Friends of mine are off to Rio just after Christmas and asked me for restaurant recommendations. Now I know my reputation for ‘Wandering’ is as solid as my waistline but Rio is a little out my reach at present. Actually, I have to confess I have never been to South America although Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Peru all beckon.

So I have been asking some of my well-travelled, seasoned palate colleagues and have thus far come up with the recommendations below. But I want to build on this, indeed I want to know everything about Rio – that is where to eat and drink… and PLAY!

One observation, apart from brushing up on your Portuguese, all the website I visited with .com.br seem to running very slow, so be patient when browsing – I know people have a more laid back approach in Brazil, but maybe the servers are relaxed too!

So how about sharing your experiences and recommendations – email me on curtisjohn@singnet.com.sg

The Rio De Janeiro Palate Salsa

Restaurante Aprazível http://www.aprazivel.com.br in Santa Tereza neighbourhood with an amazing view of the city

Roberta Sudbrack http://www.robertasudbrack.com.br considered one of the best restaurants/chefs in the city, the cuisine is modern and creative.

Oro http://www.ororestaurante.com by a young new chef (Felipe Bronze) with a lot of “buzz” lately

Claude Troisgros http://www.claudetroisgros.com.br/ has a few restaurants in Rio, Olympe being the top one and then the more casual ones are CT Brasserie, CT Boucherie and CT Trattorie.

Sushi Leblon http://www.sushileblon.com/ if you like Japanese cuisine, this is a good option with a trendy atmosphere.

The hotel Fasano http://www.fasano.com.br/ there has a good (an expensive) restaurant specialized in seafood http://www.fasano.com.br/gastronomia/cidade/rio_de_janeiro And the bar called Londra is an interesting, trendy option for a drink.

Fogo de Chão http://www.fogodechao.com.br and Porcão http://www.porcao.com.br/If it is meat you are after, these two restaurants are the best with the “rodízio” system

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod%C3%ADzio

Porcão Rodizio Churrascaria - http://www.porcao.com.br/