Oteque

Oteque is the restaurant of chef Alberto Landgraf in Botafogo, and it is regularly counted among the best restaurants in South America. It holds a Michelin star in the 2026 Michelin Guide Brazil, was ranked number 37 in The World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2024 and number 38 in Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants in 2025.

Behind a discreet façade on Rua Conde de Irajá, a gate leads into a dining room with a very high ceiling and worn red-brick walls that give it an industrial feel. Landgraf designed the space himself. Six large round tables share the room with one long table for five in front of the open kitchen, which serves as the chef's table, and an aquarium displays the day's catch.

Simplicity and naturalness are Landgraf's hallmarks, according to the Michelin Guide, with an emphasis on Brazilian roots and clear flavours. Ethical farming and local produce are the cornerstone of the menu. The kitchen serves a single tasting menu that changes each season, with some dishes replaced daily according to the best ingredients available. Dishes mentioned by Michelin and the 50 Best include oysters with Brazil nut milk and green apple, roast onion with sea urchin and mussel cream, and langoustines with pirão, a traditional fish-stock porridge, and aromatic pepper. The bread, baked in-house and served straight from the oven, is a highlight.

Oteque opens for dinner from Tuesday to Saturday. The restaurant manages its own reservations, so contact it directly, and ask for the long table if you want to watch the kitchen at work. The wine list is extensive, the room is air-conditioned and valet parking is available. Pets are not allowed.

Oteque suits diners who want a long, carefully paced evening of seasonal cooking and who are happy with a set menu. With its rankings and Michelin star, it is one of the hardest tables in Rio to secure, so plan the booking well before your trip. It also offers a good contrast with Oro, the city's other leading tasting-menu restaurant in this guide, where cooking over fire is the signature, and with Mee at the Copacabana Palace.