BRAZILIAN:

BABY BEEF PAES MENDONÇA

Av. das Américas 1510, Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone:   21 - 494 - 2187

$15 to $25

Brazilian

This traditional barbecue occupies a top spot among the city's grills. Its huge rooms, seating a total of 600, are packed seven nights a week -- an impressive testimony to the quality of the charbroiled meats served here. Portions are equally impressive, this option are not expensive and you will be served as well. AE, DC, MC, V.

BARRA GRILL

Av. Ministro Ivan Lins 314, Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 493 - 6060

$15 to $25

Brazilian

Informal and popular, this steak house serves some of the best meat in town and is a favorite stop after a long day at the beach. Reservations not accepted. In the fisrt floor you can find a good italian food.AE, DC, MC, V.

CASA DA FEIJOADA

Rua Prudente de Morais 10, Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 267 - 4994 or 21- 247 - 2776

$25 to $35

Brazilian

Brazil's savory national dish is the specialty here, where huge pots of the meat and stew concoction simmer every day. The restaurant does a superb job with desserts as well, whipping up a lovely selection of traditional sweets. Note that this restaurant has joined with the famous Mangueira Escola de Samba to present weekly feijoada-samba and feijoada - pagode shows at the Centro Cultural de Mangueira (Rua Frederico Silva 85,Centro ). The cost is about $13 per person. Call the restaurant for details.You cannot visit rio and forget to eat that food.AE, DC, MC, V.

GERAES

Rua do Ouvidor 26-28, Centro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 242 - 8610  or  21- 224 - 6480

$25 to $35

Brazilian

On a cobbled street near Praça 15, this airy restaurant is a cool respite from Centro's hot, busy boulevards. Its cavernous space has a contemporary feel that's offset with such rustic touches as grand archways, tile floors, and white-washed stone walls. Mineiro (from Minas Gerais) dishes bubble in large black pots on the buffet table. Waiters dart efficiently between well-spaced tables, taking orders for drinks or items from the à la carte menu. Be sure to try the feijão tropeiro (brown beans, bacon, and manioc) with your lingüiça (Minas pork sausage). For dessert, have some fruit and the very mild, white queijo do Minas (Minas cheese). Although Geraes serves only lunch, you can stop by for drinks and live music 6 PM - midnight Wednesday-Friday. AE, DC, MC, V. No dinner.

MARIU'S

Rua Francisco Otaviano 96, Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 521 - 0500

$25 to $35

Brazilian

This highly regarded churrascaria serves more than a dozen types of sizzling meats. Its popularity sparked the opening of a second restaurant in Leme. Reservations are a good idea. You can find the best fish of the city. DC, MC, V. DC, MC, V

PORCÃO

Rua Barão da Torre 218, Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21 - 522 - 0999

$25 to $35

Brazilian

This restaurant are the most traditional in rio. Waiters at these quintessential rodízio-style churrascarias fly up and down between rows of wooden, linen-draped tables wielding giant skewers laden with sizzling barbecued beef, pork, and chicken. All the branches resonate with the good humor that seems to accompany this slightly primitive form of eating. Save room if you can: The papaya creme pudding topped by a bit of cassis shouldn't be missed. Reservations not accepted. AE, DC, MC, V.

Av. Armando Lombardi 591, Barra da Tijuca,

PHONE: 021/492-2001.

Reservations not accepted. AE, DC, MC, V

TERRA BRASILIS

Rua Humberto de Campos 699, Leblon, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 274 - 4702

$5 to $15

Brazilian

Large windows overlooking a tree-lined street, cool white ceramic tile, and stucco walls painted buttercup yellow and celery green give this "weigh-and-pay" restaurant a cheery atmosphere. You simply help yourself to the Brazilian buffet (including a good selection of salads) and head to a counter where your plate is weighed. It works out to about $8 a kilo, but it's really hard to eat that much ($2.75-$5.50 is average for a main course, $1-$2 for dessert; drinks are extra). And, yes, they do take the plate's weight into account.This restaurant is a good option for a fast lunch.AE, DC, MC, V. No dinner.

CAFES:

CAFÉ DA PRAÇA

Rua Maria Quitéria 91, Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 247-6984

$15 to $25

Cafes

On Ipanema's Praça Nossa Senhora da Paz, this bustling café with high ceilings and large windows is filled with friendly people.A traditional coffee point, the menu includes quiches, pastas, salads, and sandwiches, as well as fish, fowl, and meat dishes. Note that the café is open for breakfast, lunch, tea, and dinner. AE, V. Closed Mon.

