Our concierge recommended that place. It's both a tourist and local spot. It's a huge space…read moreboasting 3 floors and a speakeasy nightclub inside. Live band and service is good. Pretty good system - There's an entrance fee. You then receive a card which you must present to any server to order food and drinks. That tracks your tab which allows you to walk around freely after you eat. Multiple bars. To settle your tab, you pay upfront as they have several cashiers to cash you out. They take credit cards including Amex. Fun times and great cocktails. The passion fruit caipirinhas were delicious!!!

Stunning interior, lively music, delicious and strong drinks, friendly staff, great way to spend an…read moreevening dancing and singing. This used to be an antique store, and there are still beautiful antique items throughout the place. Absolutely adored this spot.

Our yelper friend Danilo took us to Botto since its in his neighborhood. Nice relaxing spot to hang…read moreout with live music on Saturday nights. They have a good selection of beers, only beers on draft nothing bottled. You can chose from three sizes (200mL, 300mL and 500mL). We tried the oceânica easy dive, which was smooth and reasonably priced at R$10 for 200mL. They had 3 cariocas, hip hops, Brooklyn, a few Nois, and some other brands we didn't recognize. The waiter was cool and explained a few ones we wanted to know more about. They have a selection of food as well, some salgados, hot dogs, burgers (which is supposed to be very good) and a few desserts. We weren't hunger enough in the late afternoon for a full meal but we did order some churros. They took a while to come out but worth the wait. They were four hot, soft and sweet pieces accompanied by dulce de leite or goiabada dipping sauces. They have a corner bathroom with has both a stall for men's and women's with a shared sink. The stalls were extremely tight (hard to get out because the door opens inward) and had no toilet paper (which one would expect on a busy weekend night but not a lazy slow Sunday). They gave us suggestion forms to fill out and will probably send out announcements by email.

I was very excited to go to Botto Bar. I heard great things from my Carioca friends, who excitedly…read moresaid they had almost 2 dozen taps of craft beers. When we got there, they had less than 8. We overheard staff mentioning how they are understaffed and recently had to get rid of people (this impacted the service). Very disappointing, but maybe it's fallen on hard times.

The experience begins on the way to the bar during the journey of Santa Tereza, which is super…read morecinematic. The bar is classic both in the snacks, in the drinks and in the environment. The service is excellent, very fast and super friendly.

The place oozes the personality of Santa Teresa. Open since 1919 it was a quintessential old school…read morefeel with lots of character. Fried snacks are their specialty and the feijoada empanada was not to be missed.

This restaurant is situated in a quiet street. It really has some great cocktails and the food is…read moreamazing! They claim to be a fish restaurant, what is true, but the meat is great as well. You got to love this place

Wonderfully entertaining fauna, fare, and shows. Be clear on negotiations regarding price and…read moreparameters before going for a ride. Rooms are spacious with large beds; staff are friendly; saunas are excellent (both dry and wet), lounges are comfortable (earplugs may be useful on occasion).

Great place full of garotos and chilled diverse people. Its spacious and clean . Multiple areas for…read moredifferent tastes . Indoor and semi outdoor space . Masseur was very good. Staff is friendly and helpful.

Went to Carioca da Gema for a great evening of drinks, food, and samba! This location was highly…read morerecommended 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.

The space is fairly small but people dance everywhere and the atmosphere is great…read more 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!