Churrascaria Palace

Churrascaria Palace is one of the oldest steakhouses in Rio de Janeiro. It was founded in 1951 in Leme and moved in 1962 to its present address on Rua Rodolfo Dantas, in the Art Deco Lido area of Copacabana, where it has stayed ever since. It opened in the city's so-called golden years, the same era as bossa nova, and in 2022 the city declared it part of Rio's cultural heritage.

The format is the classic rodízio: you eat as much as you like from a varied selection of meats. The restaurant says it offers around 40 varieties of premium meats, along with seafood and fish. Among the house cuts are the picanha borboleta, a butterflied version of Brazil's favourite rump cap, a lamb shoulder prepared in the Douro style and a prime beef rib. The price also includes a buffet of salads, good-quality cheeses and cold cuts; drinks and desserts are charged separately.

The dining room nods to its history. Bossa nova plays in the background, and a painting called Santa Ceia da Bossa Nova, a bossa nova version of the Last Supper, hangs on the wall. According to the city's tourism board, Riotur, many of the staff have worked here for years and their friendliness is part of the house style.

Riotur lists the restaurant as open every day from noon to midnight, which makes it a flexible choice for a late lunch after the beach or an unhurried dinner. Reservations can be made through the official website, which is worth doing for groups and at weekends, and the restaurant can be reached on +55 21 2541-5898 or at [email protected].

It suits families, groups and anyone wanting to try a traditional churrascaria in a setting with history, and it is a good counterpoint to the more modern restaurants in this guide. With the buffet included in the price, vegetarians in a mixed group will also find salads and cheeses, although meat is clearly the focus. The official website also points to its Instagram account for news.

The restaurant's Copacabana address puts it in the same neighbourhood as the beach, the Copacabana Palace and its restaurant Mee, and Adega Pérola, the traditional bar on Rua Siqueira Campos, for a drink afterwards.