Rio eats casually and outdoors. 20 bookable food tours below — plus the neighbourhoods and dishes the city is built around.
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The guide
Rio eats casually and outdoors. The formats are the botequim, a corner bar serving cold beer and small fried plates, and the churrascaria, where waiters bring skewers of meat until you stop them. The city's defining dish is feijoada, a black bean and pork stew that takes a whole afternoon and traditionally lands on Saturday. Beach kiosks sell grilled cheese and coconut water along the sand. Portuguese, African, and Indigenous cooking all sit underneath, and the African contribution is clearest in the palm oil and seafood dishes that travelled down from Bahia.
Where to focus
Four neighbourhoods to anchor a few days of eating
Ipanema & Leblon
The wealthier beach neighbourhoods. Good restaurants, juice bars on every corner, and prices at the top of the local range.
Santa Teresa
On the hill above the centre, reached by tram. Old houses, small restaurants with views, and a slower pace than the beach.
Lapa
Below Santa Teresa, the nightlife quarter under the arches. Botequins, street food, and samba that runs until morning at the weekend.
Centro
The business district, dead at night but excellent at lunch. Century-old botequins and the confeitarias that served the old port city.
What to eat
The dishes the city is known for
- 01
Feijoada
· Black beans slow-cooked with salted and smoked pork, served with rice, farofa, collards, and orange. Saturday food, and it occupies the whole day. - 02
Pão de queijo
· Cassava flour and cheese rolls, chewy and hot. Breakfast, sold from every bakery counter. - 03
Coxinha
· Shredded chicken in dough shaped like a drumstick, breaded and fried. The standard botequim snack with a cold beer. - 04
Churrasco
· Meat grilled on long skewers and carved at the table until you turn the card over. Picanha is the cut to wait for. - 05
Açaí
· Amazonian berry pulp served frozen and thick, with granola and banana. A local staple long before it was exported as a health food. - 06
Caipirinha
· Cachaça, lime, and sugar over ice. Made properly with fresh lime muddled to order, and stronger than it tastes.
Practical notes
Meal timing, tipping, payment
Lunch 12:00 to 15:00, often as a per-kilo buffet where you pay by plate weight. Dinner from 20:00. Feijoada is served on Saturdays and sometimes Wednesdays and is heavy enough to replace both meals. Tipping is 10 percent and usually printed on the bill. Carry small cash on the beach. Take normal precautions with valuables at night and use a ride app rather than walking between neighbourhoods.
All 20 food tours
Updated 2026-09-11The full list · sponsored partner links
- 01
Rio de Janeiro Street Food Tour With A Local Guide
Embark on a flavorful journey through Rio de Janeiro's vibrant street food scene with an exclusive tour. Guided by an expert, you'll explore popular food destinations, sampling a variety of Brazilian appetizers and snack
3h - 02
Rio de Janeiro to Angra and Grande Island 1 Day in Escuna with Lunch
Angra and Ilha Grande offer boat rides with paradisiacal landscapes and activities for all tastes. One of the most popular routes includes the Blue Lagoon, Araçá Beach, Botinas Islands and Archae Beach, providing an unfo
12h - 03
Rio de Janeiro: Shared Speedboat Tour with Beer Included!
The shared tour is ideal for those who want to know Rio de Janeiro in a different way, observing the city from another angle, having a cold beer and meeting people from other cultures, all on board a speedboat.
3h - 04
Rio de Janeiro: Speedboat Tour with Sunset and Beer!
On this shared tour you will enjoy the most beautiful sunset in the Marvelous City aboard our speedboat. Far from the hustle and bustle of classic tourist spots. Take the opportunity to take unique photos and contemplate
3h - 05
Rio de Janeiro: Boat Tour with Beer!
The speedboat tour is ideal for those who want to get to know Rio de Janeiro in a different way, observing the city from another angle, having a cold beer and meeting people from other cultures, all on board a speedboat.
