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Where to stay, where to eat, shops, visitor
attractions and getting there and away as featured in Planet
Food: Brazil.
Travel
Brazil is vast - the distance between the cities of Sao Paolo
and Rio de Janeiro is relatively small - but still involves
an eight hour drive. Air travel is, therefore, by far the
best option for getting around the country.
Varig
Varig is the national air carrier and along with
its partner, Tam, has regular internal flights between all
Brazilian cities. It has offices in major cities across the
USA as well as several European capitals. For multiple journeys,
Varig has an air-pass, which is excellent value for money.
For between U$D399 and 899, you are entitled to 9 internal
flights valid for 21 days from your first departure. All flights
are fully flexible and can be changed for around U$D30, even
at the check-in.
Where to stay
Belem
Hotel
Regente
Avenida Governador Jose Malcher, 485
Nazaré
Brazil
Tel: 091 3181 5000
This centrally located hotel has some English-speaking staff
and offers a good selection of mod-cons. The buffet in its
attached restaurant has an excellent lunchtime buffet.
Hotel Sagres
Avenida Governador Jose Malcher, 2927
Brazil
Tel: 091 228 3999
Although not particularly central, this hotel offers free
use of its computers and has a very pleasant poolside bar.
Porto de Galinhas
Marupiara
Hotel
Highway PE 9
5km from Porto de Galinhas
Ipojuca
Pernambuco
Brazil
This hotel is on the beach and some rooms on the ground floor
have their own terrace replete with hammock. Its lunchtime
buffet is excellent with grilled meats and seafood, lots of
salads and delicious puddings!
Olinda
Pousada do Amparo
Rio de Amparo
Olinda
Tel: 081 3439 1749
The lovely Pousada do Amparo provides a very personal and
intimate alternative to the big hotels of Recife. Consisting
of two colonial houses, it has a beautiful internal garden
as well as an external swimming pool with stunning views over
nearby Recife. The food here is excellent and mixes traditional
hearty fare with delightful modern touches.
Recife
The Golden Beach Hotel
Avenida Bernardo Vieira de Melo, 1204
Praia da Piedade
Recife
Pernambuco
Brazil
Tel: 081 3468 3002
Fax: 081 3468 1941
Email: goldenbeach *at* goldenbeach-pe.com.br
With fantastically spacious rooms and excellent service the
Golden Beach is one of the best big hotels in Recife. There
are some English speaking staff.
Hotel
Atlante Plaza
Avenida Boa Viagem, 5426
Boa Viagem
Recife
CEP 51030-000
Pernambuco
Brazil
Tel: 081 3303 3333
Fax: 081 3302 4445
An excellent modern hotel with business centre and good facilities,
the Atlante Plaza is very centrally located.
Salvador
Hotel
Praiamar
Avenida Sete de Setembro, 3577
Porto da Barra
Salvador
CEP 40130-000
Tel: 071 264 7011
In the well to do suburb of Barra and right on a lovely beach
the Praiamar Hotel is an excellent choice. The suites on the
top floor are exceptionally spacious and come with a large
balcony.
Hotel Tropical
Avenida Sete de Setembro, 1537
Campo Grande
Salvador
CEP 40080-121
Tel: 071 677 1060
Nearer the centre is the fantastic Hotel Tropical. A Varig-owned
hotel, it offers facilities to reconfirm or change flights.
Make sure you try the delicious snacks available at the lobby
bar.
Porto Alegre
Hotel
Plaza Sao Rafael
Av. Alberto Bins, 514
Porto Alegre, RS
CEP 90030-140
Brazil
Tel: 051 3220 7000
The Hotel Plaza Sao Rafael is centrally located with some
of the friendliest staff around. A top class hotel, it has
everything you would expect - excellent service, business
facilities, gym and swimming pool. The restaurant downstairs
serves up outstanding food.
Rio de Janeiro
Hotel
Marina Palace
Av. Delfim Moreira, 630 Leblon
Rio de Janeiro
Brazil
Tel: 021 2540 5212
Copacabana is the most popular area for
tourists but it can be tacky and potentially more dangerous
than other areas. Towards the top end of Ipanema beach is
Leblon which is less crowded. Here you'll
find the Hotel Marina Palace. It has wonderful
staff (most speak English), spacious rooms and is right across
the road from the beach. Ask for a room with a view and that's
what you'll get - the sweeping stretch of Leblon and Ipanema
beaches straight ahead and Christ the Redeemer high
up on the left.
Hotel
Marina All Suites
Avenida Delfim Moreira, 696 Leblon
Rio de Janeiro
Tel: 021 2540 5212
Next-door is the Marina All Suites, owned
by the same company and great if you're after something a
bit different. Rio seems to have a severe shortage of boutique
hotels and an excess of large, modern and very impersonal
ones. The All Suites has beautiful, individually designed
rooms with the latest stereo systems and funky décor.
To add to the visual treat, it has one of the tasiest, trendiest
restaurants in Rio, the aptly named Bar d'Hotel.
 Where
to eat
Belem
La Em Casa
Rua Governador Jose Malcher, 247
Nazare
Brazil
Tel: 091 223 1212
This restaurant is a great place to sample local specialities.
Open every day.
