Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

We visited Rio de Janeiro to attend a friend’s wedding. The groom is one of my best friends from college and his lovely bride, a stunner/magnificent human from Brazil. We visited just as winter was winding down which was a nice time to go to avoid tourists. We had always wanted to visit Brazil, but being able to go on this trip that was arranged by my friend and his wife was unlike anything we could have imagined. This trip was always going to be magical - friends were traveling in from near and far to celebrate this wonderful union- but we had no idea what delicious fun Rio had in store for us.

Eat

• ZaZa Bistro: Frequented multiple times by our group due to its gorgeous bohemian décor, kind servers and excellent food, it became somewhat of a hangout for our 20+ person group. Grab a spot on the outdoor patio and people watch on the road below.

• CT Boucherie: One of our favorite dinners. Located on a great street in Leblon, it came highly recommended from the aforementioned bride and groom. While it is a meat-centric spot and we were visiting with my vegetarian bestie it was still highly recommended as most people go for the unlimited sides. Waiters walk around with family-style trays and platters of food, scooping heaps of caramelized vegetables and piping hot pastas onto your plate. They literally will not stop until you tell them to...or until you explode.
• Via Sete: A great spot for lunch, coffee, juices and by far the coolest single, wooden, wine glass delivery contraption I’ve ever seen. Typically I think measuring wine pours is dumb, but this made it seem cool.
• Braserio de Gavea: This was one of the best, most lively spots we ate. Think loud, outdoor tables with people pulling chairs up to other tables, friends embracing and toasting with one another. It felt like a family place. In addition to the crowds overflowing onto the street while waiting for tables, there were more people on the busy sidewalk where a full-on street party was happening. Live music, street vendors, rival sports fans yelling at each other. It was exciting and fun and a must visit spot for dinner at night. And the food was delicious.

• Riba: In Ipanema, we popped in here when it started to rain and ended up staying for damn near two hours. Great cocktails and even greater fries when you are nursing a hangover from another epic night out in Rio.
• Casa Momus: In Centro on a small side street (near one of the best bars I am about to tell you about). Cool vibe, live guitarist and dank pasta.
• Polis: We never had time to visit but we heard that acai here is just to die.
• Garota de Ipanama: A sweet corner restaurant where, you guessed it, the song “The Girl from Ipanema” was actually written! A brightly lit spot with delicious foods, yummy wines and a family vibe. Just a nice neighborhood joint with a cool story behind it.

• Gula Gula: With all of the meat you are going to eat, this is a good place to keep in mind as it has greens – salads and veggies. Located in Ipanema we had a great lunch here and about 7,820,245 caipirinhas.
• Parque Lage: One of the most picturesque places you will ever eat. Parque Lage is a public park full of jungles, botanical gardens and an old mansion with a café in it. it is literally the best brunch spot you will ever eat at- think the Getty Villa in Malibu meets a jungle, sitting right below the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue. Grab a table for brunch in the courtyard of the mansion and leave another few hours afterwards to roam around the grounds and get lost on jungle vine-covered walkways- bonus points if you can spot a monkey!

Drink

• Caipirinhas. Just drink them all. Wherever you go.
• Rio Scenarium: A multi floor nightspot with live music, amazing dancers and multiple bars. Antiques decorate the walls and traditional Brazilian music permeates your brain. You could spend hours in this place exploring different rooms, bars, and art. Warning: You pay your tab at the end of your visit and show your ticket to the door guy in order to leave. THIS IS IMPORTANT. If you lose your ticket, it's a pain in the ass. A certain husband of mine learned the hard way. 

Stay

• AirBnB: We all rented AirBnBs due to the sheer number of us staying in town for the wedding we were attending. There were quite a few options- a number of gorgeous apartments and penthouses in old buildings with doormen we found. We ended up with a three-story penthouse with a private rooftop and  pool. We did receive some good advice to ask for the address of the house prior to booking. Even if you are in a good area, there is a chance the street you might be on may be less than ideal or near a favela. Good neighborhoods here can turn into bad in just the span of a block. Before we booked, we had my coworker from Rio weigh in on our location as well as the groom to give us the stamp of approval.
• Ipanema Inn: This was one of the hotels we walked by many times that looked charming. It was also in an excellent location.
• Sol Ipanema: Right on the beach with a rooftop pool. Our friend's uncle stayed here and didn't have enough good things to say.
• Hotel Santa Teresa Rio McGallery by Sofitel: A beautiful hotel we stopped at for coffee before our walk down to the Escalera de Selaron (see more on that, below). It has a very chic pool and looked like a fantastic hotel to treat yo'self and escape the hustle and bustle of the city below.
• Overall, just stay an area you want to explore. We chose Ipanema as we wanted to be walking distance to one of the best beaches and the area was just lovely. Leblon was another great area, but not walking distance to the beach. We had a friend stay in Santa Teresa towards the end of the street and despite being an amazing neighborhood to walk around in, said it was quite a bit less safe for just popping out for a wander at night due to the proximity of a nearby favela. 

Do

• La Escalera de Selarón: The famous colorful steps in Santa Theresa that are just gorgeous. They are unlike anything you’ve ever seen.
• Museo do Amanha (Museum of Tomorrow): Located in Centro this museum is worth checking out, even if you just see the outside. We chose a day where entry was free without knowing so the line was insane. We ended up checking out a cool museum down the street instead but heard incredible things about this one.
• Posto Nove: Located on the more iconic beach in Ipanema, Posto Nove is the “cool” tower to park it at. Bring your sarong, lay down and buy beers from a local vendor. There are tons of people selling anything you would ever need so if you forget something, don’t fret! Enjoy people watching and keep your valuables hidden out of view.

• Christ the Redeemer: It’s supposed to be one of the more fantastic views in Rio. Unfortunately, the day we wanted to go was rainy and foggy so we never made it but we sure admired the statue from afar, all around the city.
• SugarLoaf Mountain: Take a cablecar up to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain for some of the most spectacular views. Both the stop halfway up and the last stop have places for you to grab some refreshments and take in the stunning beaches and cities just below you.

• Sao Conrado: We didn’t make it down here but our Uber driver told us to travel here for some of the less visited beaches. We would love to check it out when we return to Rio.
• Uber everywhere- From the airport we organized a van that was fantastic, just to get us into the city. One we were in Ipanema, we used Uber and it was safe. Definitely note that the app can get a little dicey and sometime show the car is near you when it’s not. Be patient and allow time to get around.
• Be smart! You are going to hear about petty theft in Rio before you go and while it’s true (poverty there got quite a bit worse after the Olympics money left the city), as long as you are aware of what is going on around, don’t display anything of value and wear one of those sweet hidden money belts, you will be fine. Plus, they look SUPER cool. 

Don't

• Don't walk around drunk, late at night, holding a purse or wallet by yourself – you are asking to be a target, particularly if you are near a favela. The people in Rio are fun, lively and so very kind. You will read stories before you go, but if you are a remotely smart human being and aware of your surroundings. On that note, this is not an actual favela but a sick installation of one at a museum we visited one day: