Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
this pleasant and moderately priced
por quilo
restaurant
(R$64/kg) includes salads, seafood and excellent Argentine
beef.
Daily noon-1am.
Chez Michou Crêperie
Rua das Pedras 90
T
22 2623
6137,
W
chezmichou.com.br.
Thanks to its open-air bar,
cheap drinks and imaginative crêpes (
doce de leite
crêpe
R$12, chicken curry crêpe R$15), this has long been
Armação's most popular hangout. Open until dawn, when
it serves breakfast to the patrons pouring out of the nearby
clubs.
Daily noon-around 6am.
Da Vinci
Rua das Pedras 286
T
22 2623 7098,
W
infobuzios.com.
The best Italian food in town, with 25
varieties of wood-oven pizzas (small margherita R$11.50)
and other hearty dishes (
lasagne
ai quattro formaggi
R$26.50), perhaps not quite like mamma used to make, but
not a bad attempt.
Daily noon-10pm.
★
Peixe Vivo
Rua José Bento Ribeiro Dantas 999,
Armação
T
22 2623 1850,
W
peixevivobuzios.com
.br.
Although it doubles up as a pizzeria, the real
speciality at this beachside restaurant is super-fresh
local fish, cooked the Mediterranean way. R$75 will net
you a succulent fish in white wine sauce, or even a
paella.
Mon-Fri 5-11.30pm, Sat 3-11.30pm, Sun
noon-9pm.
Salt
Av José Bento Ribeiro Dantas 468
T
22 2623
6769,
W
restaurantesalt.com.br.
Top marks for
creativity to this modern restaurant where succulent
salmon in creamy ginger sauce will set you back R$54, or
you can try the lobster medallions wrapped in Parma
ham with walnut, celery and lime qinoa for R$86.
4pm-
midnight; closed Mon.
★
1
Samsara
Rua Santana Maia 684, just off Rua das
Pedras
T
22 2623 1080.
Vegetarian
por quilo
restaurant
offering an excellent lunch buffet of hot and cold dishes
(R$41.90/kg), featuring interesting pasta offerings that
make use of fresh, organic produce. Entry is via the Indian-
style bells and joss-sticks shop downstairs.
Daily
noon-4pm.
Sawasdee
Av José Bento Ribeiro Dantas 422
T
22
2623 4644,
W
sawasdee.com.br.
Excellent, spicy Thai
food based around vegetables and seafood. One of the best
creations is “Khao Tom”, a delicious spicy shellfish risotto
(R$65); the
nam king pla
(fried fish in ginger sauce, R$62) is
also excellent.
7pm-midnight; closed Wed.
Estância Don Juan
Rua das Pedras 178
T
22 2623
2169.
An airy Argentine restaurant serving first-rate meat
to a demanding (mainly Argentine) clientele. If cuts of beef
mean little to you, opt for the
bife de chorizo
, the Argentine
standard (R$58).
Mon & Fri-Sun 12.30pm-around
1.30am, Tues & Thurs 5pm-around 1.30am.
Mil Frutas
Orla Bardot 362
T
22 2623 6436,
W
milfrutas.com.br.
The best ice cream in town, offering
flavours both familiar and exotic - from
jabuticaba
to
“Romeu e Julieta” (guava and cream). One scoop costs
R$10, two scoops R$18.
Mon-Thurs & Sun 11am-
midnight, Fri & Sat 11am-1am.
NIGHTLIFE
Nightlife gets going at around 11pm and continues until dawn, but it is largely limited to eating, drinking and people-
watching along
Rua das Pedras
. It's impossible to exaggerate how crowded Armação gets in January and February, but
even in the off-season Rua das Pedras is quite lively on weekends at night. Strangely, nightclubs have only recently reached
Búzios, but there are now a handful along Rua das Pedras and the Orla Bardot.
Pacha
Rua das Pedras 151
T
22 2633 0592,
W
pachabuzios.com.br.
Local branch of the famous Ibiza
club that's become the place for seriously trendy club-goers
in Búziois.
Fri & Sat 10pm-7am.
Pátio Havana
Rua das Pedras 101
T
22 2623 2169,
W
patiohavana.com.br.
The Pátio Havana is a restaurant
and bar at the upper end of the price scale that's worth
checking out for the first-rate jazz artists from Rio, São
Paulo and abroad who play here; free entry.
Mon &
Wed-Fri 6pm-midnight, Sat & Sun 1pm-midnight,
Tues closed; live music Wed-Sun from 8pm.
Privilège
Orla Bardot 500
T
22 8819 0465,
W
privilegenet.com.br.
A poppy, slightly glitzy resort
disco favoured by bright young things from Rio, which
plays upbeat housy sounds.
Thurs-Sat 8pm-late.
Zapata
Orla Bardot 352
T
22 2623 0973,
W
zapatabuzios.com.
Rougher and readier than the more
expensive nightclubs, with an often quite raucous
atmosphere fuelled by the free beers included in the
entrance fee.
Thurs-Sat 8pm-late.
Barra de São João and Rio das Ostras
An hour or so up the coast from the Costa do Sol there are beautiful
beaches
around
the pretty colonial villages of
Barra de São João
and
Rio das Ostras
. If you want to stay
round here, you'll find
pousadas
in both these places, though there's been much
uncontrolled development along this stretch of coast, leading to pretty hideous results.
Near Rio das Ostras, the iodized waters of the
Lagoa da Coca-Cola
(yes, really) boast
medicinal qualities.
