I hate when I take non-vegan friends to a vegan restaurant and they enjoy it more than I do…read more It was my fault, I've never had gnocchi in my life before and they make a vegan version of it here! Too bad it tastes like crap. Blechhh. The mushroom sauce was worthy, but the gnocchi itself was mushy and made me think I was eating half digested food. The amount of parsley on top also made me feel like I was eating grass. *Insert joke about how veg*ns eat nothing but grass* So why 4 stars? Because everything else on the table was so good! It actually took every fiber of my being to try and enjoy my dish while we tasted each others. Stir fried noodles? Amazing. Italian sandwich? Unexpectedly savory and full of flavor. I had to feign 'fullness' and stop eating. I was actually still pretty hungry but the gnocchi was that bad. :( We all had dessert and those were just super decadent and yummy! The caipirinhas and beer were all cold, refreshing, and perfect on a warm day. So yeah, I just chose the bad apple on the menu. Better luck next time. Oh! One more thing, the chef here? Can we say absolute Brazilian Eye Candy? Yummy, I wish I could trade my dish in for him. And I think he saw us (my and my 2 girlfriends) catching glances roughly every 2.5 seconds. A good looking man that can cook? Wonder who the lucky lady is! ;D

So, many traditional Brazilian dishes and items feature meat. As a pescatarian, I can of course…read morehave fish (which I love), but I was a little nervous about how many things I'd actually be able to eat and enjoy during my time here. Well, come to find out, Brazil actually has a little vegetarian and vegan movement going on. Surprised? I was too, but glad that I found one veggie spot in Copacabana, Bio Carioca. There's a really low key vibe here, pretty much a no-frills environment. Yet, you can find an abundant amount of options, even featuring gluten free and vegan options. I was there for breakfast (which, isn't really a prime meal there, so, it's nice to find places serving it), so started out with a Cafe (an espresso shot, if you want more of a traditional "coffee", order an americano). Then, since I'm an egg fanatic, and even though it didn't seem like the most "exciting" thing on the menu, I ordered Omelete com pimenta biquinho e alho poro (leek and local bell pepper). You also get a choice of cheese in any of your omelets, mozzarella or ricotta. I chose ricotta, but, they messed that up and gave me mozzarella, whatever. The omelete was good, but what I especially loved was the local bell pepper, different from any domestic pepper I've had. These tiny little guys packed a lot of flavor, and a little bit of heat too.

Vim almoçar aqui enquanto estava visitando minha familia no Rio de Janeiro. Éramos um grupo grande…read moreentão fizemos uma reserva, que foi muito boa idea por que estava bem cheio. Por causa do local, tinha muito mosquito, mais e só pedir um spray que eles tem no bar-problema resolvido rapidinho. A comida foi maravilhosa! Minha tia pediu um acarajé e a couve-flor crocante como entradas para dividir enquanto esperávamos o resto do nosso grupo. Os dois pratos foram muito bom. Como meu prato eu pedir o nhoque de aipim- foi muito bom, mais bem diferente do que eu esperava. Não sei si chamaria esse prato de nhoque, mais foi muito saboroso. Também foi um prato bem grande então levei um nhoque entero pra casa pra comer mas tarde (e ainda estava uma delícia no próximo dia). Minha prima e vários outros pediram o steak de berinjela com risoto de limão. Muito muito bom também. Com certeza voltaria aqui si tivesse mas tempo no Rio...voltarei na próxima viagem.

Food was amazing. Service very friendly. Really nice ambiance as well. Would highly recommend to…read moreanyone. We had the feojoada, nhoque, and the smash burger. We also tried all three of their juices (red fruit, passion fruit/mint, lemon/ginger), which were great. Our two kids also enjoyed the food. Only issue is that the address in Yelp and Uber is incorrect. They moved from their original location. This restaurant is very close to the Botanical Gardens at 37 R. Lopes Quintas, Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro. When going, use the address in Google Map.

The place is completely secretive and hidden! If we hadn't found it online you would never stumble…read moreupon it! You need to walk up some stairs of a local house. It's extremely homey! This is a per kilo restaurant (buffet and they weigh your plate). There was some great options and we came at the end of lunch time. Extremely varied, local vegan dishes and the nicest falafels and bean patties! Highly recommended for a good and discreet meal!

