Bar d'Hotel

Description:

• On the first floor of the Marina Hotel in Ipanema, this hip eatery overlooks the most famous beach in the world yet doesn't even try to cash in on the view. Instead, what attracts the trendy crowd to eat, drink, and be merry is each other. Artists, actors, soccer players, designers, and others too cool to look at the ocean compete for each other's attention, all the while trying not to look like they're looking. Fortunately, above and beyond the posing the food is also great, so we mere mortals can remain happily oblivious to the star-spying and just have fun. If you have to wait at the bar for a table (very likely if you don't make reservations), try a lemon kir royal (champagne with lemon sorbet) or a sake caipirinha. Once seated, the waiter will come over with a blackboard listing the daily specials. The cuisine leans toward Italian with tropical accents. Appetizers include four types of bruschetta; the sampler plate comes with one of each. Main courses range from a delicious goat cheese ravioli in tomato sauce to a curried prawn risotto with banana-chutney grilled salmon served with a rich and creamy artichoke risotto. The restaurant is also open for breakfast and lunch, but the cool people don't show up until after 11pm. The restaurant is also a great place to just have a drink.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2010