The Portuguese word Aprazivel, when translated into English, can mean many things. Aprazivel can mean agreeable, delightful, enjoyable, pleasant, pleasing, lovely. Thankfully, the restaurant in Rio de Janeiro that takes Aprazivel for it’s name can be described by all of these words. Unlike the many fattening and stodge dishes that you can find in Rio, Aprazivel represents the true Rio de Janeiro. The restaurant is full of life, color, culture and, of course, incredible food. Aprazivel is reviving Brazilian food in the heart of Rio.
Food
Far from greasy snack foods and large hunks of meat, chef Ana Castilho offers up a menu that keeps the variety and flavor of Brazilian food, whilst incorporating influences from Europe and Africa. The food is full of flavor and smells, bringing you back to a time of childhood and family feasts, inviting you to join the Brazilian family and share in home style cooking. The suppliers are based all over the country, and provide the ingredients to create gorgeous snacks such as Polenta tart, stuffed with spicy ground carninha, with eggplant and sweet and sour vinaigrette Green Cherry Tomato; starters including toasted bamboo served inside the stick with a pesto dressing, and main courses like the Octopus Carnival- an experience of octopus tentacles served with potatoes, tomatoes, olives and zucchini. Brazilian roots are explored, reworked and beautifully presented in this lovingly made cuisine.
We all know that you will be spoilt for choice in Rio, but if you are looking for a restaurant cooks with passion, soul and a huge smile – then this is the one for you.
Ambiance
The restaurant sits high up in the hills of Santa Teresa. A open-air setting, this is a version of a traditional farm house, and provides incredible views across Rio. Traditional wooden paneling is met with contemporary lighting and fine dining silverware. You truly become immersed in Rio de Janeiro as you watch the sunset turn the sky beautiful warm hue, with the greenery and shrubbery of the hillside involved all around the restaurant. This really is a spectacular restaurant that delivers a high-end multi sensory experience.
Service
Aprazivel is open Tuesday- Saturday, 12 PM- Midnight, and Sundays 12 PM- 6 PM. The seating capacity is 300, there is parking service, an online reservations service and disabled access. The restaurant also has extensive experience in organizing events, and can be used for groups of travelers, birthdays, corporate events, weddings and so on. You can even have total exclusivity. The place can also be rented for commercial filming and photo shoots. The service is great and you can expect a friendly smile every time you ask for something. Ask the waiters to walk you through the menu to explain everything, they’ll be delighted to do so.
Pic credit: EVE EDELHEIT
Value
Now, this is the only downfall of the restaurant. It is quite expensive, around 70-200 BRL or $35-$90 USD per person. Still, the restaurant itself is beautiful, the food is delicious and the view is outstanding, so as an experience it is well worth the buck. Think of this indulgence as not a meal, but an experience- one where you get to look out across the city whilst dining on some amazing flavors. If you’re going to do it, do it in style!
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