Every time we head to the beach at Grumari or Prainha, this restaurant is where we stop before…read moreheading back to the city. For anyone who loves beautiful views and rustic seaside dining, you'll be super happy you came. This outdoor eatery serves up some of the best fish I've ever had. The thing to do is head around the side and check out the guy cooking - go with whatever fish you primarily see on the grill. Yesterday, we got vermelho (or Red Snapper, my favorite). The whole fish came out perfectly prepared and we washed it down with our bucket of Heinekens (they only serve beer in cans here, you can also get caipirinhas or other mixed drinks). Served with a side of rice, fries, and salad, this was the perfect meal. For a super hungry group of 4, you can go with one large and one smaller fish, if you're only regular hungry, one large fish should suffice. To compliment a savory meal, the view is incredible. There's a small beach just beneath the restaurant where you'll find plenty of people (but not too many) swimming, sun bathing or climbing up the giant rock for photo opps. If you're lucky, sometimes you'll find the guy selling coconut tapioca couscous. He'll walk around the beach area or the restaurant too and if you catch him, it's worth buying a square for your post-meal sobremesa. This gooey dessert is dense, moist, covered in condensed milk and topped with coconut. Sublime.

This is Paradise; awesome beach, spectacular views and dine under the trees. The Moqueca of Róbalo…read moreis one of the best fish stews with coconut ever. The Crab and the shrimps Paste (turnover / empanadas) are also delicious, as well as the fried fresh fish chunks with local mustard sauce. The Caipirinha also wonderfully done. Truly lunch in paradise. Although service was friendly, just make sure they don't get charged your American credit card in USD, charge in Brazilian Reais (better exchange). We could have stayed there all day. Truly worthwhile. What a gem. We don't have this in Miami.

If you're a surfer, friends with a surfer, or simply enjoy watching surfers, this Prainha…read morerestaurant is ideal. The reason for the surfing reference has to do with the fact that's located at the top of a small beach popular amongst wave riders so whether you're going after a great day or simply going to enjoy the view, it's a great spot. Located at a gorgeous lookout along Prainha beach, Mirante da Praia offers a great caipirinha along with some seafood and staple Brazilian snacks. The drive from Rio is relatively easy and will take you about 40 min to an hour by car. Once you leave Rio, you're mostly driving along the coast, so the beaches you'll pass along the way are picture-perfect. While fish is the thing, our table didn't really enjoy ours. It came out slightly raw and rather unimpressive in flavor. The shrimp pastels were excellent and the fried yuca was nice too. This place is ideal for an afternoon gazing upon the water, eating a shrimp pastel and drinking a caipirinha.

Wow. This is a true gem…read more Quinta is WAAAAYYYYYY off the beaten path in Rio, you really have to make a whole trip just for the restaurant, but they know they're a destination, and they make it feel like it's a resort, so you can really just spend the whole afternoon and evening here if you want. First of all, the restaurant is kind of off into the countryside outside of Barra/Recreio, so you feel like you're totally leaving the city. It is on a property that is completely walled in, with a gate, and only a very small sign saying what it is. When you get to the gate, there is a porteiro who radios in your name (I'm pretty sure reservations are required), and then opens the gate for you. After parking, you walk along a beautiful garden path that leads past a lovely outdoor sitting area and on up the the restaurant. The restaurant occupies two different buildings, with a patio area and a pond between them (yes there are turtles in the pond!!). When you get to your table, it doesn't just have a "reserved" card on it, it actually has a very elegant name card with the name of the person who made the reservation printed in beautiful font (it looks like hand made calligraphy, but further inspection proved it to be printed). I had their feijoada, but the menu was full of great Brazilian dishes, with a focus on seafood. The drinks were great, and the service was exceptional. If you're looking for a very special meal, definitely come here. We went on a Sunday, and "aproveitamos" the fact that we were all the way out there to go to Grumari, which is a very out of the way and wonderful remote beach, for the rest of the afternoon.

An excellent restaurant located in recreio. The restaurant has excellent ambiance with glowing…read morelights above, live, music, and exceptional service. Our waiter Rafael did an exceptional job. We ordered pastel, a cashew caipirinha, Moscow mule, and escondidinho (the pumpkin dish). The pumpkin dish was exceptional and worth coming to this restaurant for alone. Unfortunately, I'll be leaving the area, but if I'm ever back in the area, I'll be sure to make it back.