Av. das Américas 1510, Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone:   21 - 2494 - 2187

http://www.babybeefbarra.com.br/

$15 to $25

Brazilian

This traditional churrascaria occupies a top spot among the city's grills. Its huge rooms, seating a total of 600, are packed seven nights a week -- an impressive testimony to the quality of the charbroiled meats served here. Portions are equally impressive. AE, DC, MC, V.

Av. Ministro Ivan Lins 314, Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 2493 - 6060 or 21 - 2493-4003

http://www.barragrill.com.br/

$15 to $25

Brazilian

Informal and popular, this steak house serves some of the best meat in town and is a favorite stop after a long day at the beach. Reservations not accepted. AE, DC, MC, V.

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Rua Prudente de Morais 10, Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 267 - 4994

$25 to $35

Brazilian

Brazil's savory national dish is the specialty here, where huge pots of the meat and stew concoction simmer every day. The restaurant does a superb job with desserts as well, whipping up a lovely selection of traditional sweets. Note that this restaurant has joined with the famous Mangueira Escola de Samba to present weekly feijoada-samba and feijoada - pagode shows at the Centro Cultural de Mangueira (Rua Frederico Silva 85,

Centro ). The cost is about $13 per person. Call the restaurant for details. AE, DC, MC, V.

Rua Barão da Torre 218, Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21 - 3389-8989

$25 to $35

Brazilian

Waiters at these quintessential rodízio-style churrascarias fly up and down between rows of wooden, linen-draped tables wielding giant skewers laden with sizzling barbecued beef, pork, and chicken. All the branches resonate with the good humor that seems to accompany this slightly primitive form of eating. Save room if you can: The papaya creme pudding topped by a bit of cassis shouldn't be missed. Reservations not accepted. AE, DC, MC, V.

Av. Armando Lombardi 591, Barra da Tijuca,

PHONE:

21 - 3389-8989

Reservations not accepted. AE, DC, MC, V

Rua Gonçalves Dias 32, Centro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 2505-1500

$5 to $15

Cafes

At the turn of the century, this Belle Epoque structure was Rio's preeminent café, the site of afternoon teas for high-society senhoras and a center of political intrigue and gossip. Jacaranda-framed mirrors from Belgium and stained-glass from France add to the art-nouveau decor. Portions are generous, but you can also just stop by for a pastry and coffee while you absorb the opulence.

Visa, Mastercard or Diners, or American Express. No dinner. Closed Sun. Metrô: Carioca.

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Rua Barao da Torre 348, Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 523-2703

$25 to $35

Eclectic

On Ipanema's Praça Nossa Senhora da Paz, this restaurant features an eclectic menu with a hint of Italy. Interesting fowl dishes include partridge with dates and grilled duck with apricots; the arugula salad with eggplant, mushrooms, and sea bass is also recommended. Homemade pasta dishes include a farfalle with seafood and artichokes. AE.

Av. Nossa Senhora de Copacabana 1003, Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 522-1041

$5 to $15

Eclectic

The by-the-kilo buffets at this eatery two blocks from the beach give economical eating a new twist. As you enter, you're given a card on which the items you select are marked. Grab a plate, help yourself to the buffet -- which has many Middle Eastern dishes -- get your plate weighed, and then pay on your way out. The salad bar has a large selection that includes beans, hummus, and steamed and raw veggies. Commuters come here on week nights beginning at 7 -- trading rush hour for happy hour. AE, DC, MC, V

Av. Epitácio Pessoa 980/990, Lagoa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 523 - 1747 or 21- 523 - 1629

Over $35

Eclectic

Elegant and understated, this restaurant overlooking the lagoon has great food, indoor and outdoor seating, and a chic club upstairs that opens after midnight. It's best to go with a Brazilian so that he or she can explain the menu's carioca puns to you. (A Ricardo, for example, is a cocktail of champagne and minced fresh fruits, but it's also what husbands say their wives have when the women have taken a lover.) Good salads and interesting entrées are often seasoned with mustard (hence, the restaurant's name), and there's an array of mustards on the table for real fanatics. The wine list includes an ample South American selection. AE, V.

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Av. Epitácio Pessoa 864, Lagoa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 259 -1041

$25 to $35

Eclectic

A Caribbean flair presides over Spices' creative menu. An extensive array of mixed drinks includes the Nêga Sings the Blues -- a variation of the caipirinha made with cachaça (sugarcane liquor), lime, ginger, and honey. The entrées have similarly offbeat names and many of the seafood, fowl, and meat dishes employ fruits and nuts in their preparation. Try the ginger tuna with mango or the grilled beef with gorgonzola and pumpkin purée. Spices has some of the best-looking salads in town as well. AE.

