Category Archives: Reviews

Zazá Bistrô Tropical
Rua Joana Angélica, 40
Ipanema – Rio de Janeiro

Though we thrive on Açaí bowls and Acarajé, sometimes we want to visit someplace a little fancier. To celebrate L’s birthday we decided to gussy up and visit Zazá Bistrô Tropical in the heart of Ipanema, voted as one of the most romantic restaurants in Rio. You will notice the restaurant in its prominent corner spot right away – it is painted brightly blue and festooned with lights, giving you a clue to the eclectic decor inside.

Zazá Bistrô

When you enter Zazá Bistrô you are immediately struck by the whimsical décor – the walls are brightly painted and covered in artifacts (we especially enjoyed the altars on the first floor). There are two floors in the tiny restaurant – the first has bistro tables and a bar, and the second floor was decorated in a Moroccan style – with low tables and throw pillows. Zazá is also known for its unique bar menu – featuring a number of flavored Margaritas and Caipirinhas. The electric décor and menu also attracts an intentional crowd. We were seated near a veritable United Nations of diners: Brazilians, English, French, Argentines and Germans. Also appealing to the international clientele, there is both an English and Portuguese Menu.

Zazá Bistrô Altars

The menu is eclectic as the décor, with a variety of Brazilian dishes with Southeast Asian touches. We enjoyed the cover: a basket of potato, manioc and sweet potato chips with wasabi yogurt sauce and tomato salsa (R$ 18). The international influence began with appetizers – which included Indian samosas and Moroccan chicken pastillas. For main courses, there was a wide variety of eclectic dishes, featuring seafood heavily. After a period of perusal, we ordered the mixed seafood ceviche with mangoes and green coconut curry (R$ 29) and the seared prawn and lemon risotto (R$ 65). A close runner up was the organic curry chicken (R$ 48) with coconut milk, lime, ginger and banana. Both of the dishes were flavorful and mixed Brazilian and Asian flavors elegantly, though the portions were slightly small. Vegetarians will also be happy to know there are several meat and seafood-free options.

Zazá Risotto with mood lighting

For dessert there are a variety of house-made choices – we couldn’t resist the “Devil’s” chocolate cake (R$ 18), which was composed of a bittersweet chocolate souffle with a crunchy topping, accompanied with lemon sorbet. The rich chocolate cake, along with a little cafezinho was a perfect end to a night out. The food was tasty – but the lovely atmosphere, especially on the candle-lit second floor – completely made the night. Our evening at Zazá Bistrô was relaxed and delicious, and  we definitely recommend it for those looking for a fun (but still relatively reasonable) night on the town.

Quiosque Arab
Avenida Borges de Medeiros
Parque dos Patins, Quiosque 7
Rio de Janeiro

The Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas (most commonly known just as “Lagoa” or “Lake) in the Zona Sul of Rio de Janeiro is a wonderful place to hang out on a nice day. There is a trail around the lake, paddle boats for rent, and of course, a nice activity is simply watching the sunset over the lake. There are many restaurants surrounding the lake as well as many smaller open-air kiosks – “quiosques” in Portuguese. They range from simple beach-food vendors to full-service restaurants that just happen to be open-air. One such restaurant is called Quiosque Arab, the sister restaurant to the fancier (indoor) Restaurant Arab in Copacabana (Avenida Atlântica 1936), which as one might guess, serves Middle-Eastern food. The Quiosque is a pretty extensive affair, with a large number of tables, and a complete blanketing of big green umbrellas.

The view from the Lagoa

There was a pretty extensive menu at the Quiosque, with a large amount of Arab appetizers including, kibbe, esfihas, breads, hummus and salads. There was also a full menu of entrees, which was heavy on kebabs and beef and rice dishes. M ordered the chicken kebab (R$ 45), which was served with tomato-y rice and tabbouleh. L ordered the Falafel Sandwich – (R$ 26). The char-grilled kebab was flavorful, and with a generous potion, however there was so much rice it seemed to be a filler to make up for a lack of other sides. The falafel itself was tasty, heavy on parsley flavor, and slathered with a generous helping of hummus, though the pita itself did not hold up (literally) to its fillings. If we ever visit again we might partake in the tea service – which looked delicious (and included cookies).

Kebab entree + View of the Lagoa

The food at the Quiosque was very good, but it goes without saying that you are paying for the view. But it is quite a view, especially as you watch the sun set over Cristo Redentor. On some nights there is also live music starting at 9 PM and the lake takes on a club-like atmosphere until the late hour of 3 AM on weekends. For early-birds the restaurant opens every day at 9 AM, where you can get an Arab breakfast (Café da manhã árabe) for R$ 36. We would recommend Quiosque Arab for a light lunch or dinner, since the prices will add up pretty quickly of you try to eat heartily.