Forget swiping right, these are the places to find Mr/s Right
Some may disagree but Rio de Janeiro really is a great city to get your flirt on. Nightclubs, parties, samba events are just a few examples of where unbridled coquetry is rife, there are those that leave the house just with this in mind. But you don’t have to endure blaring music and sweaty dancefloors to meet a cutie. In the following 5 Rio bars you can enjoy a few drinks with friends and if cupid decides to show up you could even end up with a new friend.
This halfway between bar and shop has become a real phenomenon. There are now 5 bars in this chain spread throughout the city but in two of them the flirty vibes are unmistakable. With ice-cold heniekens in hand (R$6 for 300ml bottles and R$10 for 600ml bottles) or Carioca craft beers such as Three Monkeys Golden Ale (R$22.90 for 355ml), dozens of people hang out on the street in front of the bar in Botafogo, located on Rua Voluntários da Pátria, or in Barra on Avenida Olegário Maciel, enjoying music until the early hours of the morning. Detail: eatery, House of Food’s first Rio kitchen has recently opened in Botafogo with a different chef everday.
From the outside you’d be forgiven if you mistook this place for a regular pé sujo. However on entering the tiny bar you will find that, apart from the classic beers like Antartica Original and Heineken (RS10 for 600ml) you can also quench your thirst with one of the 90 different labels of national and imported craft beer on offer. And, with beer hand, the bar’s eclectic crowd uses even the bus stop opposite to sit and hang out. Brewteco has just opened its another branch in Barra, located on Avenida Olegário Maciel and looks to become just as successful.
Just across the way from Bewteco you can see another cluster of folk gathered in what is the busiest branch of this chain of bars created by ex-waiter Antônio Rodrigues. But while nextdoor you’ll see people in flip flops and shorts, here the vibe is a little bit more dressed up. High heels, powdered faces and even the men make an effor here too. Waiters go backwards and forwards with choppes (glasses of draught beer, R$10 for 300ml), plastic cups for those outside.
A typical local neighboorhood bar, Alfa has been part of Botafogo’s drinking circuit since the 1950’s. However since 2011 the bar has started to attract a new kind of crowd, beyond the old faithful. The culprit behind this is Comuna. This bar slash burger joint slash cultural centre fills up everyday. And for those that don’t manage a spot at this hipster hotspot ususally seek refuge at neighbouring Alfa where the drink of choice is Antarctica Original (R$11 for 600ml). This laidback environment is the perfect setting to mingle with Rio’s young and beautiful.
Braseiro’s picanha steak is practically an institution here in Rio. It comes accompanied by the classic brocoli rice, fries and egg farofa (R$105), and brings in hungry diners in their hundreds every day. And even while you’re in the line to order you can already begin to notice the flirty atmosphere. After getting some good food, extend your afternoon or night out hanging out with the young crowds on the pavement and in the nearby bars.
