Great flavours! I got myself chocolate and coconut ice cream. Both have good quality and tasted…read moreamazing! I wanted more coconut ice cream. One of the highlights in Niteroi, definitely.

No wonder why the best ice cream places in Rio and São Paulo are created by Italians. It does not…read morediffer with regards to this hidden pearl in Niterói, a city in the state of Rio de Janeiro. If you are visiting Rio and have a bit of extra time to broader your sightseeing experience beyond the typical touristic approach of the city, I recommend a visit to the Niemeyer museum of contemporary art. Just the site is worth a visit and also the breathtaking views from Rio de Janeiro City from there. Nevertheless, do not miss Crema e Cioccolato Café. I have tasted ice cream from Rio, São Paulo and even several other countries and this one does not compare. The creaminess is stable even on a conventional freezer, which usually leads to hardness of the ice cream with other top Italian ice cream brands found elsewhere. Strawberry cheese cake and cremino are fantastic. There are plenty of options to choose from and you can even go for a banana split, typically found in Brazil where you mix bananas with ice cream plus some toppings. I believe price is not even a matter of consideration when you discover a place like that. I would go there regardless of the price, although I find what they charge very reasonable, especially if you consider it matches the top ice cream places in the country. The only con for me is that they have no branches around the country. A hidden gem like that should be mapped worldwide. I believe this place is undeniably a master piece ice cream factory serving some fortunate people downstairs.

Easy to get to from the metro and smack dab in the middle of the busy Centro area, if you're…read morepressed for time and need a quick lunch, odds are you're going to wind up here. There's not a lot of space in the dining room nor is there a lot of variety to the menu but if you're looking for either one of those things, you shouldn't be here. If you're prepared to sit at the counter and have the Rio equivalent to a meat 'n three (shoutout to Nashville!), you're in the right spot. I began my meal with a fresh pineapple juice. It was made right in front of me and it was delicious. It was so good I ordered a fresh strawberry juice for dessert. LA has a variety of fresh fruit and all can be made into juice so I would forgo any other beverage than this. You can't beat natural and you can't beat fresh. While you eat some (not so healthy) food do your body a a favor (and counteract the meat) by drinking fresh. The plates are quick, traditional and fairly large. I had the pork plate which came with rice, beans and onions. The pork, served in chunks, was well-seasoned and tender. Oftentimes, pork can be tough and rubbery and you have to hide the meat with the rice and beans in order to choke it down. Not so here. The pork stands on its own. When paired with the onions and beans, however, it gets elevated to a truly enjoyable level. It's not fine dining but it's quick, relatively cheap and very local. Rio's expensive. Take a break with something that won't break the bank. But do NOT, however, forget to get a fresh fruit juice. It just might make your day.