This 1940’s retreat is a mise-en-scène of tropical languor: palm-inspired print pillows; orchids everywhere. Sliding doors in the lobby open up to a sun-dappled deck overlooking Copacabana’s rooftops.
Rio’s Neoclassical grande dame has lost none of her stateliness since the 1920’s glory days. Don't miss the property’s six-seat chef’s table at Cipriani Restaurant, one of the hottest spots in town.
At the understatedly chic Fasano, Philippe Starck–designed rooms have billowing silk curtains and Sergio Rodrigues chairs. We love the rooftop pool's knockout views of Ipanema’s crescent-shaped beach.
If you’re looking for an intimate hideaway in sprawling Rio, this is it. There’s a lush garden with colorful birds and a mosaic-tiled eco-spa. Ask about staff-led tours of the on-site art collection.
In a colonial-style town house, Mama Ruisa is a study in quiet refinement, with cedar shutters, French doors, Jean Cocteau illustrations, and a colonnaded veranda offering views of the Guanabara Bay.
Local designer Ricardo Bräutigam creates street clothes with serious attitude—black-silk vests; T-shirts emblazoned with rebellious slogans—that are a hit among Rio’s young and stylish set.
Designer and entrepreneur Juliana Hemerly Silva’s line has developed a cult following with its zany, colorful sneakers, made of foldable nylon and completely customizable.
Bossa nova aficionados will love this tiny Ipanema store—a temple to Brazil’s jazz-samba culture—packed with CD’s, vinyl, sheet music, and multilingual books that draw musicians of every skill level.
Rio-born designer Gilson Martins uses the city’s landmarks (Christ the Redeemer; the Lapa arches) as inspiration for the stylized patterns on his inimitable satchels, wallets, and handbags.
Included in this museum's 1,200-piece Latin American art collection are works from more than 100 talents, including native sculptor Iole de Freitas and Argentine kinetic artist Julio Le Parc.
Few activities in Rio can rival the thrill of watching a match at Brazil’s national soccer stadium—a symbol of the country’s futebol-centric culture. Guided tours are available on non–game days.
Eight exhibition halls in the 20th-century palace feature rotating shows that celebrate the city’s scenery and diversity, while art workshops are held in the glass-walled annex.
Take a cable car ride at dusk to see Rio’s curiously picturesque shantytowns, with their flickering lanterns and gas lamps.
Behind the 17th-century monastery’s austere façade, you’ll find colonial-era panels and an intricately carved, gold-plated altar. Resident monks sing Gregorian chant during Sunday morning Mass.
Santa Teresa residents fill this rustic lunchtime favorite to feast on home-style comfort food such as pork-and-black-bean feijoada and chicken-and-okra stew.
Burgundy-born chef Claude Troisgros whips up innovative dishes that pack a flavorful punch at his first Rio outpost: duck magret with passion fruit; stuffed quail with onion-and-raisin manioc farofa.
This tapas place mixes the old-world (Art Deco chairs; ornate ironwork) with the kitsch (disco balls). The shareable portions are equally creative—tilapia with quinoa; prawns with heart of pupunha.
The ever-changing menu at chef Roberta Sudbrack's namesake restaurant focuses on seasonal ingredients sourced from local purveyors (like slow-cooked lamb with chervil or panqueca de doce de leite).
At Ipanema’s Italian-influenced Satyricon, choose from the tank’s stock of live lobster and crayfish, or opt for delicacies such as the just-caught sea bream, baked in a rock-salt crust.
Amid a scenic clutter of esoteric objects and art, the former antiques gallery turned landmark rocks out every night to five-act musical extravaganzas.
The pioneering hot spot regularly scoops awards for note-perfect samba and jazz shows performed in a two-story town house.
Bands from all over the world come to play at this cultural center; the energy on the dance floor is uniquely Brazilian.
You can always catch an authentic music performance at this open-air cultural center with amazing views of Sugarloaf.
For drinks, don’t miss this neighborhood favorite known by locals as Bar do Gomes.
If you enjoy photography, stop at this gallery to see works by both Brazilian and international artists.
A beloved lunch spot packed with young Cariocas; order the tasty picanha beef steak.
Great for dinner—try the multicourse tasting menu, made with fresh ingredients and avant-garde cooking techniques.
A go-to place for modern Brazilian cuisine, run by chef Pedro de Artagão. Get the pirarucu fish with sautéed banana.
For experimental art exhibits, check out Rio’s Museum of Modern Art; the Novo Desenho shop sells beautiful jewelry and housewares.
Thousands of rare plant species fill the gardens at the farmhouse estate and studio of Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, who laid out Copacabana’s two-tone beachside promenade.
Explore the UFO-shaped, Oscar Niemeyer–designed Museu de Arte Contemporânea, Santa Cruz da Barra fort, and unspoiled beaches of this city, a 15-minute ferry ride from downtown Rio.
