9 Places to order quality Christmas food in Rio de Janeiro

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Within precisely one week, several countries around the world will be on holiday to celebrate Christmas. With its predominantly Christian population and strong Catholic tradition, Brazil will be one of them.

Unlike Christmas in the Northern Hemisphere, the Brazilian one is an inauguration of summertime (whose official starting date is December 21st). But the fact that high temperatures and light clothing are part of a Brazilian Christmas experience does not mean that food is not robust or abundant during this occasion.

While contemporary Christmas dinners vary considerably according to each family’s eating habits, most people stick to the dishes that have been present on their Christmas tables for many generations. Plates of Portuguese origin, like “bacalhau ao forno” (baked codfish) and “rabanada”, or ingredients like Portuguese nuts and dried fruits, are some of them.

If you are to spend Christmas in Rio de Janeiro and look for ideas on how to celebrate the date, we have selected some of the best places to order Christmas food – from typical dishes to alternative ones – for the 24th of the 25th. Check below:

1) Basha – If you want to add new flavors to your conventional Christmas meal, Basha, a Copacabana eatery specialized in Lebanese food, has prepared a menu for the date. Run by Chef Nicholas Habre, Basha will be offering options like “Lebanese turkey” (R$290) and lamb ribs (R$350), which can be ordered until December 22nd.

2) Entre Amigos – Portuguese food at its best. Having a Christmas dinner by Entre Amigos means a table filled with delicacies like port wine “rabanada” (French toast-like Portuguese dessert) and bacalhau spiritual (a typical gratin codfish recipe). You can order your Christmas plates by phone or through a delivery app called ifood.

3) Pavão Azul – A favorite “boteco” among Copacabana residents and tourists, Pavão Azul is particularly famous for its tasty “pataniscas” (a codfish fritter which, unlike most of the Portuguese-like ones, has no potato). If you want to have a portion of them on your Christmas table, orders can be made by phone at (21) 2236-238 or via Ifood.

4) Casa do Sardo – Until 8 PM of December 22nd, Casa do Sardo is open for orders. The house specializing in Mediterranean cuisine (particularly Sardinia) will prepare Italian antipasti, roast piglet at Sardinia style, and culurgiones (a kind of Sardinian ravioli). For dessert, there is tiramisu and homemade Italian gelato.

5) Pescados na Brasa – This recently opened restaurant is a kind of consulate of the Amazonian cuisine in the mid of Rio’s North Zone. There, you can try typical Amazonian fishes, like pirarucu, pintado, or tambaqui, accompanied by side dishes such as jambu rice and pirão. For Christmas, Pescados na Brasa will be selling “rabanadas” filled with cupuaçu jam, a native Amazon fruit. They will be accepting orders until December 22nd.

6) Teva – A 100% organic, vegan restaurant in Rio, Teva is an excellent option for those willing to have a light, healthy Christmas supper. Their Christmas menu is available here, with dishes that vary from lentils polpettone to a paste of Portuguese nuts and Porcini mushroom. Orders can be made until December 20th.

7) Maré de Sabores – A food cooperative led by women from the favela complex of Maré, offering several fresh, homemade options of snacks, salads, sauces, pickles, bread, and main courses for Christmas. Accessible prices and very excellent quality. Orders until tomorrow (19) via this link.

8) Confeitaria Manon – Open since 1942, Manon is a reference to Rio’s bakery tradition. Some of the very typical dishes of the Brazilian Christmas culinary can be found at Manon’s menu, which includes codfish salad, Chester, ham, and Christmas rice. More details are available here.