Next up in our series on budget travel in Rio de Janeiro we have a few tips for you on eating and drinking in Rio on a budget. There are some great restaurants in Rio, but many of them come with a hefty price tag too. Here follows a list of tips and actual restaurants, which will help you stay within your budget, without going hungry in Rio de Janeiro.
Kilo Restaurants – These restaurants are popular lunchtime destinations, but many are open in the evening too. There are dozens dotted throughout the city and prices vary, but the idea is that you help yourself to a buffet and pay per kilo rather than per dish. Of course this works out better for those with smaller appetites, but it’s an all-round fairer way of doing things, plus you get to taste a little bit of everything. The kilo buffets usually have a good range of hot and cold food, including plenty of fruits, salads and vegetables, so it’s a great way to up those vitamin levels in a land where many seem to survive on a diet of rice, beans, meat and more meat - perhaps with a side of French fries, and... uh, some more meat.
Zona Sul Supermarket Pizza - This is perhaps not the post glamorous of locations, but none the less, if you like your pizza thin and crispy as opposed to the ubiquitous fat and doughy that you often find in Brazil, then this is the place for you. Plus, the prices are good and low and you can order a reasonably priced glass of wine or beer to go with it. Zona Sul Supermarkets have a couple of outlets around the south of the city, including one conveniently located on General Osorio square in the heart of Ipanema, about three blocks from the beach.
Sushi at Koni – Rio goes through food fads on a similar trajectory to LA - that is to say a certain echelon of Rio society does. Last year it was all about frozen yogurt and then came the Koni – a type of sushi roll in the shape of a cone. The trend stuck and Koni opened a series of outlets around the city, including in Ipanema, Leblon, Botofogo and Lago do Machado. This informal eatery offers affordable deals throughout lunchtime and dinner and is a quick and reasonably healthy option.