LUNCH
RESTAURANTE NATURAL, Rua da Carioca, 54 — A — Centro
'The first vegetarian buffet in town also has a neat shop selling natural products. An oasis for happy, healthy people to enjoy a delicious low-cost meal while exploring downtown Rio.' Nina Becker, singer/songwriter
BAR URCA, Rua Cândido Gaffrée, 205 — Urca
'This place is great for traditional Brazilian food. It’s a bar on street level with a restaurant upstairs, so you can choose between lunch or a drink and there are amazing views of Guanabara Bay. Urca is the neighbourhood where the famous Sugar Loaf mountain is situated.' Luciana Pessanha, writer
CAFE LAMAS, Rua Marquês de Abrantes, 18 — Flamengo
'This 135-year-old restaurant serving traditional Brazilian dishes is part of the history of Rio de Janeiro. Open 9.30am-3.00am.' Martin Ogolter, designer
DINNER
MIAM MIAM, Rua General Góes Monteiro, 34 — Botafogo
'Comfort food by award-winning chef Roberta Ciasca, retro-style ambience and the best caipirinhas in town. It’s the perfect place to hook up with Rio’s nightlife. The English-speaking crew are well-known for their friendliness.' Rita Vilhena, executive producer
AZUMI
Rua Ministro Viveiros de Castro, 127 — Copacabana
'A Japanese restaurant in the heart of Copacabana. The owner has a boat that provides fresh fish daily and you can find a long list of traditional plates on the menu. Ask for ‘the remedy’ if you dare to experiment with sophisticated cachaça.' Alexandre Kassin, music producer
HAWKER STALLS
FEIRA DE SAO CRISTOVAO
Campo de São Cristóvão, s/n São Cristóvão
'This area, known as the Northeast Traditional Center, has food, music and artisanal crafts. A few tents are open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10am-6pm, and the big party runs nonstop from Friday 10am until Sunday 8pm. Unmissable!' Thalma de Freitas
HOTELS
CASTELINHO 38Rua Triunfo, 38 — Santa Teresa
'A charming guesthouse that fuses art and nature: beautiful gardens, yoga and Pilates classes, exhibitions, workshops on dance and rhythm, music and poetry — all in a cosy atmosphere.' Michel Melamed, actor/poet
BARS
CHAMPANHARIA
Ovelha Negra, Rua Bambina, 120 — Botafogo
'This charming house has a large communal table, big windows and blackboards with suggestions and prices for sparkling wine, which is all they serve. Open Monday-Friday, 5pm-11pm.' Alessandra Colasanti, actor/writer
BAR LUIZ
Rua da Carioca, 39 — Centro
'The cold beer and perfect ambience in this simple German bar/restaurant set the standard for food and drink in downtown Rio.' Bernard Ceppas, music producer
BEST BEACH
GRUMARI
'Surrounded by mountains, Grumari, Guaratiba and Piabas are the last preserved natural areas on the coast. The Grumari area also has Abricó beach, for fans of naturism, and Prainha beach, which is a magnet for surfers.' Pedro Sá, musical producer/songwriter
DAY TRIPS
SAILING GUANABARA BAY
Av Infante Dom Henrique, s/n Marina da Glória, Glória
'Get to know Rio from another angle — aboard a schooner. You can take a tour around the bay or along the coast from Rio’s only public marina.' TF
CULTURE
INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM OF NAIVE ART
Rua Cosme Velho, 561 — Cosme Velho
'The most complete collection of naive art in the world.' Daniela Camilo, executive
MUSEU DA CHACARA DO CEU
Rua Murtinho Nobre, 93, Santa Teresa
'Brazilian art collector Raymundo Ottoni de Castro Maya has left his legacy in two museums in Rio. This one is situated in a house that is 133 years old with amazing views of Guanabara Bay.' Stéphane Quinquis, restaurant owner
HIDDEN PLACES
BIP BIP
Rua Almirante Gonçalves, 50, Copacabana
'Aficionados of the music and history of Copacabana meet here in a small street close to Copacabana beach to drink cold beer and play great songs. Go on Sunday for samba, Tuesday for chorinho, Thursday for bossa, and don’t forget to say hello to owner Alfredo, one of the most charismatic figures in town.'
Marco Tommaso, pianist
BEST VIEW
LAGOA RODRIGO DE FREITAS
'Every Carioca has their own favourite view of the city and most of them involve the lagoon at Rio’s heart. The paddle boats are the special attraction.' TF
MIRANTE DONNA MARTA
'At 360m, this lookout point offers great views of Sugar Loaf mountain, the Maracanã Stadium, Guanabara Bay and Christ the Redeemer. Access by car is via Paineiras Road.' Rodrigo Teixeira, DJ
SHOPPING
FEIRA DE PRACA XV
Praça XV de Novembro, s/n Centro
'An open-air flea market every Saturday. If you’re a treasure hunter, this is where the ‘x’ on your map is.'
Karine Carvalho, actor
SHOPPING CIDADE COPACABANA
Rua Siqueira Campos, 143, Copacabana
'Famous for its antique stores, this area has more then 250 to choose from, so it’s hard to leave empty-handed.' Alessandra Debs, press consultant
Thalma de Freitas is an actor, singer and songwriter and can currently be seen in The Real Cities on BBC World News, sponsored by InterContinental Hotels.
