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.

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.