7 Best Restaurants in Side Trips from Rio, Brazil

It's off the beaten track—ask a local for directions—and only open on weekends, but this rustic, riverside restaurant is really something special. "Trutas" means trout and that's what you'll find on the menu—trout, trout, and more trout served fresh from the river in many imaginative ways: as appetizers mashed into a pâté or baked in cassava-dough pastry, and as entrées grilled or cooked with a choice of almond, mustard, or orange sauce. The restaurant seats only 22, so reservations are a must. On sunny afternoons, the food is served alfresco.

Expect fresh, well-prepared seafood and weekly live music during high season at this longtime favorite, which is often cited as the best restaurant in the village of Abraão. Stroll straight from the beach still wearing your Havaianas to try Dona Cidinha's specialty, fish with half-ripe bananas, or the famous moqueca , which many islanders claim is the best in Rio de Janeiro State.

Inside the pousada of the same name, this restaurant serves local seafood prepared using Italian cooking techniques. After dark, you can dine alfresco on the beach by candlelight, or just pop in for a cocktail and nibbles from the bar.

On the flagstones of Ilha Grande's main square, this simple restaurant serves up more than four dozen types of pies, from simple margheritas to exotic seafood combinations or dessert pies; salads and other dishes are available at lunchtime. This is a great spot for evening meals on Friday and Saturday nights, when live bands play in the square.