therioguide: I am a British writer living and working in sunny Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I made my escape from rainy Manchester, England in 2007, and now live in Santa Teresa with my crazy Brazilian dog, Clara.

Torre do Barao – Great Pizza, Good Prices

It’s not the most glamorous of eating and drinking spots in Ipanema, but with its great pizzas, extensive covered terrace, friendly service and great location just a couple of blocks back from the beach, Torre de Barao is one of my favourite spots in the neighbourhood. Pleasantly unpretentious in a bairro that is awash with formal, pricey bars and restaurants, this is a great place for a lunchtime snack and suco (fresh fruit juice), or a pizza and cocktail in the evening. The daily set meals...

March 5th, 2009 | Rio de Janeiro | Read More

Mike’s Haus – More Than Just Sauerkraut!

A hillside road above the leafy neighbourhood of Santa Teresa may not seem like the most obvious place to head for in the search for a traditional German meal, but that’s exactly where those with a hankering for hearty sausages and excellent imported German beer should head. Following the bonde (tram) track along Rua Almirante Alexandrino as it winds its way through the bairro and up towards Laranjeiras will lead you to Mike’s Haus, a bar restaurant serving some of the best German beers...

March 2nd, 2009 | Rio de Janeiro | Read More

Treats to Eat

At first glance, Carioca cuisine can seem a little on the bland side – all that rice, beans and manioc flour can get a little dull, no matter how many varities of meat, chicken or fish it’s served with. However, once you start to familiarise yourself with menus written in Portuguese, you’ll find a wealth of unusual flavours that quickly prove themselves to be maddeningly addictive. Here’s my top list of ‘must-try’ Brazilian foods – many of which are guilty...

February 28th, 2009 | Rio de Janeiro | Read More

And the winner is…

Samba School Salgueiro has plenty of cause for celebration after being crowned Carnival champion for 2009. The school, which was founded in 1953, scored almost maximum points – 399 out of a possible 400 – to take the title, seeing off competition from the more celebrated Beija-Flor, who failed to make it six consecutive years and were beaten into second place. took second place. Salgueiro had not won the fiecely-competed competition since 1993, and several months ago was rocked by a shooting...

February 27th, 2009 | Rio de Janeiro | Read More

Hostel Security Stepped Up After Robberies

Police have promised to step up security in areas close to backpacker hostels after a string of high-profile armed robberies in the run up to Carnival. One hostel in Copacabana was hit, together with two in the party district of Lapa and one in the hillside neighbourhood of Santa Teresa. Although making headlines worldwide, the robberies seem to have done little to damage the party atmosphere during the world-famous festival, and potential visitors are being reassured that the events are not the...

February 26th, 2009 | Rio de Janeiro | Read More

Tasty ways to beat the heat

With temperatures regularly reaching 36 degrees and above, visitors to Rio (especially those escaping cold winters elsewhere!) can find the summer swelter a little hard to bear at times. Cold baths in hotels, long dips in the sea and cranking up the air conditioning are all good ways to beat the heat, but the tastiest way to deal with the spiralling temperature is to find a good, air conditioned sorveteria (ice cream parlour) and order whatever frozen dessert takes your fancy. While it can be tempting...

February 22nd, 2009 | Rio de Janeiro | Read More

Carnival – Dressing to Impress

Rio is already in the full grip of Carnival fever, with around 120,000 vistitors descending on the city to join in the legendary festa. Although the party didn’t officially begin until this morning (Saturday) the streets of the Zona Sul, Centro, Lapa and Santa Teresa were already jam packed with revellers on Friday night, the majority clad in some sort of fancy dress. While some blocos and samba schools have set themes, it’s pretty much a case of anything goes as far as costumes go –...

February 21st, 2009 | Rio de Janeiro | Read More

Spring Break in Rio

With spring break approaching, college students and families alike may be thinking of flying down to Rio. Rio de Janeiro state boasts no end of places to visit, so it’s well worth of a long vacation to spend a few days outside the tourist hotspots of Ipanema and Copacabana and explore the wider area. Here are my top 10 tips for great spring break destinations in Rio de Janeiro state. 1. Lapa– for the party set, it’s all about Lapa. Here you’ll find the liveliest samba clubs...

February 19th, 2009 | Rio de Janeiro | Read More

Hold tight – Carnival’s almost here!

Get ready to stockpile the alcohol, food and other essentials necessary to see you through the long days and nights ahead – Carnival is almost here! If you’ve experienced Carnival in Rio before, you’ll know just how much full-on craziness to expect. If not, hold tight, and prepare for a wild ride. As much of the Carnival partying takes place in the form of lively street parties, you’ll find it makes sense to take along your own supplies of alcohol. If you have a cool box,...

February 18th, 2009 | Rio de Janeiro | Read More

Tram Ride Through Time

With privatisation, price hikes and new vehicles all looking like distinct possibilities, the days of the rattling, erratic, 60-centavo bonde (tram) rides through Santa Teresa may soon be a thing of the past. While Santa Teresa’s residents battle to protect their much-loved bonde system from privatisation, the city council is pushing forward with moves that they claim would make the system more efficient and financially sound. For the moment though, the rattling old trams continue to...

