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During December, the height of Brazilian summer, Rio reveals why it is known as the Marvelous City. The days stretch longer, the light takes on a special glow, and preparations for the boisterous Carnival season infuse the streets with an infectious energy. This summer feels particularly special. Though millions of visitors flocked to the city for the World Cup in 2014 and again in 2016 for the Olympics, tourism has been slow to recover since the pandemic. As a result, restaurants have been catering increasingly to locals, and cultural projects have focused on the needs of residents. The city, in other words, has been reconnecting with its roots. That means that the Rio greeting guests today is one that feels deeply, intrinsically itself. And the fun extends beyond the beach, into neighborhoods you might not have thought to visit on past trips. It's Rio for the Cariocas—those who call the city home—and it's Rio for you too, if you're lucky enough to visit.
Where to wander
Here are the of-the-moment neighborhoods to know now, and new reasons to return to the icons.
Classic neighborhoods include Santa Teresa, Rio's artsy enclave of cobblestone streets that is never short on gallery openings. Longtime favorite Estúdio Dezenove, a collective of contemporary Brazilian artists, has rotating exhibitions from artists like Brazilian painter Maria Lídia Magliani to keep you coming back. Once written off as past its prime, Copacabana is experiencing a revival: Head toward the just-opened outpost of the iconic Confeitaria Colombo, where young couples and grandmas alike savor pastel de nata—or hit the cozy Café 18 do Forte for a lazy brunch with views. The buzzy nightlife in lively Ipanema and refined Leblon means beach days need to be extended until well after the sun goes down. Be sure to make a reservation at the seafood-heavy Ipanema hot spot Koral.
Centro, an up-and-coming star in Rio's long-maligned downtown, represents the scene's major renaissance. Public space initiatives have drawn in-demand chefs and creatives, and Senado Street, a key thoroughfare, is now home to bars including Braseiro Labuta, where the petiscos (fried snacks) are hot and the chopp (tap beer) is always cold. While laid-back, mansion-lined Laranjeiras is one of the city's oldest areas, a younger scene is developing here. Cool bakeries and community-centric restaurants sit alongside bookstores such as Casa 11, which sells new and used titles and hosts neighborhood events. After a major cleanup of Guanabara Bay, Botafogo Beach is for more than just walking. Have a swim, then head to the new bar Casa Tão Longe, Tão Perto, for a smart selection of Brazilian vinho served alongside local cheeses.
Beyond the hotel
You could spend a week in Rio soaking up the pool scene at your hotel—and for years many visitors have come to do just that. But the chicest stays have begun looking beyond their own walls to the city's many charms. “Guests see us as a gateway to unique experiences,” says Junior Penedo, the butler and concierge at the unpretentiously stylish Emiliano Rio. The Copacabana hotel sends travelers with guides and decadent picnic baskets into Tijuca National Park, the world's largest urban rainforest, established in 1861. Early risers staying at the Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana can opt to enjoy breakfast at the foot of Christ the Redeemer before the bustling landmark opens to the public. Up the coast in Barra de Tijuca, the recently renovated Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro is arranging private boat trips through the Marapendi Lagoon, with a sunset cruise that includes Champagne and possible sloth and toucan sightings. Hotel Santa Teresa MGallery, in the bohemian neighborhood from which it takes its name, has a new walking tour that takes guests into local artist ateliers and past historic mansions and mosaic murals. Music lovers, meanwhile, can follow the bossa nova beat on Fasano's newest tour, which winds its way through the streets and stops at the bars in the area that gave birth to the genre's best-known songs. Singer Guilherme Guimarães, who leads it, croons and strums along the way.
Where to eat
A spate of high-end openings from a new generation of culinary stars pair Brazil's diverse ingredients with the country's flip-flop-friendly culture. At Ocyá, fisherman-chef Gerônimo Athuel serves sustainably caught seafood on Ilha Primeira, a small island in Barra da Tijuca, accessible only by boat—and at a just-opened outpost right in Leblon. In Leme, Andressa Cabral debuted Yayá, a casual restaurant whose goal is to celebrate Brazilian dishes with African roots, including spicy moqueca stews and street-style snacks like acarajé. Thomas Troisgros's restaurateur family is known for its European-inflected spots in Rio. But for his solo debut, Toto, he pulls in Brazilian influences, with dishes like chicken hearts and tasty steak tartare. At Trégua Cozinha, just 13 guests can sit in this charmer from chef partners Ana Paula Souza and Victor Lima, which has an ever-changing menu starring such dishes as pork belly cooked in its own fat as well as hibiscus sorbet.
Feel the beat
Rio de Janeiro breathes music. It oozes from unfussy botecos and portable speakers, and erupts in samba circles both scheduled—like the popular Samba do Trabalhador each Monday in Andaraí—and spontaneous. While iconic tunes like “The Girl From Ipanema” are a common reference point, Cariocas are always dipping into different genres. Inspired by the Black ballroom parties common in Rio during the 1960s and '70s, Baile Charme events, showcasing styles like hip-hop and Charme, a Rio-flavored take on American R&B, are sweeping the city right now. One of the hottest begins at noon each weekend beneath Viaduto de Madureira, an overpass in Madureira, the north Rio neighborhood where Chere Charme was born. The high-energy celebration features rising artists such as Os Garotin and L7NNON, whose beats keep hips and feet moving until sunrise. Farther south in Laranjeiras is Cardosão, which opened in 1954 as Armazém Cardosão and operated as a neighborhood general store until undergoing a remarkable transformation during the pandemic into a cultural hub. Here, over ice-cold beers, petisco snacks, and caipirinhas, guests can listen to live music ranging from jazz to chorinho, a polka-influenced instrumental style that is considered Brazil's earliest popular music genre.
Artful living
São Paulo often steals the spotlight on account of its renowned museums, but Rio has always been one of Brazil's creative hubs, nurturing artists of all kinds. Now a flurry of projects is tapping into the city's vast reservoirs of talent. The Reviver Cultural program is transforming abandoned downtown buildings into art spaces; a number are already open, including the Centro Carioca de Fotografia gallery, a showcase for Rio-focused photography, and Casa Tucum, which highlights Indigenous Brazilian artisanship. The Rio Museum of Art recently emerged from a renovation to offer rare film screenings, lectures, and its first immersive space, a multisensory experience inspired by Rio's natural phenomena; the museum's permanent collection features more than 31,000 items, including a piece by legendary Brazilian artist Tarsila do Amaral. In October, Casa Casadas opened in chic Laranjeiras, giving the city a new home for art house cinema. And next year the highly anticipated Museum of Image and Sound will finally debut in Copacabana, with original photographs that capture earlier incarnations of Rio, telenovela scripts, and even a floor dedicated to Carmen Miranda's headdresses.
Ask the locals
For the best waves, beachside fashion, and Afro-Brazilian culture, these Cariocas know where to go.
This article appeared in the December 2024 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.
