My favourite neighbourhood in Rio
Well people – 2013 is finally drawing to a close and things at Eat Rio have been slowing down a bit too. Running food tours, cooking for Christmas, catching up with friends and family and holding down a full time job – these things take time!
Still, I found a moment in my lunch hour to write a little something. Earlier today I posted a photo of what I think is a lovely little building in Lapa.
This building is on Rua Riacheulo, just a short walk from the Arcos da Lapa.
Looking at this photo got me thinking about how much I like Lapa. As a neighbourhood it is strongly associated with nightlife and although it certainly does get very lively on the weekends, there are also some great things to see and do during the day. Last weekend we went wandering through the market on Rua do Lavradio, doing some last minute Christmas shopping.
After an hour or so, our tired feet led us to Armazem Senado. What a brilliant little bar! ‘Armazem’ means storeroom and true to its word, alongside the shelves stacked with wine and spirits, there were also shelves stacked with paper towels, detergent and other random household goods. Established in 1907, this place doesn’t look like it’s changed much since those early days.
That sweet old guy at the back is the father of the family who run this old bar. He had fallen asleep next to a box of bacalhau he was selling!
Before long, a guy wandered over and started chatting – this is one of those bars that seems to attract characters. This bloke was an artist who worked with gold leaf and spent half his time up in the Amazon sourcing the raw material (at least this was the story he was welling us!). Apparently he had lived on a nearby street for 40 years and was a well-known character in the Lapa.
As well as entertaining us with his tall tales of adventure, he also introduced us to the, ahem, ‘joys’ of eating raw garlic on torradinhos (melba toasts). He went on to buy a bottle of very nice Brazilian sparkling wine which we all shared while we chatted.
Champagne and raw garlic – this kind of thing just doesn’t happen in Leblon!
Is Lapa officially my favourite neighbourhood in Rio? Hmm, I’m not sure I could ever rate anywhere in Rio above Santa Teresa, but Lapa is definitely right up there. Do you have a favourite bairro in Rio?
Manolo, the bar’s cat!
Manolo and the rest of the characters of Armazem Senado can be found at Avenida Gomes Freire, 256. It opens between 08:00 and 20:00 on weekdays and 08:00 and 16:00 on Saturdays. If you’re looking for fancy imported beers and sparkling service it’s probably not for you, but if you want to enjoy a few drinks in a place with real history and character, go take a look!
Hi Tom!
You are right. Santa Teresa is the best neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro because there are some nice old houses, good bars, restaurants and art galleries as well. Nice post.
Hey Marcos! Thanks for that. I predict that Lapa is going to be hugely popular in 10 or 15 years. It is so close to Centro, yet has beautiful buildings and great nightlife. It reminds me a lot of the east end of London (now one of London’s most desirable neighbourhoods) as it was 20 or so years ago.
Hey Tom
I agree and think it’s a harrrddd choice to make, as there are many really cool and unique neighborhoods in Rio.
I can make a list of some of my favorites though. I’ll try not to be too long winded, although no promises ;)
Santa Teresa- You were actually the one who introduced me to Santa Teresa, and I have to say…it’s so unique, beautiful and different than any other neighborhood I’ve seen. It’s got too much character to even begin to talk about, has lots of cool little nooks and crannies filled with awesome places (Restaurants, Bars, Ateliês and everything good.) The location is really good, close to Centro and a stone’s throw away from the main districts of Zona Sul. Even though it’s already a popular neighborhood, I know that in the coming years Santa Teresa is going to get hotter, as I already know of a few new hotel/resort projects as well as residential rehabs about to break ground.
Lapa- It’s like Santa Teresa but rowdier and dirtier. Less revitalized as a whole, but on the brink of getting its act together. It’s got AWESOME nightlife. Possibly one of the best that I’ve ever experienced, maybe only beaten by Rua Augusta in São Paulo.
Flamengo/Laranjeiras- Everybody already knows these jewels. Laranjeiras is pure charm.
Ipanema/Leblon/Jardim Botânico- I know, cliché. This is the Rio that everyone knows and for good reason, these neighborhoods are self sufficient cities and are beautiful.
Jardim Oceânico- Don’t slay me, I know it’s in Barra, but if you closed your eyes during the bus ride there, you’d think it was a neighborhood adjacent to Zona Sul.
Urca- Everybody knows.
Other than that, there are supposed to be great other neighborhoods that I unfortunately don’t know yet…including Freguesia de Jacarepaguá, Tijuca (Zona Norte), Meier (Zona Norte). Don’t forget about the future Zona Portuária….that’s gonna be something else.
Long winded rant over :D
Abraço
Not long winded at all Alex! Actually that’s a great summary of some of my fav neighbourhoods (take out Jardim Oceânico though! ;) ). Rio is a great place to explore and like you, I’m trying to expand my range to take in more of Zona Norte which appears to be stuffed full of hidden gems – just need more time to find them!
Tom,
I think you´ve been to Armazém Senado before, perhaps your contribution to said bar has made you somewhat forgetful.
Ha ha! That’s pretty funny – have you seen the whole film? If so, I’d appreciate to hear your Gritty Rating (marked out of 10) :)
I give it a 6. I think you’d prefer the book, especially the cartography of old Rio that it provides.
Thanks Gritty – I’ll keep an eye out for the book :)