3h - 06
Stadium Stories & Food: Join a Maracanã stadium tour with a Local
Get ready to visit the most iconic stadium in the world: the Maracanã! I will personally take you on a tour around this amazing stadium and share stories of the football culture in Brazil. Make your visit to Maracanã per
3h - 07
Favela Vidigal Tour and Brazilian Lunch
We HIRE LOCAL guides and families. A percentage of each tour goes back into the comunidade through investments and job opportunities, our tours directly impact lives within the Favela. How often can you say you say to
2h - 08
Rio de Janeiro in One Day City Tour Including Lunch
Enjoy a full-day, guided city tour of Rio de Janeiro in which you'll visit all the main attractions including lunch, tickets and transportation. Your full-day city tour visits the main attractions of Rio de Janeiro, enj
9h - 09
Day Trip to Búzios from Rio de Janeiro: Sightseeing Tour, Bay Cruise and Lunch
Escape from the hustle and bustle of Rio de Janeiro and frequent the picturesque village of Búzios. Enjoy a city sightseeing tour and then jump aboard a boat in search for some of the best beaches in the area. Buzios i
12h - 10
Rio de Janeiro Day Tour with Lunch
The City Tour Rio de Janeiro is the most classic excursion to discover the "Cidade maravilhosa" in a day with entrances and lunch included
8h - 11
Rio Highlights: Christ, Sugarloaf, Selarón + Tickets & Lunch
Experience Rio de Janeiro in comfort and style on a premium small-group tour designed for travelers who want flexibility, exclusivity, and seamless logistics. Visit Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, and the Selaró
8h - 12
Private Sugarloaf Mountain + Rio Highlights: Tickets & Lunch (6h)
Experience Rio the smart way — no lines, no stress, no wasted time. This 6-hour tour gives you Fast Pass access to Sugarloaf Mountain, guaranteeing priority entry and more time enjoying one of the most breathtaking views
6h - 13
Favelas do Vidigal or Rocinha's experience
An opportunity to be closer to the Carioca people in their everyday life. You will for a moment participate in their experiences, customs and routine passing through the streets, alleys and contemplating one of the most
3h - 14
Arraial Do Cabo Paraiso de Aguas Azul Daily Tour With Lunch
IF YOU LIKE TO DIVE AND SWIM, COME TO KNOW ARRAIAL DO CABO, WITH US! With its 35 km of beaches with crystal clear waters and abundant marine life, Arraial do Cabo is a paradise for those who visit it. Come with us to enj
12h - 15
Buzios with Boat Tour and Lunch
Begin the 12-hour tour with a drive from Rio de Janeiro to the city of Armação dos Buzios, located on a peninsula on the north coast of Rio de Janeiro. Arriving in Buzios, take a boat (schooner) ride through some of the
12h - 16
Rio de Janeiro History Walking Tour
The tour offers a guided walk through the main historical and cultural landmarks of downtown Rio de Janeiro, combining history, and gastronomy. The tour begins in Cinelândia, famous for its cinemas, and buildings such as
5h - 17
Rio Bohemian Bars
Walking through the streets of downtown Rio de Janeiro is to discover in every corner a bar full of stories, curiosities and of course, cold beer and wonderful snacks. Get to know a little more of these bars transforme
3h - 18
Full Day Selaron Steps, Sugar Loaf and Christ Redeemer Statue with Lunch
Combine visits to Corcovado and the Christ Redeemer Statue, the Selaron Steps, the Metropolitan Cathedral and Sugar Loaf mountain. Hit four must-sees in Rio on this full-day 9-hour tour. Start the day with a comprehensiv
9h - 19
Rio: Sitio Burle Marx and Cachaça Distillery Private Tour
Visit the incredible Burle Marx Site, one of the most important collections of tropical and semi-tropical plants in the world. Also make a stop at a Cachaça distillery to learn how the famous Brazilian drink is made. The
9h - 20
Full Day Tour to Arraial do Cabo
Take the opportunity to discover the wonders of the coastal region of Arraial do Cabo, known for beaches with clear waters and fine white sand. Departing from the hotels in the South Zone and Downtown of Rio de Janeiro,
12h