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The Hotel Cipriani Restaurant The Hotel Cipriani Restaurant is one of the most sophisticated restaurants in Rio and is patronised by the jet set of Rio. Open for lunch and dinner, the much awarded Hotel Cipriani Restaurant offers the very best of north Italian cuisine in a setting of elegant opulence.
Chef Francesco Carli prepares both traditional and innovative Italian dishes. Carli previously worked in the Orient-Express Hotel Cipriani and Palazzo Vendramin in Venice and many of the dishes are the same as those on Hotel Cipriani's menu.
Carli is delighted, although not surprised, with the quality of the ingredients he has found in Brazil and only supplements local ingredients with imported items, such as Italian oils and wines, when the Brazilian equivalent would compromise the authenticity and flavour of the dish.
Hotel Cipriani Restaurant Sample Menu »
Opening Hours
Monday to Saturday
Lunch: 12.30pm to 3.30pm
Dinner: 7.00pm to midnight
Closed on Sunday The restaurant will be open exceptionally on December 28th, 2008 and January 4th, 2009
Dress Code: Smart Casual (for both lunch and dinner)
Restaurant Reservations:
From Monday to Saturday (Saturday until 3.00pm)
Telephone number: +55 21 2548-7070
E-mail: reservas@copacabanapalace.com.br Pérgula Restaurant At the poolside Pérgula Restaurant, guests can enjoy an extensive breakfast buffet, buffet or à la carte lunch and al fresco dinners in relaxed surroundings. Tables are available both in the air-conditioned restaurant, or on the terrace overlooking the legendary Copacabana swimming pool.
Sunday Brunch at the Pérgula Restaurant is renowned in Rio. One of the most striking features of the brunch is the wide selection of both fresh and saltwater seafood prepared by Executive Chef Luis Incao.
Saturday lunch is another highlight of the Pérgula Restaurant as the Brazilian speciality 'Feijoada' is served. This is a stew which includes a variety of dried meat, bacon, salt pork and ribs, different sausages and, most importantly, the ear, tail and trotter of a pig. Feijoada is served with white rice, farofa (fried manioc flour), kale, sliced oranges and a hot pepper sauce. See the recipe for Feijoada »
Pérgula Restaurant Sample Menu »
Opening hours
Breakfast: 7.00am to 10.30am
Lunch: 12.30pm to 3.30pm
Dinner: 7.00pm to midnight
Saturday Feijoada: 12.30pm to 4.30pm
Sunday Brunch: 12.30pm to 4.30pm
Restaurant Reservations:
Telephone number: +55 21 2545-8790
E-mail: alimentos.bebidas@copacabanapalace.com.br Food & Drink in BRAZIL The Brazilian staple diet, even today, relies on what is plentiful and naturally available in the country. Root vegetables are essential day-to-day items.
Cassava root (known as manioc in Brazil) is a yam-like starchy tuber which forms the basis of many of the most well-known Brazilian dishes, both savoury and sweet. Beef and pork both feature greatly while along the coast fish and seafood is used extensively, fresh from the sea.
Pulses and legumes, particularly black beans, are favoured as a staple and palm oil, known as dende, is used for cooking throughout the country. Coconut milk, cassava root and rice are other major players in Brazilian cuisine. Feijoada
The traditional Brazilian dish Feijoada still forms part of the locals diet today and in restaurants throughout Rio you will find it prepared with a contemporary twist. This dish was first concocted by plantation workers and is a stew which includes a variety of dried meat, bacon, salt pork and ribs, different sausages and, most importantly, the ear, tail and trotter of a pig.
Feijoada is served with white rice, farofa (fried manioc flour), kale, sliced oranges and a hot pepper sauce.
Farofa accompanies many Brazilian dishes. At its most basic it is ground cassava root (manioc flour) fried in butter with seasonings. It can become more elaborate with scrambled or hard boiled eggs and chopped vegetables.
Caipirinha
Brazil's signature cocktail is a simple blend of cachaça - a sugarcane liqueur native to Brazil - sugar and lime. The lime and sugar are mixed before the cachaça is poured over the top and the drink is served short, with crushed ice. Suco
Rio boasts an abundance of exotic fruit so freshly-pressed fruit juices are available throughout Rio, particularly at the fresh juice stalls which are prolific on street corners around Rio. Coconut milk is also widely available, served straight from the coconut.
If you have a particularly sweet tooth you can request a fruit juice with caldo de cana, which is the juice of fresh sugar cane. Fresh juice stalls also offer vitaminas, which are smoothies. Shopping The main shopping streets of Rio are Avenida Nossa Senhora and Rua Barata Ribeiro in Copacabana and the Rua Visconde de Pirajá in Ipanema. There are also many out-of-town malls, listed below. Most shops are open Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm and on Saturday from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm, which is when most people in Rio do their shopping. The large shopping malls usually stay open until 10.00 pm and open on Sunday as well. Sales tax in Brazil is 18% and there is no tax refund scheme in place. Bikini Boutiques
Carioca's love the beach and the general rule when it comes to beach attire is 'less is more'. That said there is a fantastic range of beachwear available for sale in Rio, even for those who do not adopt the same principle. Beachwear in Rio is always one season ahead so you can rest assured any purchases will be in fashion for the coming season.