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Av. Prefeito Mendes de Morais 222, São Conrado, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 322 - 2200

Over $35

French

Modern and traditional French cuisine meet here, where the grand decor matches the meals -- two striking lighted columns of translucent crystal dominate the center of the restaurant. The disadvantage is that this is a bit off the beaten path, requiring a cab ride to the Inter-Continental Rio hotel.

Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V. No lunch.

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Rua Custódio Serrão 62, Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 2539-4542

Over $35

French

Many consider this Rio's finest restaurant. The menu is famed for nouvelle cuisine relying entirely on Brazilian ingredients. Every dish -- from the crab or lobster flan to the chicken, fish, or duck prepared with exotic herbs and sauces -- is pure pleasure, and always exceptionally light. The dessert menu is headed by a to - die-for passion-fruit mousse. Reservations essential. AE, DC.

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Av. Atlântica 1702, Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21 2548-7070

Over $35

Italian

The Copacabana Palace hotel's restaurant offers a superb dining experience. Start with a Cipriani -- really a Bellini -- a drink of champagne with fresh peach juice. The snook carpaccio with apple and fennel is a marvelous appetizer; so is the salad of endive marinated in red wine. The pastas must be imported from heaven, and the meat and fish entrées are, to their surroundings, fit for kings. None of this, of course, comes cheap.

Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V.

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Rua Dias Ferreira 147, Leblon, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21 - 3460-0800

$5 to $15

Italian

This popular chain of Italian restaurants is a good budget bet for lunch or dinner. For the prices, the food is surprisingly good -- particularly the lasagna, fettuccine, and gnocchi dishes -- and the servings are hearty. Reservations not accepted. No credit cards.

Av. Nossa Senhora de Copacabana 552, Copacabana,

PHONE: 21 - 2235 - 3366.

No credit cards

Praia de Botafogo 228, Botafogo,

PHONE: 21- 2553 - 2467.

No credit cards.

Metrô: Flamengo Av. Armando Lombardi 175, Barra da Tijuca,

PHONE: 21- 2494 - 2625.

No credit cards

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Av. Henrique Dumont 62, Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 2259-3718

Over $35

Italian

he pasta, fish, and risottos are all top drawer and always fresh. A good wine list complements the cuisine. AE, DC, V. No lunch weekdays.

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Rua Rainha Guilhermina 48, Leblon, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 2294- 8148

$15 to $25

Mexican

The bustling crowds here feast on tamales, enchiladas, and other Mexican favorites until closing time at 3 AM. Tequila has garnered quite a following among the young in Rio, and the margaritas here are good. AE, DC, MC, V. No lunch weekdays.

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Rua Aristides Epínola 19, Leblon, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21 - 2294-1049 or 2294-1695

Over $35

Portuguese

This much-loved establishment is as famous for its flawless -- and award-winning -- rendering of Portuguese classics as for its high prices. Wander through the antiques shop at the restaurant before settling in at a table. A recommended dish is the cozido, a stew with a multitude of ingredients, including bananas. The cataplana, a seafood stew with rice, is also marvelous, and the perna de cordeiro (leg of lamb) is the most requested dish on the menu. The wine list is impressive. Reservations essential. DC.

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Rua Barros de Alarcão 476, Pedra da Guaratiba, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21 2417- 1716

$25 to $35

Seafood

Internationally renowned, this restaurant is one hour by car west of Copacabana, at the end of a highway that offers stunning coastal views. Simplicity is the soul of the restaurant -- whose name in Portuguese is its street number -- and the village in which it's set. There are only 11 tables: 5 indoors and 6 in a garden at water's edge. The menu carries seven delicious options, including moquecas (seafood stews), grilled seafood, and curries. Reservations essential. No credit cards. Closed Mon.-Tues. No dinner Wed.-Thurs.

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Rua Barão da Torre 192, Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21-2521-0627

Over $35

Seafood

This Italian seafood restaurant, which also has a branch in Búzios, is rumored to have been Madonna's favorite. The bacalhau (salt cod baked in rock salt) is a specialty, and the sushi and sashimi are well loved. It's expensive, but it has some of the best seafood in town. DC, MC, V

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Rua Gustavo Sampaio 610, Leme, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21-2275-1398

$25 to $35

Seafood

Homemade Spanish seafood casseroles and soups are the draw at this traditional Copacabana restaurant tucked onto a shady street. Try the zarzuela, a seafood soup, or cazuela, a fish fillet with white wine sauce. Don't be misled by the simple decor (a few paintings hung on wood-paneled walls): The food is terrific. Reservations not accepted. No credit cards.

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Rua Dias Ferreira 199, Leblon, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Phone: 21- 2274-7843

$15 to $25 Rio de Janeiro

Vegetarian

What may be Rio's sole organic restaurant is always full. The buffet offers about 40 salads as well as a broad selection of pastas. No dinner.