THE FACTS
Rio de Janeiro
Rio has long been known as a pleasure-seeker's paradise. Below, a few stylish places to whet your appetite.
HOTELS
Caesar Park Hotel 460 Avda. Viera Souto, Ipanema; 55-21/2525-2525, fax 55-21/2521-6000; doubles from $357. In the heart of Ipanema. The hotel ropes off a section of the beach for guests.
Copacabana Palace 1702 Avda. Atlântica, Copacabana; 55-21/2548-7070, fax 55-21/2235-7330; doubles from $350. The epitome of Rio's grand and decadent past. Elegantly refurbished in the late 1990's.
Sofitel Rio de Janeiro 4240 Avda. Atlântica, Copacabana; 800/763-4835 or 55-21/2525-1232, fax 55-21/2525-1200; doubles from $187. A Rio landmark. Frank Sinatra sang here.
BARS AND RESTAURANTS
Bar d'Hotel 696 Avda. Delfim Moreira, Leblon; 55-21/2540-4990. On the second floor of the Marina All Suites Hotel, this is the hangout of choice for Rio's music and entertainment industry.
Guimas 5 Rua José Roberto de Macedo Soares, Gávea; 55-21/2259-7996; dinner for two $35. Creative haute cuisine in a chic, open-air setting.
Grill 360 1117 Rua Prudente de Morais, Ipanema; 55-21/2525-2200; dinner for two $32. At the top of the Everest Hotel. The emphasis is on meat—a veritable fetish of Brazilians.
Antiquarius 19 Rua Aristides Espnola, Leblon; 55-21/2294-1049; dinner for two $100. One of the best Portuguese restaurants in the city.
Tia Palmira Caminho do Souza, 18 Barra de Guaratiba; 55-21/2410-8169; lunch for two $30. Seafood in one of Rio's old fishing ports. The South Atlantic is on one side; the Marambaia salt marshes on the other.
Siri Mole & Cia 50 Rua Francisco Otaviano, Ipanema; 55-21/2267-0894; dinner for two $76. Bahian cooking at its spiciest.
Confeitaria Colombo 32 Rua Gonçalves Dias, Centro; 55-21/2232-2300; tea for two $16. A Rio institution. Closed Sunday.
Claude Troisgros 62 Rua Custódio Serrão, Jardim Botânico; 55-21/2537-8582; dinner for two $100. As haute as it gets in Rio.
Esplanada Grill 600 Rua Barão da Torre, Ipanema; 55-21/2512-2970; dinner for two $56. A must for carnivores, this well-established churrascaria serves some of the best meat in the city.
Cipriani At the Copacabana Palace; 55-21/2545-8747; dinner for two $90. That of Italian fame. A chance for a glimpse of Rio's most iconic hotel.