There are numerous Bikini Boutiques on the shopping streets of Ipanema. There you'll be sized by the well-trained eye of the assistant and you will leave the boutique with the most flattering swimwear you've ever had. The iconic Havaianas flip-flops and all accessories - from cover-ups and sunhats to beach bags - are very cheap and offer much more choice than you'd find at home. Shopping Centres
For directions or more information, please contact our Concierge.
Rio Sul Shopping Center
Rua Lauro Muller 116 - Botafogo
450 stores covering fashion, decoration, jewellery, gifts, books and electronic goods, as well as a large choice of restaurants in the food court, 4 cinemas and an entertainment space where shows are held at night.
Botafogo Praia Shopping
Praia de Botafogo, 400 - Botafogo
6 floor shopping complex with stores, restaurants and modern cinemas.
Shopping da Gávea
Rua Marquês de São Vicente, 52 - Gávea
Art galleries, clothing and furniture stores, and a cinema are among many options offered by this commercial centre.
Fashion Mall
Estrada da Gávea, 899 - São Conrado
This mall offers designer fashions, home furnishings and jewellery stores. It has a food court catering for fast-food fans as well as sophisticated diners, four movie theatres and a discotheque.
Barra Shopping
Av. das Américas, 4.666 - Barra da Tijuca
This complex has clothing and home furnishings stores as well as department stores. It also has a supermarket and delicatessen, a large entertainment and leisure area with bowling and five movie theatres. For hungry shoppers, there are fast-food restaurants in addition to restaurants that will satisfy the most demanding gourmets.
Downtown
Av. das Américas, 500 - Barra da Tijuca
This is a business center built like a small town with shops and offices, but also offers the most modern cinemas in town, an interesting selection of bars and restaurants, and even a small brewery. Activities Hang gliding
Rio de Janeiro's geography makes it the perfect location for hang gliding. Presented with a cliff top from which to set off, you can then fly over an amazing bird's-eye view of the city with all its landmarks and across the bay, landing softly on one of the beaches on the outskirts of the city. There is a designated flying ramp at Pedra Bonita and numerous flying schools offer lessons and one-off tandem flights with qualified instructors, complete with pick-up and drop-off services. Walks and Treks
Rio boasts the only urban rainforest in the world. The wealth of species at hand is spectacular and no visitor to Rio should leave without experiencing the lush foliage, scents and sounds of this astounding natural phenomenon. Pedra Bonita, located on the easternmost tip of the Parque Nacional de Tijuca, offers stunning views over Rio. A fairly easy walk, starting from the Parque itself, is rewarded by the breathtaking vistas from the top. Guided tours
There are many providers of scheduled and private guided jeep tours, bike hire and trail walks up mountains and through virgin rainforest. Ask the concierge for more information. Entertainment Nightlife
Rio de Janeiro is a city compelled by entertainment 24 hours a day. Not only beautiful beaches and summer sports are available, but Rio is also known for its pulsating nightlife. There are many options for your evening entertainment be it gourmet dining at Rio's top restaurants, dancing in one of the many bars and discotheques or attending the theatre or cinema.
Rua Dias Ferreira in Leblon, just a short taxi ride from the Copacabana Palace is home to bars and restaurants such as Quadrucci, Zuka, Sushi Leblon and Esch Café making this trendy street is worthy of a visit.
The more adventorous visitors to Rio who wish to encounter the beat and soul of Carioca life, the Lapa district of Rio can be visited.
Our concierge will be happy to guide you in choosing your evening's entertainment. In Rio there is always a performance or event to cater for all tastes.
Theatres
The home of the city's world-class ballet troupe and opera company is the Teatro Municipal - a showcase for opera, ballet and classical music. There are many theatres in Rio offering performances from international hit musicals to plays with a Brazilian theme. The Teatro Municipal is located near the National Library, the National Fine Arts Museum and the Pedro Ernesto Palace and faces the large Cinelândia Square. Its attractive architectural design and its imposing facade catch the eye. Its exterior is paralleled by the beauty of its interior decoration. Built of fine coloured Carrara marble, bronze and onyx, it is furnished with mirrors, period furniture, paintings and sculptures. Its seating capacity is 2200 people. The theatre is a true temple of culture that is just as popular with visitors as the performances staged here.
Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro Municipal Theatre)
Praça Floriano, Centro
Cinemas
Rio itself starred in the first film made in the country and the city has been the home of Brazilian cinema since its invention as an art form at the turn of the century.
Rio also featured in the 1959 film, Black Orpheus, by director Marcel Camus; the film featured a wonderful bossa nova soundtrack. The realism of cinema novo and the films of Glauber Rocha received international acclaim,and in 1980 Hector Babenco's Pixote, the tale of a street kid in Rio, won the Golden Palm award at Cannes.
Today, Brazil produces and exports television soap operas or telenovelas. This is big business for Brazilian television companies and advertisers and attracts the best scriptwriters, directors and actors. However there are a number of cinemas throughout Rio, featuring international movies. back
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