The Amazon - The Rough Guide to Brazil - page 395

ACCOMMODATION
Amazônia Palace Hotel Rua Isaura Parente 259, Bosque
T 68 3223 4525, W amazoniapalacehotel.com.br. Located
about 2km north of the centre in the Bairro Bosque, this is a
great option offering spacious and comfortable a/c rooms
with sturdy beds and decked out with brand -new fu rniture.
Staff are friendly and there's wi-fi throughout. R$210
Epílogo Palace Hotel Rua Floriano Peixoto 470 T 68
3223 2101. The a/c rooms here are brightened up with a
splash of green paint; they're a bit run-down, with
humming rusty fr idges, although given the price they're
not too bad at all. R$150
Gameleira Hotel Rua 24 de Janeiro 283 T 68 3222
8861, W gameleirahotel.com.br. This oddly shaped
building painted in olive green offers surprisingly good-
value doubles and triples. There's not much difference
between the newer and older rooms, except the former
have flat-screen TVs as opposed to larger outdated sets;
rooms are a bit small, but the place is kept clean and there's
wi-fi throughout. Overall, it's a real steal. R$100
Hotel Guapindaia Rua Floriano Peixoto 550 T 68 3223
5747, W hoteisguapindaia.com.br. With a couple of other
locations in town, this place offers compact beige rooms,
some of which are in better shape than others - take a look
at a couple before settling in. Location is g reat, ju st a stone's
throw away from Praça Placido de Castro. R$280
Hotel Inácio Palace Rui Barbosa 450 T 68 3214 7100,
W irmaospinheiro.com.br. With over one hundred rooms

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on a series of long narrow corridors the atmosphere here is
rather impersonal. The newer luxo rooms (R$290) are not
so different from the “old” rooms built over forty years ago;
all feature a/c units, television and wi-fi, and guests can
use the pool of Inácio Palace 's si ster hot el Pinheiro Palace
(see below) just across the street. R$180
Hotel Majú Av Nações Unidas 302, Bosque T 68 3223
0812, W hotelmaju.com.br. This friendly hotel north of
the stadium is the town's best budget option with spotless
a/c rooms with TV, fridge and wi-fi, and new modern
fittings. There's a living area with sofas and TV on the
ground floor, and a garage in a safe setting. R$160
Hotel Pinheiro Palace Rui Barbosa 469 T 68 3214 7100,
W irmaospinheiro.com.br. With better amenities than its
sister hotel Inácio Palace , the tiled rooms here are neat and
tidy with flat-screen TV. There are two suites, substantially
bigger than the standards, featuring a large ja cuzzi tub and
shower. There's a decent-sized pool, too. R$285
★

Quixadá Estrada do Quixadá, Km 20 T 68 9204
4638. Run by the local community, accommodation at this
museum re-creates life during the rubber era in a couple of
simply decorated but welcoming rooms sleeping three;
there's also a breezy restaurant serving delicious home-
made cooking. It's a great place to spend a few days if you
want to immerse yourself in community life; locals are
friendly and will be happy to tell you mor e abou t how they
live as well as show you around the area. R$150

EATING
Café do Mercado Rua Epaminondas Jacomé, in the
Mercado Velho T 68 3223 4567. This bustling café with
tables spilling onto the riverfront is a great spot to watch life
go by as you sip on a cup of coffee and enjoy freshly baked
pastries, pancakes or tapioca (R$5-10). The café is just
inside the market. Mon-Sat 8am-10pm, Sun 4-10pm.
★

Pizzaria do Patetão Mercado Dos Colonos, Rua
Estado do Acre T 68 3226 4242. This lively spot on the
riverfront buzzes on Sun, when loud samba de roda bands
fuel drinking and dancing until the late hours. It's a great
little spot to watch life go by, especially over the weekends
when the river hums with spinning jet-skis and
speedboats. Pizzas from R$28. Tues & Wed 5-11pm,
Thurs-Sun 5pm-1am.
★

Jarude Rua Martiniano Prado 188 T 68 3224 0266.
The friendly owner here is of Lebanese origin, and her
family have been lovingly preparing delicious Arab food for
decades. The menu includes home-made hummus (R$12),
tabbouleh (R$9.90), baba ghanoush (R$12) and superb
beef and lamb koftas (R$14.90). There's also lamb with
Moroccan couscous (R$42.90), served at tables lit by dim
red lights. The interior features bare-brick walls, glittering
lanterns and a few Middle Eastern knick-knacks. Daily
5-11.30pm; closed last Sun of the month.
O Paço Parque da Maternidade s/n, Lote 1 T 68 3028
0001. This open-fronted restaurant offers a selection of
international dishes, including burgers (R$12) and Arab
dishes - the misto árabe platter (R$38) includes kofta,
kibbeh, baba ghanoush, hummus and stuffed vine leaves.
There's a daily lunch and dinner buffet (R$49.90/kg) that
also includes a selection of Lebanese dishes. Daily
7am-1am, Thurs-Sat 7am-2am.

Point do Pato Rua das Palmeiras 613, Bairro São
Francisco T 68 9968 1955. This simple family-run place in
a residential neighbourhood by a skate park truly catalyzed
Amazonian cuisine in Rio Branco. The owner uses simple
everyday ingredients and creates inventive dishes that are
to die for. The filé de pirarucu served in chestnut milk is just
outstanding (R$60). Mon-Sat 6pm-2am.
Restaurante Mata Nativa Via Verde Km 2
T 68 3221 3004, W restaurantematanativa.com.br.
This breezy restaurant with a straw roof attracts plenty
of local families for its appetizing regional dishes
including galinha caipira (R$70 for four people) and
carne do sol (R$46 for four people), all at extremely
reasonable prices. The restaurant features a children's
playground. Daily 11am-3pm.