Rio the Guide: All the answers for a trip to Rio de Janeiro

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Rio the GuideOur sister site, Rio: The Guide, is now up-and-running and when finished will give a complete guide to the city for any visitor. It will even be of help to the residents of the city and is based on “The Insider’s Guide to Rio de Janeiro”, a book that for many years was the city’s top selling guide book.

As well as information about visiting the city, the news feed and Twitter feeds include up-to-date breaking news and developments from the city, including about the Olympic and Paralympic games, as well as carnaval.

It is still a work in progress but we hope you find it useful and look forward to your feedback. Close to 300,000 people visited this site and World Cup: The Guide during the FIFA World Cup and we hope the Rio site will prove to be as popular.

So far the Rio site includes

Welcome to Rio de Janeiro
Overview of Rio
Getting to-and-from Rio
– Facts to Know Before You Arrive
– Arriving in Rio
– Leaving Rio
Rio-at-a-Glance
Getting Around in Rio
Hotels
– Hotels by area
– Hostels / B&B / Camping
Corcovado
Sugar Loaf
Sights To See
– Museums & Galleries
Beaches
Carnaval
– The Parade
– Carnaval 2015
New Year
Football
– Maracanã
2016 Olympics and Paralympics
– 2016 Olympic Prices
– 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Venues
– 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Logos
Shopping
Typically Carioca
Safety in Rio
History of Rio
– A walking tour of historic Centro
Brazil
Facts
Latest News

Brazil’s 50 top restaurants

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sldkhsldhTo mark the 50th anniversary of the publication of the Brazil Guide in the Guia Quadro Rodas series, the publisher, Abril, has come up with a list of what it considers to be the 50 top restaurants in Brazil for 2015.

Nearly half, or 24 in total, are located in São Paulo, and eight are in Rio, but the list does cover the country from north to south.

