15 Best Restaurants in Brasilia and the West, Brazil

Get your fill of the Pantanal's fish varieties at this restaurant run on a fixed-price rodizío system. Couples may want to try the caldo de piranhã (piranha stew)—it is reputed to have aphrodisiac properties.

This is the place for regional cuisine, especially grilled and stewed fish dishes. The standout here is the picanha na chapa (grilled rump steak), but the moqueca de pintado (a local fish stew) is also recommended.

One of the most popular fine-dining options in town, this churrascaria (steak house) is one of the best of its kind. The sleek ambience of this spacious restaurant adds to the allure. It's famous for its rodízio service, in which waiters bring various types of meat on the spit to your table, where they'll carve off as much as you like. The prix-fixe meal includes a large and varied salad bar, but it's the beef that draws the crowds.

This attractively located pizzeria, situated right by the futuristic Ponte JK on the shores of Paranoá Lake, is a surprisingly good value for such a fashionable spot. Diners can choose from a selection of wood-fired pizzas—try the four-flavor sinfonia di sapori, or opt for the buffet of pastas and salads. At lunchtime, take advantage of the set meals with an open salad buffet, reasonably priced by this city's standards.

If you've had your fill of fish, try this churrascaria for as many beef dishes as you can handle. The restaurant uses the all-you-can-eat rodízio system. Two of the most popular cuts are picanha (rump) and costela (ribs). Another recommended dish is paleta de cordeiro (lamb's rib).

This establishment is one of your best value choices for enjoying local fish in a very local atmosphere. The highlight is pintado, which is prepared in two-dozen different ways. The cheese sauce is a good accompaniment to any of the fish dishes. Musicians play in high season.

One of the best places to try local freshwater fish, this celebrated wood-furnished eating house is just off the town's main square, behind the Banco do Brasil. The specialty of the house is traira sem espinha (fried boneless traira fish). Other favorites include grilled pirarara and pacu fish, caiman steaks, and, for dessert, petit gâteau (cake) made from guavira, a tasty local fruit.

Since opening in 1966, this small but cozy restaurant has been the mainstay of fine dining à la française in the capital, and has numbered Brazilian presidents among its guests. Incredible as it may seem, the friendly owner and chef is a Brazilian who promised the original French owners to keep the original fare and ambience. His resolution still pays off: try the steak au poivre (with a green peppercorn and cream sauce).

One of the largest restaurants you may ever eat in, Mangai specializes in cuisine from Brazil's Northeast and has seating for up to 900 people—you still may have to wait for a table. Located near the Ponte JK, Mangai charges R$59.90 for a kilo of food, which you serve up yourself from a vast buffet at the back of the dining hall. Try the carne de sol com nata (sun-dried meat in cream) or the tasty shrimp dish gororoba de camarão.

Perched on the edge of a cliff, this restaurant has fantastic views. The palm-shaded building and surrounding gardens add to the atmosphere. This is the place for fantastic regional dishes such as vaca atolada (literally "cow stuck in the mud"). The strange-sounding dish is actually beef ribs served in cooked cassava chunks.

This is an unpretentious place to try local fish; don't miss the delicious piraputanga, a local fish prepared in a stew or fried. Other options are the pintado (a large freshwater fish) and pacu (a small piranha-like fish). All orders include a side serving of pirão (a thick fish gravy with cassava flour) and banana frita (fried bananas).

Since 1995, this dining and—above all—drinking spot has evolved from a hole in a wall into a Bonito landmark that can seat nearly 300 for dinner. The regional food is respectable, but it's the artisanal cachaça, the music, and the boisterous atmosphere that keep the crowds coming. Customers are encouraged to write on the walls.

The kitschy decor is one of the main attractions of this restaurant—bulldog statuettes, miniature porcelain dolls, used vinyl LPs, and other antiques cover the walls and hang from the ceiling. The chef-owner, Mara Alcamim, is always on hand and regularly checks to make sure patrons have enjoyed the food. Favorite dishes include the intriguingly named "sexy shrimp" (they're with a sauce of Brie, champagne, and caviar, accompanied by a strawberry-and-sage risotto).

At Campo Grande's premier steak house, the kitchen takes meat very seriously. All cuts come with certification of origin, and the T-bone steaks are a specialty. The restaurant is right on Campo Grande's swankiest street, but the wooden interior, green spaces, and open barbecue create a relaxing, rustic atmosphere.