Restaurante Avenida
Avenida Nazaré, 1086
Belem
Brazil
Tel: 091 223 4015
If you're on a mission for something a little different you
should make a stop at Restaurante Avenida which serves up
unusual dishes like crocodile and turtle (don't worry they're
not endangered). You'll be met with friendly and professional
service.
Porto de Galinhas
Beijupira
Retaurant
For the best seafood in town (especially lobster) eat at Beijupira
Restaurant. It's decorated in quaint fairy lights and seashells
and is a perfect place for unwinding.
Olinda
Oficina
Do Sabor
Rua do Amparo, 335,
Cidade Alta
Olinda-PE,
Brazil, CEP: 53020-190
Tel: 081 3429 3331
For a culinary experience you really won't forget in a hurry,
visit the Oficina Do Sabor in the beautiful UNESCO-listed
town of Olinda. At the best restaurant in town - if not the
entire country - chef Cesar Santos has created mouth-watering
dishes like prawns in creamy mango sauce, served in a hollowed
out pumpkin. In addition to modern dishes there are plenty
of traditional regional Portuguese specialities such as Bolinhos
de Bacalhao (deep-fried balls of salted cod) and
delicious kale soup. Absolutely fantastic!
Salvador
Restaurante da Dadá on the beach
Av Otavio Mangabeiras, 940,
41680-000
Salvador
Brazil
Tel: 55 71 363-5151
You'll never be stuck for a restaurant in Salvador. For truly
traditional food, visit one of the restaurants belonging to
local celebrity Dadá. She started her career with a
modest café in the favelas (shanty towns) of Salvador
but her popularity allowed her to expand to the area of Pelourinho,
Salvador's beautiful historic centre. Here you can sample
dishes like Moqueca, a fish stew made with
garlic, parsley, coriander, peppers, coconut milk and dendê
oil. She's recently added two more restaurants to her repertoire:
two beachside restaurants side-by-side, Caranguejo
da Dadá specialises in crab while Restaurante
da Dadá is more upmarket.
Rio Grande do Sul
Get ready for meat, meat and more meat! Rio Grande do Sul
is home to the the churrascaria or barbeque
restaurant, supported by the vast herds of cattle and sheep
that graze on the fertile grasslands. At a churrascaria the
waiters will keep coming round with huge skewers of all cuts
and varieties of tender meat and refill your your plate. Use
the disk provided to tell them when to stop - green side for
'keep coming', red side for 'stop!'
Vitrine Gaúcha
Avenida Frederico Mentz, 1561 - lojas 133-137
DC Navegantes
Porto Alegre
90240-111
Brazil
Tel: 55 51 3374 5474
For a traditional churrascaria in Porto Alegre, try Vitrine
Gaucha. Moacir the chef is famous for his delicious Wagoner's
Rice, an excellent accompaniment to the meats served.
Galpao Crioulo
Parque Mauricio Sirotsky Sobrinho (Estancia da Harmonia)
Porto Alegre, RS
Brazil
Tel: 051 3226 8194
Another fantastic churrascaria is the huge Galpao Crioulo,
where the quality of the meat is outstanding. It's also a
great place to try traditional mate tea.
There's a dancing floorshow to accompany your meal every night.
Rio de Janeiro
The Restaurante Cristovao (inside the famous
Confeitaria Colombo) is a great place for feijoada. The restaurant
provides a luxurious setting for an authentic Saturday feijoada
meal. Nine giant cast-iron pots are filled with every cut
of meat imaginable and there's a huge array of accompaniments.
The puddings here are also first class.
Casa da Feijoada
Rua Prudente de Moraes 10-B
Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
RJ, Brazil
Tel: 021 2523 4994 / 2247 2776
The Casa da Feijoada is another Rio institution where you
can gorge yourself on Feijoada any day of the week. A relaxed
atmosphere and a great spot in the trendy district of Ipanema
make this a very attractive place to come and try Brazil's
national dish.
Confeitaria
Colombo
Rua Goncalves Dias, 34
Centro - Rio de Janeiro
CEP 20050-03, RJ
Brazil
Tel - 021 2232 2300
 Shopping
Crimson
Collection Lacquer accessories
All the beautiful lacquer accessories featured in the programme
were made entirely by hand using natural materials and according
to complex and centuries-old traditional methods. They represent
a collection of some of the finest pieces of lacquer available
today.
 Other
attractions
Brazilian wines
Because of its Italian population, Rio Grande Do
Sul is the only state in Brazil in which wine features
significantly at the dinner table and it produces 90 per cent
of Brazilian wine. A 2-hour drive from Porto Alegre brings
you to the beautiful Vale Dos Vinhedos (Valley of the Vineyards).
A good introduction to the area is to take the Maria Fumaca
(Smoky Mary) Steam train. There's wine on the platform and
entertainment on the train itself. The wine served is just
cheap plonk and is in no way indicative of the quality of
Brazilian wine in general, but the ride is quite fun!
Buy tickets from:
Giordani
Turismo
Rua 13 de Maio
581 - Loja 109
Bento Goncalves
RS, CEP 95700-000, Brazil
Tel - 054 455 2788
Vinicola
Miolo
If you really want to learn about Brazilian wine, you can
visit one of the many wineries in the region. An excellent
example is the Vinicola Miolo. Miolo produces some of the
country's finest wines and is set in wonderful grounds.
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