1 – D.O.M. / São Paulo – SP

Rua Barão de Capanema, 549 – Cerqueira César

(11) 3088-0761

2 – MANÍ / São Paulo – SP

Rua Joaquim Antunes, 210 – Jardim Paulistano

(11) 3085-4148

3 – 
FASANO / São Paulo – SP

Rua Vitório Fasano, 88 – Cerqueira César

(11) 3062-4000

4 – ROBERTA SUDBRACK / Rio de Janeiro – RJ

Avenida Lineu de Paula Machado, 916 – Jardim Botânico

(21) 3874-0139

5 -
DUE CUOCHI CUCINA ITAIM / São Paulo – SP

Rua Manuel Guedes, 93 – Itaim Bibi

(11) 3078-8092

6 – TRE BICCHIERI / São Paulo – SP

Rua General Mena Barreto, 765 – Itaim Bibi

(11) 3885-4004

7 – MAHALO / Cuiabá – MT

Rua Pres. Castello Branco, 359 – Quilombo

(65) 3028-7700

8 – 
FASANO AL MARE / Rio de Janeiro – RJ

Avenida Vieira Souto, 80 – Ipanema

(21) 3202-4030

9 – FLORIANO SPIESS COZINHA DE AUTOR / Porto Alegre – RS

Praça do Japão, 155 – Bela Vista

(51) 3237-7601

10 – EPICE / São Paulo – SP

Rua Haddock Lobo, 1002 – Cerqueira César

(11) 3062-0866

11 – 
SKYE / São Paulo – SP

Avenida Brigadeiro Luís Antônio, 4700 – Jardim Paulista

(11) 3055-4702

12 – A BELA SINTRA / São Paulo – SP

Rua Bela Cintra, 2325 – Jardim Paulista

(11) 3891-1090

13 – ORO / Rio de Janeiro – RJ

Rua Frei Leandro, 20 – Jardim Botânico

(21) 2266-7591

14 – OLYMPE / Rio de Janeiro – RJ

Rua Custódio Serrão, 62 – Jardim Botânico

(21) 2539-4542

15 – 
TRATTORIA / São Paulo – SP

Rua Iguatemi, s/n  – Itaim Bibi

(11) 3167-3322

16 – DUE CUOCHI CUCINA SHOPPING CIDADE JARDIM / São Paulo – SP

Shopping Cidade Jardim – Avenida Magalhães de Castro, 12000 – Cidade Jardim

(11) 3758-2731

17 – 
DUE CUOCHI CUCINA MORUMBI / São Paulo – SP

Morumbi Corporate – Henri Dunant, 1383,  – Sto. Amaro

(11) 3957-9580

18 – GERO / São Paulo – SP

Rua Haddock Lobo, 1629 – Cerqueira César

(11) 3064-0005

19 – AMADEUS / São Paulo – SP

Rua Haddock Lobo, 807 – Cerqueira César

(11) 3061-2859

20 – ATTIMO / São Paulo – SP

Rua Diogo Jácome, 341 – Vila Nova Conceição

(11) 5054-9999

21 – 
LE BATEAU IVRE / Porto Alegre – RS

Rua Tito Lívio Zambecari, 805 – Mont Serrat

(51) 3330-7351

22 – KINOSHITA / São Paulo – SP

Rua Jacques Félix, 405 – Vila Nova Conceição

(11) 3849-6940

23 – 
JUN SAKAMOTO / São Paulo – SP

Rua Lisboa, 55 – Pinheiros

(11) 3088-6019

24 – VECCHIO TORINO / São Paulo – SP

Rua Tavares Cabral, 119 – Pinheiros

(11) 3816-0592

25 – VECCHIO SOGNO / Belo Horizonte – MG

Rua Martim de Carvalho, 75 – Santo Agostinho

(31) 3292-5251

26 – 
ICI BISTRÔ / São Paulo – SP

Rua Pará, 36 – Higienópolis

(11) 3259-6896

27 – GIRARROSTO / São Paulo – SP

Avenida Cidade Jardim, 56 – Jardim Europa

(11) 3062-6000

28 – DONA IRENE / Teresópolis – RJ

Rua Ten. Luís Meireles, 1800 – Bom Retiro

(21) 2742-2901

29 – PARIGI / São Paulo – SP

Rua Amauri, 275 – Itaim Bibi

(11) 3167-1575

30 – ANTIQUARIUS / Rio de Janeiro – RJ

Rua Aristides Espínola, 19 – Leblon

(21) 2294-1049

31 – MOCOTÓ / São Paulo – SP

Avenida Nossa Senhora do Loreto, 1100 – Vila Medeiros

(11) 2951-3056

32 – GUARAMARE / Guarapari – ES

Avenida Meaípe, 716  – Enseada Azul) –  7 km

(27) 3272-1300

33 – REMANSO DO BOSQUE / Belém – PA

Avenida Rômulo Maiorana, 2350 – Marco

(91) 3347-2829

34 – ANGATU / Tiradentes – MG

Rua Santíssima Trindade, 81  – Santíssima Trindade

(32) 3355-1391

35 – 
FLOR DE SAL BISTRÔ / Ribeirão Preto – SP

Rua Floriano Peixoto, 1463 – Boulevard

(16) 3421-4963

36 – 
DALÍ CAMÕES / Brasília – DF

Setor Hoteleiro Sul, Qd. 6, Bl. B (Hotel Brasil 21 Convention)

(61) 3039-8156

37 – PROVENCE COTTAGE & BISTRÔ / Monte Verde – MG

Rua Cedrus Libani, 384 – Centro

(35) 3438-1467

38 – ESQUINA MOCOTÓ / São Paulo – SP

Avenida Nossa Senhora do Loreto, 1108 – Vila Medeiros

(11) 2949-7049

39 – TRINDADE / Belo Horizonte – MG

Rua Alvarenga Peixoto, 388 – Lourdes

(31) 2512-4479

40 – SUR / Maceió – AL

Rua Professora Maria Esther da Costa Barros, 306  – Stella Maris

(82) 9808-9090

41 – 
LASAI / Rio de Janeiro – RJ

Rua Conde de Irajá, 191 – Botafogo

(21) 3449-1834

42 – WIELLA BISTRÔ / Recife – PE

Shopping da Decoração – Avenida Engenheiro Domingos Ferreira, 1274,  – Boa Viagem