February 15th, 2009 | Rio de Janeiro | Read More

Rio Scenarium

There aren’t many places where you can drink, dine and dance against alongside mannequins, film props and assorted antique oddities, but at legendary samba hall Rio Scenarium that’s exactly what’s on the menu. Despite attracting an increasing number of tourists in recent years, the venue remains a favourite with samba-loving locals, and has lost none of its unique charm. At theheart of Rio’s historic centre, Scenarium doubles as a storage space for movie props and antiques,...

February 14th, 2009 | Rio de Janeiro | Read More

Best of the Carnival Balls

The countdown to Carnival, Rio’s festival of excess, is well and truly on, and the festivities are set to kick off well before the keys of the city are officially handed over to King Momo, the lord of misrule. The street parties, samba rehearsals and impromptu drinkathons are already getting underway, and the decorations are already being hung for the many Carnival balls that take place across the city. The balls tend to feature outrageous costumes, an abundance of samba (of course) and drinks...

February 13th, 2009 | Rio de Janeiro | Read More

Vegan Vegan

Brazil is a very carnivorous city, but it’s happily not uncommon to come across very good vegetarian and vegan restaurants. When I spotted Vegan Vegan in Botafogo, a smart-looking restaurant that offers a pay-by-weight lunch buffet, I thought I’d pop in and see what the place had to offer for those who don’t touch meat or dairy.I have to say, even the most dedicated of carnivores would be tempted by the range of meat-free treats on offer here. There’s a huge range of...

February 11th, 2009 | Rio de Janeiro | Read More

Carnival Celebrations – Small Town Style

Rio is, by South American standards, a relatively expensive city, and the skyrocketing prices over the Carnival period can be a nasty shock for travellers on a budget. With even the most basic of hostels charging up to four times the usual nightly rate over Carnival week, the festivities can become a very expensive business. For backpackers and other budget travellers, therefore, it can make good financial sense to give the high-profile celebrations a miss and celebrate carnival elsewhere in Rio...

February 8th, 2009 | Rio de Janeiro | Read More

Renewing Tourist Visas in Rio

Renewing a visa in Rio is a procedure that is straightforward enough in theory but, like so many things in this hectic, often chaotic city, can be somewhat complicated in practice. Most visitors to Brazil are given a ‘tourist visa’ – essentially a stamp allowing them to stay 90 days, renewable by a further 90 days. To do this in the city itself, you now have to travel to the international airport, where the federal police will carry out the necessary paperwork (while it used...

February 8th, 2009 | Rio de Janeiro | Read More

Casa Cavé

Let’s face it, on a hot, humid, summer day in Rio, shopping in Centro can take its toll. The busy streets, jostling crowd and 40 degree sticky heat can make even the shortest shopping trip feel like a chore, so it’s worth taking 10 minutes out to grab a coffee or cold drink and let the air conditioning take the heat off. It was just such as sticky day that prompted myself and my friend to duck into Casa Cavé – a quirky 1830s throwback that stands out a mile from the chainstores...

February 4th, 2009 | Rio de Janeiro | Read More

Bloco Party

Monobloco, Rio’s legendary 180-strong percussion troupe, will bebringing their unique sound to Circo Voador, Lapa, every Friday nightbeween now and the beginning of Carnival. The troupe, which featuresmore than 180 musicians, has built up an immense – and immensely loyal- following over the last six years, having established themselves asstars of the Carnival scene, with parades in Leblon and Ipanema, andshows that traditionally close the festivities on the Saturdayfollowing Carnival....

February 2nd, 2009 | Rio de Janeiro | Read More

Tips for a Valentine’s Day to Remember

There are few, if any, cities in the world more beautiful than Rio de Janeiro, making it the perfect place for a romantic getaway over the Valentine’s Day weekend. And as Brazilians don’t mark the occasion in February (the Brazilan version, ‘Dia dos Namorados’, is on June 12th), you can escape the rush of romantic couples all clamouring for a table at the same spots, and enjoy the occasion without all the mass marketing that surrounds February 14th in the West. Whether you...

February 1st, 2009 | Rio de Janeiro | Read More

Lapa 40º – Hotspot? Or not?

Judging by the queues that form outside Lapa 40º each Friday and Saturday night, I assumed that whatever was happening inside must be pretty hot stuff, if you’ll excuse the pun. While most of Lapa is thronged with flip flop-clad locals and tourists stumbling from one caipirinha stand to the next, the crowds waiting patiently to enter Lapa 40ºare of a different breed entirely – dressed to the nines in heels and dresses for the ladies (elsewhere in Lapa it’s the men who...

January 29th, 2009 | Rio de Janeiro | Read More

Beer’s off the menu at Maracana

The days of swigging back an ice cold beer before, during and after a football match (ok, soccer match for all you North Americans) at the legendary Maracana stadium are over – for the time being at least. A new ruling from the recently-elected mayor Eduardo Paes has banned the sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks in and around the stadium not only during the duration of games, but for two hours before and after. With the city council hoping that the final of the 2014 Football World Cup...

January 28th, 2009 | Rio de Janeiro | Read More