The space is fairly small but people dance everywhere and the atmosphere is great. The reservation online didn't seem to work, so we showed at 8:30pm on a Saturday night, right when they open. We managed to get a fairly good table upstairs and order some food before the music started at 10pm. Once people start dancing, some of them give up their table so you could show up late and get one. The food is simple but you really go for the samba. Our waiter was singing along, so much fun just to see how he really enjoyed the music. This spot seems more traditional than others, and I'm glad we picked it for a first experience with Samba! read more

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There are a ton of samba clubs located in Lapa, but we came here because our friend who grew up in Rio wanted to take us here specifically. We got here early, around 9:30, and the real samba band started at 10. That's when it started to fill up. We got a table upstairs. If you want a table you need to arrive early. The service was excellent, the music was good, and the atmosphere was fun. You can see this is where Cariocas come to have fun on weekends. Just don't eat the food. Not only is it not good, but a friend got food poisoning. I see people complaining that the food here wasn't good, but is this a dining experience or a samba club? read more

The bar with the best samba live music in the city. Even though there's a small dance floor in front of the stage, there are customers dancing all over the place, so exciting is the atmosphere. Service, drinks and food (appetizers, mostly) are okay, no big deal. No one goes there for the food. read more

Amazing ambience and Music, Samba de Lei é muito bom! You feel like a local nit a tourist.

Went to Carioca da Gema for a great evening of drinks, food, and samba! This location was highly recommended by our concierge at the JW, who mentioned the venue would be a smaller, more intimate environment than other well-known tourist destinations. The cover price on this particular Saturday evening was ~$30R/person, and it was absolutely worth it. The caipirinhas (~$15R) were delicious, the appetizers were tasty, and the live music set a nice mood. I would definitely recommend due to the speedy service at the bar, the friendly staff (who will teach you to samba), and the local musicians. Everyone seemed to give a nice welcome to Lapa. It would be a smart idea to arrive earlier (we arrived at 11pm) to get a table or spot upstairs, but in case you do not get a table, there was plenty of standing room around on dance floor to mingle and enjoy the crowd. For those traveling from Copacabana area, it was ~$30R Uber each way. read more

Was getting tired of Rios club scene after going to 00, Nuth, Shennanigans, and Lagoon. With not much going on on a Sunday, we came here with no expectations. Listened to Samba and Choro played by Roge'. Drank Bohemia Pilsner with my buddies. Sampled the Carpaccio which was good. The venue is small and intimate. The crowd is mixed with mostly locals and a few adventurous "Estrangeiros". So sit back, relax, sway with the musc, and let Carioca da Gema's charm sooth your soul. read more

Carioca da Gema - August 17th, 2014 Roge' plays CDG. - Pizza Near Me - Rio de Janeiro, RJ

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Great bands, great drinks, friendly service and clean bathrooms. Definitely a place to check out if you are not from Rio (or even if you are!). We really enjoyed the samba music and never felt like tourists. Great place! read more

Carioca da Gema - Pizza Near Me - Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Good music, really great food and even better drinks. I came here for a night out in lapa and was pleasantly surprised by how good the food was. We ordered some drinks one alcoholic (pina colada) and the other non alcoholic and both were really really excellent. They had a mix of fruit juices that was sorta like a smoothy and it was great. For food we had some fried risotto which was fantastic and then later headed downstairs for live music and dancing. The crowd was a mix of gringos like myself and locals there dancing. The best thing was how friendly everyone was. It's worth the cover charge and is a good place to grab food and dance read more

Had to stop at this local gem for our last night in Rio and it did not disappoint! We arrived at 9:00pm and were given two slips of paper for our food/drink orders. Because we were a bit early, we snagged a high table that had a perfect view of the stage. 6 caprihainas later and we were having a blast! The live music was so fun and lively! This place has a great energy and fun-loving, local crowd. Everyone we met was very friendly and respectful. The drink prices can't be beat at ~5 USD per caprihaina! Not to mention they taste DELISH! Bring your card to the cashier when your ready to go and they will cash you out :) read more

If I could give zero stars I would. I never got my food and their filet mignon is not a filet Mignon but they charge as if. We just left and ate great pizza across the street. The band was fun but the service of food and the owner was beyond terrible. Never going back. read more

I would agree with others that the music is good, it's a fun scene. Everyone has a good time here. The food however is just ok. . Really not great. Pizza was barely ok. Some fried chicken and garlic which was tasty just all the fatty bits of chicken, not appealing to me. The sliced sausage and onions was very tasty. We had fun on the whole just don't come for a great dinner. read more

Four of us came to Carioca da Gema for live samba about 10:30pm on a Saturday night in June. Claudinho Guimarães and his band (http://www.claudinhoguimaraes.com.br/videos) were performing to a packed house. We were fortunate to find a table upstairs and ordered a Bohemia and some caipirinhas. The music was upbeat and excellent. I will return to Carioca da Gema whenever I'm back in Rio. read more

Carioca da Gema - Claudinho Guimarães, June 2015 - Pizza Near Me - Rio de Janeiro, RJ

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Nice spot for having a great brazilian time, Samba live music, nice local, caipirinhas are the best! read more

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We came for casual live samba music on a Sunday night in Rio. We took a cab there from Copacabana and felt very safe arriving there. The music was really great. The place is not very big on the main floor so the small floor was pretty crowded. The food was ok. We had great caipirinhas! Very well balanced and not overly alcoholic as we had in other places. The food was fried of course. We had a fried battered shrimp and a battered meat dish. They all area small pieces that can be shared. read more

So much fun!!!! I highly recommend this bar for people looking to dance along with locals. There is a cover, but it is definitely worth it. And the drinks are really reasonable. read more

Live music. Small place very tight. Locals love these place. Worth seeing. Always huge lines don't get it

Old charming villa turned into one of the best live music bars in Rio de Janeiro's old Lapa district. Good snacks and drinks, excellent atmosphere with samba and chorro music. And of course: dancing. Entrance: 12 R$ read more

There are no words for our experience at Carioca de Gema. Beautiful and incredible do not even come close!The food, the service, the music was incredible. We were on vacation from the states and this was one of our best nights. We came on Sunday at 9 PM. Be sure to make a reservation because this place fills up quickly! The samba music was so beautiful. The food is delicious and modestly priced as well as the drinks. A wonderful, authentic experience in Rio. Do not skip this one! read more