(81) 3463-3108

43 – 
KITANDA BRASIL / Tiradentes – MG

Rua Padroeiro Santo Antônio, 240 – Cascalho

(32) 3355-1560

44 – 
TAYPÁ / Brasília – DF

Setor de Habitações Individuais Sul, Quadra 17, Shopping Fashion Park – Lago Sul

(61) 3248-0403

45 – 
IRAJÁ / Rio de Janeiro – RJ

Rua Comandante de Irajá, 109 – Botafogo

(21) 2246-1395

46 – LE PRÉ-CATELAN / Rio de Janeiro – RJ

Avenida Atlântica, 4240, Nível E – Copacabana

(21) 2525-1160

47 – GLOUTON / Belo Horizonte – MG

Rua Bárbara Heliodora, 59 – Lourdes

(31) 3292-4237

48 – 
ARTURITO / São Paulo – SP

Rua Artur de Azevedo, 542 – Pinheiros

(11) 3063-4951

49 – PONTE NOVA / Recife – PE

Rua do Cupim, 172 – Graças

(81) 3327-7226

50 – CHEF VIVI / São Paulo – SP

Rua Girassol, 833 – Vila Madalena

(11) 3031-0079

Eating Out 01

Brazilian wines introduced to the growing UK market

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com-winesofbrasilThe Brazilian Embassy in London held a wine tasting on 6 November to introduce a number of Brazilian wines to around 100 UK buyers.

The tasting was conducted by world renowned expert, Charles Metcalfe, who also judges Cellars in the Sky, and among the wines he presented were:

  • Casa Valduga Arte Tradicional Brut
  • Campos de Cima Extra Brut
  • Sanjo Nubio Sauvignon Blanc
  • Don Guerino Varietal Mocato Giallo
  • Don Guerino Merlot Reserva
  • Aurora Varietal Merlot
  • Casa Valduga Raizes Cabarnet Franc
  • Monte Paschoal Virtus Tannat
  • Aurora Moscato Rosé Sparkling Wine
  • Monte Paschoal Moscatel Sparkling

com-winesofbrasil-03Brazil is now the third largest wine producer in South America. Its six different wine producing regions include Serra Gaúcha, where Vale dos Vinhedos is located, Serra do Sudeste, the country’s newest winemaking area, and the São Francisco Valley, which has two harvests per year. The impressively wide range of Brazilian wines includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, together with other grapes such as Ancellota, Touriga Nacional, Malvasia Bianca and Prosecco.

Many of the wines presented on the night already have UK distributors that include Berkmann Wines Cellars, Casa Leal, Go Brazil Wines, Oakley Wine, and Stevens Garnier.

For more information contact the commercial section of the Brazilian Embassy in London.

com-winetasting-05During the evening, and also at the World Travel Market, Brazilian chocolate was also being promoted as the award winning Aquim chocolate becomes more readily available in the UK through outlets such as  Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, etc.

03_Aquim-Chocolate

 

 

More athletes book their spot in Rio for 2016

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456696546.jpgIn recent weeks the USA women’s basketball team has booked its place at the Rio Olympics alongside the USA men’s team. Both won their respective world championships.

Also through are the Colombia women’s football team who qualified by coming second to Brazil in the Copa America. The women’s football tournament at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will be contested by 12 teams. In addition to Brazil and Colombia, there will be three European teams, two from Africa, two from Asia, two from North and Central America and one from Oceania. Places will be allocated according to the results of continental qualifying competitions.

The first two hockey teams have also won their places at the Rio Olympic Games, with India’s men and the Republic of Korea’s women confirming their berths by winning the gold medals at the recent Asian Games, in Incheon, the Republic of Korea.

The men’s and women’s hockey tournaments will each feature 12 teams. Five berths in each gender will be obtained through continental tournaments, such as the Asian Games, while six will be won through the 2014/2015 Hockey World League. The 12th spots are reserved for Brazil if the host nation’s teams achieve performance criteria set by the International Hockey Federation.

coreia_do_sul_-_asian_hockey_federationFive more countries have confirmed their places in the shooting competition following the world championships when 27 nations booked their spots. The Shooting Championship of the Americas, held in Guadalajara, México, has confirmed a further 11 places. Cuba claimed the largest number of berths by winning five events, while the USA took three spots. The Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Ecuador won one place each.

China was top of the shots at 51st International Shooting Sport Federation World Championship in September 2014, winning nine berths for the first Olympic Games in South America. Germany, the Republic of Korea, Italy and Russia each claimed five spots, while France and Slovakia secured three places.

The other nations to win places at Rio 2016 were Australia, Belarus, Spain, USA, Great Britain, Norway, Serbia, Ukraine and Vietnam (two each), Bulgaria, Chinese Taipei, People’s Democratic Republic of Korea, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, Slovenia, Hungary, India, Czech Republic and Turkey.

scott.jpgSailing has delivered the largest bulk of Rio 2016 Olympic Games qualifiers yet, as 138 places – more than half of the sport’s total for the event – were won at the ISAF Sailing World Championships in Santander, Spain.

New Zealand, Great Britain and France finished as the top-performing nations, all claiming berths in each of the 10 Olympic classes. A total of 39 countries won places in Brazil.