COLOMBO

Rua Gonçalves Dias 32, Centro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 232-2300

$5 to $15

Cafes

At the turn of the century, this Belle Epoque structure was Rio's preeminent café, the site of afternoon teas for high-society senhoras and a center of political intrigue and gossip. Jacaranda-framed mirrors from Belgium and stained-glass from France add to the art-nouveau decor. Portions are generous, but you can also just stop by for a pastry and coffee while you absorb the opulence. Valid more for knowing, the coffee are the best of the town, althought you don´t find any options of lunch.

Reservations not accepted. No credit cards. No dinner. Closed Sun. Metrô: Carioca.

ECLECTIC:

ALHO & ÓLEO

Rua Barao da Torre 348, Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 523-2703

$25 to $35

Eclectic

On Ipanema's Praça Nossa Senhora da Paz, this restaurant features an eclectic menu with a hint of Italy. Interesting fowl dishes include partridge with dates and grilled duck with apricots; the arugula salad with eggplant, mushrooms, and sea bass is also recommended. Homemade pasta dishes include a farfalle with seafood and artichokes. AE.

MOSTARDA

Av. Epitácio Pessoa 980/990, Lagoa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 523 - 1747 or 21- 523 - 1629

Over $35

Eclectic

Elegant and understated, this restaurant overlooking the lagoon has great food, indoor and outdoor seating, and a chic club upstairs that opens after midnight. It's best to go with a Brazilian so that he or she can explain the menu's carioca puns to you. (A Ricardo, for example, is a cocktail of champagne and minced fresh fruits, but it's also what husbands say their wives have when the women have taken a lover.) Good salads and interesting entrées are often seasoned with mustard (hence, the restaurant's name), and there's an array of mustards on the table for real fanatics. The wine list includes an ample South American selection. You can also assist a good shows of BLUES or old songs. AE, V.

SPICES

Av. Epitácio Pessoa 864, Lagoa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 259 -1041

$25 to $35

Eclectic

A Caribbean flair presides over Spices' creative menu. An extensive array of mixed drinks includes the Nêga Sings the Blues -- a variation of the caipirinha made with cachaça (sugarcane liquor), lime, ginger, and honey. The entrées have similarly offbeat names and many of the seafood, fowl, and meat dishes employ fruits and nuts in their preparation. Try the ginger tuna with mango or the grilled beef with gorgonzola and pumpkin purée. Spices has some of the best-looking salads in town as well. AE.

FRENCH:

LE SAINT HONORÉ

Av. Atlântica 1020, Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 275 - 9922

Over $35

French

Le Saint Honoré offers diners French cuisine and an extraordinary view of Copacabana Beach from atop Le Meridien hotel. The best views from a restaurant in town Brazilian fruits and herbs are tucked into dishes to produce such gems as les pièces du boucher marquées sauces gamay et béarnaise, a fillet with both béarnaise and red-wine sauces. A jacket and tie are advised.

Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V.

MONSEIGNEUR

Av. Prefeito Mendes de Morais 222, São Conrado, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 322 - 2200

Over $35

French

Modern and traditional French food meet here, where the grand decor matches the meals -- two striking lighted columns of translucent crystal dominate the center of the restaurant. The disadvantage is that this is a bit off the beaten path, requiring a cab ride to the Inter-Continental Rio hotel.

Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V. No lunch.

TROISGROS

Rua Custódio Serrão 62, Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 537 - 8582

Over $35

French

Many consider this Rio's finest restaurant, though Claude Troisgros himself has left and Chef Antônio Costa is now at the helm. The menu is famed for nouvelle cuisine relying entirely on Brazilian ingredients. Every dish -- from the crab or lobster flan to the chicken, fish, or duck prepared with exotic herbs and sauces -- is pure pleasure, and always exceptionally light. The dessert menu is headed by a to - die-for passion-fruit mousse. Reservations essential. AE, DC.

ITALIAN:

ALFREDO

Av. Prefeito Mendes de Morais 222, São Conrado, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 322-2200

$25 to $35

Italian

The mainstay here is the pasta, especially the fettuccine Alfredo. Start your meal with a selection from the ample cold buffet of antipasti, which may include traditional pastas served with a variety of sauces. The restaurant is in the Inter-Continental hotel, and has a view of the pool area.

AE, DC, MC, V.