This is my favorite place from my trip to brazil. After the Moqueca, the food here was so unique…read moreand amazing. Its a cute vegan restaurant with great service. The menu is diverse and caters to different tastes. Stand out dishes: I enjoyed the lavender lemonade. Seitan baits with korean sauce had perfect crunch and it was my first time trying out seitan. Tofu with sesame crust with black rice. It was my first time having black rice but it paired really well with smoky tofu. The texture was great! Compared to the above dishes, i felt aromatic Burmese rice didn't stand out as much. Same with the batata rustica. These classic dishes were good however the menu has so many other interesting choices that might be fun to explore and taste great!

When traveling abroad researching vegan options is a most. Brazil is a meat eating country. I was…read morepleasantly surprised to find a 100% vegan restaurant in the Ipanema area of Rio. There were traditional Brazilian dishes prepared as a vegan option. Some of the options were not to my liking. The server was kind enough to remove it from my bill. I highly recommend Teva if you find yourself in Rio de Janeiro.

#vegan All vegan spot in Rio…read more The food is pretty great. We tried the 15 ball appetizer, a burger, and a hot dog. Thoroughly enjoyed all the options. The drinks werent the best but still okay and loved that they came in little jars. Im not sure on location... we came when it was dark but it seemed very side-streetish, although up the way there were some other shops. I just felt a little more on guard in the area. The spot is nothing fancy at all but thats never bothered me. People were nice. Food took a minute but still fair. Prices are okay too. I enjoyed all the murals on the walls and love for animals vibe. Worth a visit

For my last meal in Rio De Janeiro, I wanted to find an all vegan place. This place was not too far…read moreof a cab ride away from Sugarloaf, so we decided to come here. A small quaint cafe, decorated by paintings and art, with the warm sun pouring through the windows. This was the perfect setting for a quiet lunch for 2. I ordered the 'vegan' special of the day, which was a full 3 course meal! It started off with a warm and creamy Butternut Squash soup which hit all the right spots and sent warm tingly feelings through my body. The main course was this super inventive and creative Eggplant dish which consisted of a sesame seed encrusted Eggplant Patty over a bed of spiced vermicelli noodles, topped with crisp Nori. It also came with a heaping side of seasoned vegetables. This dish was incredibly delicious and nothing I've ever eaten or seen anywhere else. The patty was crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle, but it tasted nothing like eggplant I've eaten in any other form. The noodles strangely provided a great combination and the nori on top added texture and salty flavor. The vegetables, though seemingly boring on the outside, was cooked perfectly and had a beautiful herb flavor to it. I devoured the entire patty, but barely put a dent in the vegetable. It was a lot of food for one person. And as if I wasn't full enough already, I still had dessert coming! A light and refreshing dessert that looked like tomato soup, but tasted like papaya slushie. Only more delicate and just a slight hint of sweetness. It really was a perfect dessert after the heavy entree. All the food was perfectly cooked and presented beautifully. The price was also a steal for the full 3-course meal. The staff was super friendly and you can tell they really are proud of their cafe. It looks like they might do Open Mic and/or have live music and poetry on certain occasions because there is a mini stage with a microphone in the corner. It would be cool to come back and check that out. Gaia also provides free Wifi for their guests, which was great for me as a traveler to check in, post photos, and look at all the other amazing dishes they cook here. I am now sad once again while writing this, as I am reminded of the fact that I can't find that Eggplant dish anywhere else in the world. If and when I come back to Rio, Gaia is already on my list of places to eat at again!

I like this place. Great environment for relaxing. Small cafe with large amounts of charm…read more Their hours fluctuate and at times the Mosquitos also dine with you. But otherwise. Great place to enjoy a vegan meal, coffee and free wifi. FREE WIFI. Remember to visit and enjoy.

You'll need to really search for this place through a narrow alley. The buffet was a good spread…read moreand a great tasting selection of Asian food. The place in itself wasn't very warm or welcoming, not very tidy.

They have the buffet "all you can eat" and "a la carte" options. The buffet is better if you want…read moreto try everything this amazing restaurant can offer you. Their recipes are really innovative mixing international and brazilian cuisine, always adapting it to a vegan version. Everything there is very fresh and taste incredibly nice. I used to live quite close to it so I had the chance to try all their recipes. I recommend their "moqueca vegetal" (vegetarian fish), acaraje, feijoada and "polenta a bolonhesa" all vegan! They have nice fresh juices combinations but my favorite is grape juice. Would recommend it even for non-vegetarian people. Since I've taken many non-vegetarian to eat there and they all like it!