The other 36 nations that won Rio 2016 places were: Denmark (7), the Netherlands (7), Italy (7), Australia (6), Spain (5), the USA (5), Russia (5), Sweden (5), Austria (4), China (4), Croatia (4), Finland (4), Norway (4), Germany (3), Ireland (3), Japan (3), Poland (3), Portugal (2), Lithuania (2), Israel (2), Argentina (2), Cyprus (2), Belgium (2), Canada (2), Slovenia (2), Greece (2), Switzerland (2), Belarus, Estonia, Guatemala, Hungary, the Virgin Islands, Mexico, the Czech Republic, Singapore and Tunisia.

In total, 274 boats will compete in Guanabara Bay at the Olympic Games. In addition to the 138 that qualified in Santander, a further 47 will win their places at the 2015 world championships and 75 at continental qualifiers held in 2015 and 2016. Brazil will be allocated 10 places and the remaining four spots will be by invitation by the International Sailing Federation.

LATAM opens its new airport lounge in São Paulo

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15455946609_6b2c783ca2_zThe LATAM Airline Group has opened its new VIP lounge at the new Terminal 3 in São Paulo International Airport in Guarulhos. The lounge is for passengers flying with TAM or LAN in business or first, as well as passengers flying on oneworld alliance members that include British Airways, American, and Iberia.

The lounge covers an area of 1.800 m², and can accommodate 450 passengers at any one time. It operates daily from 05.00 to midnight.

15455953389_0bdd567386_z15457281910_981b989d82_z15643736442_3e33e99e6e_z15456653247_02efcd57f2_z15643735442_3c29526062_zLATAM SP

Rio’s best restaurants in 2014

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4225014507_d83849c1f8_zWeekly news magazine, Veja, has published its annual list of the best restaurants and bars in Rio de Janiero. The choice is made both by a specially chosen jury of experts as well as the votes of the readers of Veja Rio.

Here is Veja’s selection with the official jury choice listed first, and the public’s choice second. You will note they do not always agree!

RESTAURANTS

Asian: Mee / Sawasdee Bistrô

6922686268_6296c56fba_zBrazilian: Roberta Sudbrack / Aprazível (photo)

Buffet: Celeiro / Ráscal

Cheap and Cheerful: Botequim / Gutessen Café e Restaurante

Contemporary: Laguiole / Quadrucci

Dessert: Oro / Demi-glace

4187733709_0fc4bc2874_zFrench: Olympe (photo) / CT Brasserie

Italian: Gero / CT Trattorie

Japanese: Sushi Leblon / Manekineko

Meat: Giuseppe Grill / Outback Steakhouse

Meat – Barbecue Rodízio: Fogo de Chão / Fogo de Chão

Pizza: Capricciosa / Bráz

Seadfood: Satyricon / Satyricon

Special set Menu: Irajá / Irajá

Also voted for were:

Chef of the Year: Pedro de Artagão (Irajá) / Claude Troisgros (Olympe, CT Boucherie, CT Trattorie, CT Brassserie)

Upcoming Chef: Rafael Costa e Silva, (Lasai) / Fred Barroso (Le Vin Bistrô)

Restaurateur of the Year: Marcelo Torres (Best Fork) / Claude Troisgros (Grupo Troisgros)

Cecília Aldaz, of Oro was voted sommelier of the year; Aprazível had the best wine list; Bazzar was elected best wine bar; and the best wine store was Mistral.

BARS

Balcony / Stand Up: Adega Pérola / Adega Pérola

9733863166_4e12718102_zBeer / Chope: Botto Bar / Botto Bar (photo)

Beer List: Delirium / Aconchego Carioca

“Bolinhos”: Aconchego Carioca / Aconchego Carioca

Boteco: Momo / Aconchego Carioca

Drinks List: Paris Bar / Complex Esquina 111

Food: Cachambeer / Adelos

Gastrobar: Pipo / Complex Esquina 111

For couples: Bar Veloso /Complex Esquina 111

Music: Godofredo Rio / Botto Bar

View: Bar do Alto / Bar Urca (photo)

9135567445_3b648a6a03_z

FOOD

Bread: La Bicyclette / Boulangerie Guerin

Breakfast: Empório Jardim / Empório Jardim

“Brigadeiro” (sweets): Fabiana D’Angelo / Colher de Pau

Cake: Café Sorelle / The Bakers

Chocolate: Q / Kopenhagen

4189567301_7187531f2b_z“Coxinha” (croquettes): Da Gema / Confeitaria Colombo (photo)

