Set in a house with spectacular views of Rio and the Bay of Guanabara, this restaurant serves a fascinating and delicious mix of Brazilian food with French inflections. The interior ambles through several appealing rooms and culminates in a lovely garden (for the views, however, book a table on the porch). Among the best starters are crabmeat served in its own shell and the luscious pumpkin cream soup with prawns. The juicy grilled lamb chop with couscous is a favorite main course. Finally, the fried banana with cinnamon and sugar comes with a generous coating of hot chocolate. Open Thursdays through Sundays.
Overview
From Andrew Harper
From the seductive pleasures of Rio to the call of the wild in the Amazon, Brazil provides riches of all kinds. The country covers nearly half of the entire South American continent and contains an extraordinary variety of landscapes, climates, cultures and peoples. Rio de Janeiro lies just within the tropics and offers all the pleasures of luxurious urban living in a startlingly beautiful setting. The vast ecosystem of Amazonia is about half the size of the continental United States. In the northeastern state of Bahia, Brazil’s mix of European and African blood is most readily apparent. To the south are miles of golden beaches where you can walk for hours and see no one. And more than 200 miles out into the Atlantic, the captivating tropical island of Fernando de Noronha offers world-class scuba diving as well as abundant fauna and flora.
In Buenos Aires, it often seems that you have been mysteriously transported to one of the more desirable quarters of Paris. Or Rome. Or maybe Madrid, as most people seem to be speaking Spanish. There are elegant neoclassical squares, pavement cafés, ritzy boutiques and grand old hotels like the Alvear Palace in Recoleta that can compete with the best in Europe. Periodically, the Hermes- and Gucci-clad assemble in the elegant district of Palermo for the international polo championships. There, the accents of the more affluent citizens mingle with those from London, Seville and Greenwich, Conn.
But then you notice the men with the ponies, the gauchos, with their flowing hair, ubiquitous ponchos, huge leather chaps, tooled silver belt buckles and faces tanned to the bone by the fierce sun of the pampas. Gauchos are mestizos, embodiments of the collision that melded the peoples and cultures of Europe and South America.
Far to the northwest, in the high Andes, you find the same intriguing juxtaposition. Step through the massive wooden doorway of the wonderful Hotel Monasterio in Cusco, housed within a gold-embellished 16th-Century baroque monastery, and you are startled to see that the first layers of masonry are still the massive blocks that once supported Inca temples and palaces. And there, in an instant, is the history of an entire continent, its ancient splendor, its violent conquest and the fascinating and evolving hybrid world of today.
Hotels
All recommended hotels in South America
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Alvear Palace Hotel Atmospheric Old World hotel situated in the heart of the fashionable Recoleta district near many of the city’s best restaurants and shops. |
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Four Seasons Buenos Aires Sophisticated and beautifully serviced 165-room contemporary hotel (incorporating a turn-of-the-century mansion) in heart of city near central business/shopping district. |
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Palacio Duhau-Park Hyatt Buenos Aires Exceptionally stylish hotel combining an ornate neoclassical limestone mansion with a sleek 17-story tower, located in the most fashionable part of the city. |
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House of Jasmines Enchanting ranch of just 14 suites set on a 300-acre estate in Salta. |
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La Posada de Vistalba Stylish guesthouse of just two luxury suites, part of the remarkable Vistalba wine complex south of Mendoza. |
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Las Balsas Gourmet Hotel & Spa Charming and peaceful inn 45 minutes north of Bariloche, directly overlooking Lake Nahuel Huapi. |
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Estancia Arroyo Verde Fishing lodge/guest ranch with six pleasant twin-bedded guest quarters set along a private 10-mile stretch of the famous Traful River, in a scenic mountain valley an hour north of Bariloche. |
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Llao Llao Hotel & Resort Dramatically sited hotel on a lakeland peninsula, a short drive west of Bariloche. |
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Etnia Pousada & Boutique Delightful hideaway five minutes from the center of Trancoso. |
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Pestana Convento do Carmo Elegant hotel housed in a jewel of colonial architecture (built in 1596 for the First Order of the Carmelite Friars) on a cobblestone street in the Pelourinho district. |
Dining
All recommended restaurants in South America
CAFE TORTONI
For years, this place has been a gathering spot of politicians, writers and artists. Belle Epoque in style, it has dark wood walls and crowded tables where you can have coffee, sandwiches and pastries. The evening tango show is one of the best in town. Avenida de Mayo 825. Tel. 4342-4328. US$20.