While I was very excited to try this place out, I have to admit that I came away a bit…read moredisappointed. The feel is very authentic and I enjoyed pouring over the menu, however the food took over an hour to be prepared even though we were the only customers in the restaurant. I ordered their signature dish (Amazonian fish wrapped in leaves). Unfortunately, there were only a few bites of fish. The rest was kasava, which is not my favorite. The leaves didn't add much in the way of flavor. The drinks we're fine but oversweetened. There were a few bright spots. The banana veggie curry was unexpectedly good and different than anything I've tasted and they make a good ceviche.

I could not speak more highly of this restaurant. From the decor, to the drinks, to the food -…read moreplantains with crab meat?! - to the servers to the wonderful people we met at the restaurant itself, closing it down then going out, Espirito should be high on your list of restaurants to visit in rio. Located in the much quieter area of Santa Teresa but near the best bar scene (if you like less club more grunge) in the city in Lapa, it is essentially the opposite of one of the big steak houses you will probably also eat at (and should by the way). We became close friends with a guy that "sort of" works there named Diego who hung out with us in Lapa afterward and showed us a side of the city that we would never had seen. Enjoy! The fish is particularly good and Gabriela was my favorite drink...

Ambiance: 5/5: The restaurant looks small from the outside but they have seating indoors and…read moreupstairs. It feels local and homey. Service: 5/5: Our waiter checked on us often. Food: 5/5: Food here was delicious. Loved the feijoada. Food tasted like it was homemade Drinks: 4/5: Drinks were good. We had local beer, Caipirinha, and flavored lemonade. Definitely would come back

Wonderful spot to stop by for drinks and / or food in Santa Teresa! Bar do Mineiro was already…read morebookmarked before I visited and was also recommended by a guide or two from previous days of exploring in RJ. I was unaware / distracted when I had walked past it one day when I was with a tour group. We had pão de queijo at the little shack across the street. When I was back in Santa Teresa on my final day in RJ, I knew I had to make it here! I was there for a late lunch / early dinner. It was not packed like it shows in some of the Yelp fotos which was actually nice for me. That meant no wait to be seated. I had a lovely view facing the outside - I love the restaurant's decor as everywhere you looked, there was something unique and interesting to see and having the giant open windows / doors at the front provide a nice outside-in atmosphere. From the tables, to the items on the tables - love the vibe. What I ordered: - Pastels (the ones I saw in everyone's fotos on Yelp - I wasn't sure which ones they were on the menu, but I pointed them out to my waiter. He said it usually comes in many pieces and because I was alone, he could do fewer pieces for me I think). ***these are a MUST! my favorite thing I ate here*** - Feijoada (again, because I was dining alone, the feijoada for 1 would have been too much food for me if I had that AND the pasteis - my waiter made me a smaller portion where it all came on one plata). Still sooo much food, haha. I tried my best to eat everything before I left, but eventually had to ask for a togo container (they placed my food in this lovely bag with the restaurants name and logo and I was able to enjoy this later that evening). It was good, but I think the first time I try something in Brazil it has alway been the best (this was my 2nd time trying feijoada, still really good!) - Colorado Appia cerveja (this has to be my favorite beer in Brazil!) I found out that I had snatched the last bottle of the day. I really would have wanted to try a lot more things but alas, one of the cons of going out alone... I guess I could have ordered another thing togo since I had a leftovers bag. During the time I was there, I really liked my waiter as he did help me a lot with knowing what I wanted to order. He knew a little English as well so that was awesome. I ended up chatting and meeting the owner and this lady who I think was maybe his wife or really good friend unknowingly as they sat at the two-person table next to mine. The lady was very welcoming and chatted with me a little - asked me where I was from. The owner who is this really cute older man was just so humble and you can really tell a lot of friends go to visit and support his business. As I was about to head out to do more exploring, there was another solo traveler who had came in minutes before, later moved tables to sit closer to mine as it was easier to chat vs. from across the pathway. He had ordered something similar to me I think but it looked like more food... it may have been frango with a side of feijoada? Looked great! All in all, absolute fantastic time here! Will definitely come back here and hopefully I'll have a bigger party so I can try more items off the menu, haha. On my way out, I asked the owner if I could take a foto with him and he said he was okay with it! :] Thank you for existing, Bar do Mineiro!