CIPRIANI

Av. Atlântica 1702, Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 545-8747

Over $35

Italian

The Copacabana Palace hotel's restaurant offers a superb dining experience. Start with a Cipriani -- really a Bellini -- a drink of champagne with fresh peach juice. The snook carpaccio with apple and fennel is a marvelous appetizer; so is the salad of endive marinated in red wine. The pastas must be imported from heaven, and the meat and fish entrées are, to their surroundings, fit for kings. None of this, of course, comes cheap.

Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V.

LA MOLE

Rua Dias Ferreira 147, Leblon, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 294 - 0699

$5 to $15

Italian

This popular chain of Italian restaurants is a good budget bet for lunch or dinner. For the prices, the food is surprisingly good -- particularly the lasagna, fettuccine, and gnocchi dishes -- and the servings are hearty. Reservations not accepted. No credit cards.

Av. Nossa Senhora de Copacabana 552, Copacabana,

PHONE: 21 - 235 - 3366.

Reservations not accepted. No credit cards

Praia de Botafogo 228, Botafogo,

PHONE: 21- 553 - 2467.

Reservations not accepted. No credit cards.

Metrô: Flamengo Av. Armando Lombardi 175, Barra da Tijuca,

PHONE: 21- 494 - 2625.

Reservations not accepted. No credit cards

MARGUTTA

Av. Henrique Dumont 62, Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 259 - 3887 or 21- 259 - 3718

Over $35

Italian

he pasta, fish, and risottos are all top drawer and always fresh. A good wine list complements the cuisine. AE, DC, V. No lunch weekdays.

MEXICAN:

GUAPO LOCO

Rua Rainha Guilhermina 48, Leblon, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21 - 294 - 2915

$15 to $25

Mexican

The bustling crowds here feast on tamales, enchiladas, and other Mexican favorites until closing time at 3 AM. Tequila has garnered quite a following among the young in Rio, and the margaritas here are good. AE, DC, MC, V. No lunch weekdays.

PORTUGUESE:

ANTIQUARIUS

Rua Aristides Epínola 19, Leblon, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 294-1049

Over $35

Portuguese

This much-loved establishment is as famous for its flawless -- and award-winning -- rendering of Portuguese classics as for its high prices. Wander through the antiques shop at the restaurant before settling in at a table. A recommended dish is the cozido, a stew with a multitude of ingredients, including bananas. The cataplana, a seafood stew with rice, is also marvelous, and the perna de cordeiro (leg of lamb) is the most requested dish on the menu. The wine list is impressive. Reservations essential. DC.

SEAFOOD:

QUATRO SETE MEIA

Rua Barros de Alarcão 476, Pedra da Guaratiba, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 395 - 2716

$25 to $35

Seafood

Internationally renowned, this restaurant is one hour by car west of Copacabana, at the end of a highway that offers stunning coastal views. Simplicity is the soul of the restaurant -- whose name in Portuguese is its street number -- and the village in which it's set. There are only 11 tables: 5 indoors and 6 in a garden at water's edge. The menu carries seven delicious options, including moquecas (seafood stews), grilled seafood, and curries. Reservations essential. No credit cards. Closed Mon.-Tues. No dinner Wed.-Thurs.

SATYRICON

Rua Barão da Torre 192, Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 521 - 0627

Over $35

Seafood

This Italian seafood restaurant, which also has a branch in Búzios, is rumored to have been Madonna's favorite. The bacalhau (salt cod baked in rock salt) is a specialty, and the sushi and sashimi are well loved. It's expensive, but it has some of the best seafood in town. DC, MC, V

SHIRLEY

Rua Gustavo Sampaio 610, Leme, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 275 -1398

$25 to $35

Seafood

Homemade Spanish seafood casseroles and soups are the draw at this traditional Copacabana restaurant tucked onto a shady street. Try the zarzuela, a seafood soup, or cazuela, a fish fillet with white wine sauce. Don't be misled by the simple decor (a few paintings hung on wood-paneled walls): The food is terrific. Reservations not accepted. No credit cards.

TIBERIUS

Av. Antônio Carlos Jobim 460, Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 525 - 2525

Over $25

Seafood

Although it overlooks the action-packed beachfront of Ipanema, the mood at this Caesar Park hotel restaurant is one of quiet elegance. For sheer indulgence, order the imperial seafood platter -- a meal for two with lobster, shrimp, shellfish, and three types of fish fillets, all grilled and served with herb butter. AE, DC, MC, V. No lunch.

VEGETARIAN:

CELEIRO

Rua Dias Ferreira 199, Leblon, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 274-7843

$15 to $25 Rio de Janeiro

Vegetarian

What may be Rio's sole organic restaurant is always full. The buffet offers about 40 salads as well as a broad selection of pastas. No dinner.