Avenida de Mayo 825
Buenos Aires
Argentina
US$20
CHILA
This handsome addition to the thriving Puerto Madero area has splendid water views, a sleek interior in earth tones, and a dramatic wine wall. The emphasis is on the quality of the ingredients, so while the stated tradition of the kitchen is French, the results seem more like contemporary American. Regardless, the food is delicious and beautifully presented. Watch for dishes such as the starter of egg cooked with a rich truffle cream flecked with blood sausage, and a main course of Chateaubriand accompanied by quinoa and cheese risotto with bacon, a mushroom purée and string beans. The wine wall contains more than 1,200 bottles from 250 producers, including some of the best in Argentina. Alicia Moreau de Justo 1160, Puerto Madero. Tel. 4343-6067. US$80.
Alicia Moreau de Justo 1160, Puerto Madero
Buenos Aires
Argentina
US$80
GERO
Located in the stylish Ipanema area, this relative newcomer to the Rio food scene has made a real name for itself. The menu is mostly Italian, but there are plenty of culinary clues to remind you that you are in Brazil. For example, the terrific “Carioca-Roman” salt cod comes right out of the Portuguese repertoire, but is enlivened with pine nuts and tomato. You’ll also be impressed with the wine list, which has a fine selection of Italian bottles, as well as surprisingly good Brazilian reds. The restaurant, with warm brick walls and well-executed lighting, is handsomely decked out with black-and-white pictures of the city.
Rua Anibal de Mendonça 157
Rio de Janeiro
22410-050
Brazil
See map: Google Maps
US$60
LA BIELA
An ideal spot to begin the day. Sit outside with your paper, order your coffee and medialunas, and indulge in some of the best people-watching in Buenos Aires. This atmospheric café is located by Recoleta Cemetery, where Eva Perón is buried. Quintana 600. Tel. 4804-0449. US$10.
Quintana 600
Buenos Aires
Argentina
US$10
LA CABRERA
The people of Buenos Aires love this typical parrilla (grill). Tucked away in the Palermo Viejo neighborhood, it has a comfortable, low-key atmosphere with dark wood, exposed bricks and a congenial (if noisy) bar. Start with the arugula salad, then go for the bone-in sirloin. Try it well done, which in Argentina means slightly charred on the outside, pink in the center. And if you want to stick with tradition, order an indulgent flan for dessert. The wine list is extensive, the service friendly and unhurried. Cabrera 5099. Tel. 4831-7002. US$60.
Cabrera 5099
Buenos Aires
Argentina
US$60
LE PRE CATELAN
In a sleek setting of black and white, chef Roland Villard presents dishes strongly rooted in his native French traditions but with a Carioca spin. A genial man who likes to visit tables and tell guests directly what he will prepare that night, Villard is committed to using the best ingredients and as many indigenous products as possible. He changes the menu every two weeks, but look for dishes such as a starter of langoustines sautéed with basil and tomato and one of his “trilogies,” three-way variations on one ingredient such as foie gras served as a ballotine, warm over a little apple tart and as a filling in ravioli. Main courses might be a thin fillet of sea bass with orange flower-inflected semolina and collard greens with a saffron sauce or lamb chops with rosemary fondant potatoes and ratatouille. It is a pleasure to dine in this sophisticated restaurant (book a table by the large windows with their stunning view of Copacabana Beach).
Sofitel Rio, Avenida Atlântica 4240
Rio de Janeiro
RJ, 28200-000
Brazil
See map: Google Maps
US$75
OLYMPE
The name Troisgros is firmly entrenched in the firmament of French culinary luminaries for the superb restaurant in the little town of Roanne. A third-generation member, Claude, has made his own mark in this lovely restaurant with burgundy banquettes and bright paintings. Like the others in this prodigiously talented family, Claude brings enormous creativity to the kitchen, so you will see dishes such as salt cod with a potato foam with black Picholine olives and white truffle oil. Main courses could include crisp red snapper with a confit of eggplant with honey and a cherry vinegar, all with a sweet tomato sauce, or grilled beef tenderloin with a rosemary-green peppercorn crust and potato galette with a red wine sauce.
Rua Custódio Serrão 62
Rio de Janeiro
RJ, 22470-230
Brazil
See map: Google Maps
US$75
SETTE BACCO
Located in the stylish Recoleta neighborhood, this beautiful restaurant occupies a former private mansion. The cooking is Italian and the chef, Daniel Hansen, is a veteran of Sette MoMA, a highly regarded restaurant in New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Starters include carpaccios, among them tuna with a tangy lemon vinaigrette, and veal with arugula, Parmesan, olives and lemon. Second courses could be ravioli filled with osso buco, and a risotto of squid and langoustines in a squid-ink sauce. Among the main courses, the saltimbocca is superb. Agüero 2157. Tel. 4808-0021. US$45.
Agüero 2157
Buenos Aires
Argentina
US$45
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