also! The only problem is the price.

Macaco is a Temple Bar inspired rock bar in the heart of Cococabana. It's rare that I go to the…read moresame spot twice, but on my week-long trip to Rio I came here three times. They have excellent and talented bar staff, but best of all, amazing live bands. The live bands were AMAZING! They played an array of mostly American rock (with a few Brazilian songs,) and on one night had Karaoke with the live band (you sang, they played the music.) A truly unforgettable experience. Oh and the burgers are awesome!

I really hate when people review places they haven't been inside. But this was my experience here,…read moreI didn't even get a chance to fo inside this bar because the bouncer was such an Ass. We came to Rio with the family and finally got away for the evening and all we wanted was a drink. We got to the front entrance and the bouncer informed us that there was a R$20 cover to get in. I looked at my husband because I didn't really want to pay to get into a bar that I was probably going to pay about R$30-50 reals for each drink and we were feeling like drinking. Anyways the bouncer didn't even give us the chance to respond when He said "why don't you go home and make your own drink, it's cheaper!" He was so rude that we left and went down the street to El Born. Which had some amazing premier cocktails. Bottom line they need to be more welcoming and perhaps explaining that they have a cover because there are live bands according to the reviews.