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The Northeast has little of the hustle and bustle you'll find in the southern cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Residents enjoy a relaxed lifestyle, so in restaurants you'll find that casual attire is the norm. The many batidas (tropical fruit cocktails) are the highlights of the local cuisine, but many restaurants serve foods from other parts of Brazil. You'll also have many other options, including Italian, Dutch, and French restaurants set up by expats who never left. Dinner begins around 8 pm. Most hotels include breakfast in the cost of your room. Restaurants not in hotels are usually not open for breakfast.
Choose from more than 40 delicious regional specialties at this immensely popular buffet restaurant. Tourists and town residents eat together at communal wood tables, which fit the typical rustic decor of the sertão. To top off your meal, consider ordering the cartola, a popular dessert made of caramelized banana, cheese, and cinnamon.
Specializing in innovative yet traditional dishes, this lively restaurant has loyal locals queuing out the door for juicy portions of carne de sol (sun-dried beef) and porco vulcanico (pork fillet served with a special house sauce, beans, and manioc). The menu revolves around the grill, with a wide variety of fish as well as meat dishes generous enough to be shared. Opt for a table among the tropical plants on the breezy terrace, where colorful tablecloths and eclectic design add to the character.
Ana Maria Vilmar and her mother opened Colher de Pau more than a decade ago in a small rented house in the Varjota district. The regional cuisine here has become so popular that there is now a sister spot in São Paulo. The sun-dried meat is served not only with paçoca but also with banana and baião-de-dois (rice and beans). The shellfish dishes, many prepared with regional recipes, are also standouts. Generous portions serve two or three people, and live music is performed nightly in the alfresco courtyard.
Setlle down in the leafy dining room of this regional restaurant, and take in the views of the coconut palms of Olinda while sampling the house speciality of stuffed pumpkin for two. While there are 15 different fillings, it is the abóbora com camarão (pumpkin stuffed with shrimp and served with a pitanga cherry sauce) that really stands out.
Waiters at this popular restaurant wear the bent orange hats of Lampião, a Jesse James–like folk hero who made his way through the interior of northeastern Brazil during the early 20th century. The buffet has a wide selection of the regional specialties that Lampião might have encountered back then. The food is priced per kilogram, so the cost will depend on how hungry you are. Try the amazing escondinho (a wonderful meat and cheese dish), charque (dried beef), and carne sol (brisket).
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