A Guide to Carnival Feijoada in Rio

By Michela DellaMonica, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL — Feijoada or a black bean stew traditionally cooked with various pork parts, is a staple Brazilian dish most enjoyed in a family or festive setting. Whether it be a special commemoration, birthday party or Carnival, it is a feast that brings everyone together, and sometimes even competing to see who has the best recipe.

Truthfully one can find feijoada buffets throughout Rio on any given Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Yet throughout Rio on Carnival weekend, various restaurants and bars are offering special fixed price all-you-can-eat feijoadas with special attractions such as samba dancers from the Grupo Especial (Special Group) samba schools and live music.

Carioca Mari Midthun who supports Uniao da Ilha but now lives in Norway explains to The Rio Times that traditionally, “It’s important for the school[s] to get funds and get people more active in the samba school events.”

As far as when is the best time to enjoy feijoada, Midthun says, “Closer to the Carnival is the best time in my opinion because people get more and more excited. Its nicer to have a feijoada [with] a samba school because you always meet old friends and get to know new people.”

At Academia de Cachaça in Leblon, feijoada is served all day for R$78 for two persons. The flagship dish of the restaurant is prepared with selected meats (beef jerky, ribs, pork loin, and sausage) and accompanied with rice, collard greens, farofa flour and sliced oranges.

With a menu inspired by the typical Brazilian recipes from the 1950s and 1960s, Volta in Jardim Botânico will serve Carnival feijoada (R$85 for two people) with all the delicacies that tradition dictates. The recipe calls for sausage, pork ribs, dried beef, pig ears and pig’s foot.

In Copacabana at the Windsor Atlantica hotel the traditional “Carnavalesco Feijoada” will be held at The View restaurant on Saturday, March 1st. With great views of Copacabana beach, a group of samba dancers will entertain the lunch buffet which will be available from 12:30 PM to 5PM.

In addition to the main course, there will also be a full buffet with salads, cold meats, side dishes and desserts. Beverages such as water, soft drinks, juices, beer and caipirinhas are also included in the package (R$150 per person).

After thirty years of traditional Carnival feijoadas at the Rio Othon Palace in Copacabana, this year’s event will feature the bateria (drum line) from the Salgueiro samba school, who will be parading the following night in the Sambódromo. For a pricy afternoon of R$350 per person on Saturday, March 1st, this lunch extravaganza will offer a full buffet, drinks including beer, vodka and champagne as well as customized t-shirts.

The inaugural Carnival feijoada at the Ipanema Plaza Hotel will be held on their rooftop on Saturday, March 1st from 1PM to 5PM. Along with the full buffet and DJ Junior Machado, guests will be treated to massages and make-up application at the Dermage Lounge. Drinks are excluded for the price of R$80 per person.

In Barra da Tijuca, the Sheraton Barra will offer the bateria and samba dancers of Portela in a repertoire that will go beyond the themes that marked the history of Carnival. The Malacacheta group, a legendary samba duo will also be entertainment. The feijoada buffet will also include an open bar which will happen on Saturday, March 1st from 1PM to 5PM.