Vegan Dining in Brazil

A couple of years ago my travels brought me to Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. I will talk about my experience in Brazil here. Then in following entries, I will speak of my dining adventures in the other two countries.

Obviously I was a little intimidated beforehand, wondering if ANY restaurant options existed there for me. Prior to my trip, I turned to my trusted HappyCow website and found several vegan options for me in Rio. Don't get me wrong, it is indeed a meat-loving town. However, you can find wonderful vegetarian meals.

For dinner, I chose to dine at Vegetariano Social Clube. Its located in a safe, centrally located shopping district near Ipanema Beach in Rio De Janiero. The restaurant itself is a funky, brightcolored building on the street corner. The staff is friendly and helpful. You can actually try some local Brazilian cuisine..vegan style!

I tried the Feijoada - whole rice, black beans with half-smoked tofu and tempeh, crispy manioc flour and “mineira” thin sliced kale. Its served on Wednesdays and Fridays - so if you want to try this popular national dish, visit the restaurant on either of those days. The tofu and tempeh was neither too tough or too mushy. The beans were good also, not overly watery. For an appetizer, I tried the vegetable empanada, a small tasty treat. The meal was delicious! I would definitely go back there again! They even serve a variety of fruit juices, teas, and coffee. I don't remember which dessert I selected, only that it was amazing! They have a large variety of cakes, flans, and pies from which to choose.

I highly recommend this place!

There are many sightseeing options in and around this city.
My hotel was located on Copacabana Beach actually overlooking the beach. What a fantastic way to start the moring as you go out to your private balcony to view the ocean. I took the tram up to the Christ The Redeemer statue. You get a glorious view overlooking the city. For a similar yet different experience, hop on the cable car to the top of Sugarloaf mountain for another view of the city, mountains, and ocean. In both locations, there are gift shops at the top where you can shop or eat. I purchased a local necklace made of glazed kidney beans. My favorite souvenirs to purchase are always local jewelry, statues and crafts that are unique to the region. At the outdoor cafe, I drank a glass of the acai berry juice. This dark red berry grows only in Brazil and is thought to have the highest antioxidant properties of anything you can consume.

In the evening there are rows upon rows of street vendors at Copacabana Beach selling their local goods such as clothing, sandals, jewelry, and crafts. It is recommended not to walk alone in Rio during the evening. However, I walked around the vendor stall area alone in the early evening and felt perfectly safe. Just make sure you do not wear expensive jewelry.

For the adventurous, there are hang gliding options off the Rio coast. I should have tried this. However, I chose an optional tour to visit an artist colony in a Rio suburb. This was a nice choice as I did not have much time in Rio during my whirlwind South American Tour and I wanted to see as much as possible of Rio and its surroundings.

For the shopaholic ladies out there, you must pay a visit to the world famous H. Stern jeweler. You can tour the factory to see their huge collection of gems and learn about the jewelry making process. As you exit, the staff gives you a box of several souvenir stones/gems. Cute souvenir. I purchased (albeit a tiny) gold necklace containing one of the national gems.

In the evening, there is musical entertainment which is truly Brazilian! My tour group selected a Brazilian Samba performance. The stage show consisted of an array of samba performers doing dances from various regions of the country. Each set of performers wore unique, multicolored costumes. The show was spectacular!

All in all, the sightseeing and dining were wonderful!