Éclair: Guerin / Kurt

Hamburger: Comuna / Reserva T.T. Burger

Ice Cream: Vero / Venchi

Juices: Jaeé / BB Lanches

 

Brazil picks “The Way He Looks” for the 87th Oscars

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A046_C002_0101D2Daniel Ribeiro’s Hojé eu Quero Voltar Sozinho (The Way He Looks) has been chosen to represent Brazil in the Foreign Language Film category at the 87th Academy Award. The film, which won the Teddy Award and FIPRESCI prize at the 2014 Berlin Film Festival, tackles LGBT issues.

Set against the music of Belle and Sebastian, Ribeiro’s coming of age tale is a fun and tender story about friendship and the complications of young love. Leo is a blind teenager who is fed up with his overprotective mother and the bullies at school. Looking to assert his independence, he decides to study abroad to the dismay of his best friend, Giovana. When Gabriel, the new kid in town, teams with Leo on a school project, new feelings blossom in him that make him reconsider his plans. Meanwhile, Giovana, grows jealous of this new found companionship as tensions mount between her and Leo.

A record 83 countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 87th Academy Awards. The nominations will be announced 15 January 2015 in Los Angeles.The other Latin American submissions are:

Argentina, “Wild Tales,” Damián Szifrón, director;
Bolivia, “Forgotten,” Carlos Bolado, director;
Brazil, “The Way He Looks,” Daniel Ribeiro, director;
Chile, “To Kill a Man,” Alejandro Fernández Almendras, director;
Colombia, “Mateo,” María Gamboa, director;
Costa Rica, “Red Princesses,” Laura Astorga Carrera, director;
Cuba, “Conducta,” Ernesto Daranas Serrano, director;
Dominican Republic, “Cristo Rey,” Leticia Tonos, director;
Ecuador, “Silence in Dreamland,” Tito Molina, director;
Mexico, “Cantinflas,” Sebastián del Amo, director;
Panama, “Invasion,” Abner Benaim, director;
Peru, “The Gospel of the Flesh,” Eduardo Mendoza, director;
Uruguay, “Mr. Kaplan,” Álvaro Brechner, director;
Venezuela, “The Liberator,” Alberto Arvelo, director.

the-way-he-looks

Clocks go forward for Summer Time in Brazil

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Parts of Brazil will move its clocks forward one hour at zero hour on Sunday, 19 October. The country will remain on summer time until Sunday, 22 February, the Sunday after carnival.

With summer time in parts of Brazil, the country will have three time zones. The first includes the country’s capital, Brasília, as well as all the states in the South and South East, as well as Goiás. The second, which is one hour behind, includes the states in the Northeast as well as Pará, Amapá, Tocantins, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul. The third, two hours behind Brasília, includes Acre, Amazonas, Roraima and Rondônia.

 

Rio 2016 announces ticket prices for Olympic Games

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ticketsTicket prices for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games have been announced – and more than half of them will be sold at accessible prices in order to ensure that the event is open to everyone. About 7.5 million tickets will be issued and approximately 3.8 million of these will be available for 70 Brazilian reais (US$30) or less. For the price ranges (in Brazilian reais) for all sports and ceremonies CLICK HERE. Or click on the images below.

Currently (16 September), R$10 is worth about US$4.30, €3.30 or £2.60.

There will be tickets for 717 sports sessions, covering all 28 Olympic sports, plus the opening and closing ceremonies. The range of prices the organizers say is designed to make tickets as affordable as possible, with the goal of ensuring that the local Brazilian population has the opportunity to attend events. The cheapest ticket will be priced at 40 Brazilian reais (less than US$20).

The full Rio 2016 Olympic Games Ticket Sales Programme will be unveiled in November 2014, along with the competition schedule and details on how the public can buy tickets.
The next step on the spectator’s journey towards participating in the first Olympic Games to be staged in South America will come in November. Fans from all over the world will be able to register on the ticket sales website and indicate which sports are of  interest to them. They will then receive tailored news and information on these sports and athletes, as well as other events around the Games, as anticipation builds towards 2016.

Brazilian residents will be able to enter the first of two draws for tickets in March 2015. Non-Brazilian residents will be able to apply to buy tickets in their own territories in the first half of 2015 (details will be announced on the ticket sales website at a later date) and then again in January 2016, in the worldwide first-come-first-served online sales phase.

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