The Northeast - The Rough Guide to Brazil

Travel Reference

In-Depth Information

snacks to accompany the cold beers, caipirinhas and huge

range of whisky on offer; the fresh camarão na bacia

(shrimps in a bowl) is a favourite. Mon-Wed 5pm-

midnight, Thurs 5pm-1am, Fri-Sun noon-2am.

Socaldinho Camarão Av Visconde de Jequitinhonha

106 T 81 3462 9500; map p.271. If you fancy some

football action, head here and join the locals for a beer

over a gripping game of Brazilian futebol as you munch on

some peixe a móda (R$40 for three people). Mon-Thurs

11.30am-1.30am, Fri & Sat 11.30am-3am.

NIGHTLIFE

Recife lives and breathes live music . While the city Carnaval throbs its own frenetic sounds, the frevo , afoxê and maracatu ,

they've long been hybridized into the city's most famous musical export, manguebeat, a style that continues to exert a huge

influence on acts you can either see for free, in the Pátio Sâo Pedro (see p.267) and at Marco Zero (see p.268) or, for a modest fee,

in the bars and clubs of Bairro do Recife (Recife Antigo), where tables spill onto the street into the small hours and there's always

something going on. Look out, especially, for performances by Orquestra Contemporânea de Olinda ( W orquestraolinda.com.br),

perhaps the most promising of the area's manguebeat inheritors. For upcoming shows see W acontecenorecife.com.br.

Baile Perfumado Rua Carlos Gomes 390, Prado T 81

3033 4747, W baileperfumado.com.br; map p.266.

Recife's newest live music venue opened in 2012, with a

capacity of 5000 and an already impressive list of rock/pop

performances including Céu, Arnoldo Antunes and Alceu

Valença, as well as local heroes Otto and Mundo Livre S/A.

Tickets are usually in the region of R$50. Located well out in

the suburbs (5km west of the centre), so take a taxi. Opens

according to show times.

Burburinho Rua Tomazina 106, Bairro do Recife

T 81 3224 5854, W www.barburburinho.com.br; map

p.266. Long the venue in Recife to hear local music in a

sweaty nightclub setting, much of it in a tribute vein, this

place puts on everything from the new generation of local

artists influenced by the 90s manguebeat explosion, to

homages as diverse as The Cure and Creedence Clearwater

Revival. Cover usually R$8-15. Hours vary; currently runs

Blues sessions Mon 10pm-1am, Beatles night Wed

8pm-1am and stand-up comedy Thurs 8-10pm.

Downtown Pub Rua Vigário Tenório 105, Bairro do

Recife T 81 3424 6317, W downtownpub.com.br; map

p.266. Though the “casa do rock” - recently given a swanky

makeover and definitely more of a club than a pub - lays it

on thick with the Anglophone rock and tribute nights, you

can sometimes land lucky with decent live reggae. Cover

R$20-50. Fri & Sat 11pm-5am.

Sala de Reboco Rua Gregório Júnior 264, Cordeiro

T 81 3228 7052, W saladereboco.com.br; map p.266. If

you're really keen to pick up some authentic forró pé-de-

serra nordestino (Northeastern Brazilian folk dance) skills,

then it's worth your while heading out to the suburbs (bus

#040 if you're not taking a taxi; ask the driver where to get

off ) to one of the country's best casas de forró , drawing a

loyal and passionate crowd as well as some of Brazil's best

forrozeiros . Thurs-Sat 10pm-late.

4

SHOPPING

Centro do Artesanato Av Alfredo Lisboa (Marco Zero),

Armazém 11, Bairro do Recife T 81 3181 3451, W www

.artesanatodepernambuco.pe.gov.br; map p.266.

Former warehouse on the waterfront that acts as a

showcase for folk art and the traditional crafts of

Pernambuco. Mon 2-8pm, Tues-Sun 10am-8pm.

Mercado de São José Rua São José, Santo Antônio; map

p.266. Opened in 1875, this is the oldest public market in Brazil.

Stock up on some local crafts, or simply peruse the stacks of

curious herbal medicines and everyday items as locals go about

their daily shopping. Mon-Sat 6am-6pm, Sun 6am-noon.

Shopping Paço Alfãndega Rua da Alfândega 35,

Bairro do Recife T 81 3194 2100, W pacoalfandega

.com.br; map p.266. Chic, refurbished 1732 convent that

became a customs house in 1826 and now houses the

typical range of Brazilian chain stores and fast-food outlets

as well as the swanky La Douane Bistrot (see p.273).

Mon-Sat 10am-10pm, Sun noon-9pm.

Shopping Recife Rua Pe. Carapuceiro 777, Boa Viagem

T 81 3464 6000, W shoppingrecife.com.br; map p.271.

Suburban shopping mall, one of Brazil's largest. Mon-Sat

10am-10pm, Sun noon-9pm.