Rio de Janeiro pizza can be absolutely delicious or virtually inedible, and you'll need to know where to look if you want to find more of the former and less of the latter.
Many sub-standard pizzerias have a tendency to skimp on the tomato sauce and overload the cheese, resulting in a heavy slab of tasteless goo. Beware of any restaurants that serve ketchup with pizza - locals will squirt this, along with mayonnaise and even mustard, on top of their pizza, presumably to compensate for the lack of flavor
But while pizza in Rio de Janeiro can be a real disappointment if you don't find the right place, there are some restaurants that have got pizza making down to a fine art.
Widely regarded as the best pizza chain in Rio, Capriocciosa prides itself on using only the finest imported Italian ingredients, and its Ipanema branch is a favorite among Rio's chic elite. Note that the chain makes a point of never serving ketchup with its pizzas.
Less refined, but lively, spots to enjoy a decent pizza are Pizzeria Rainbow, on Copacabana Beach, and Pizzeria Guanabara, which has branches in Lapa and the Zona Sul; while Barra da Tijuca has two excellent Italian restaurants, La Botticella and Fiamatta, both of which serve pizza that's a cut above the rest.
Rua Vinícius de Moraes, 134
Ipanema
A cut above the rest...
Rua do Catete 133
Pizza the Action...
Avenida Viera Souto 80
Ipanema
Five star landmark, Italian hotspot...
Rua Venicius de Moraes 146, Ipanema
Good food, location, and prices...
Avenida Atlantica, Quiosque 8
Colorful Eats on the Beach...
Estrada Sorima 347
Best of Barra...
Avenida Armando Lombardi 633
Loja 111 – Terrace Market Street
Best Italian in Barra...
Avenida das Américas
Brazilian Pizza at its Finest...
308 Rua Das Laranjeiras
Food, Drinks and Dance...
115 Rua Paschoal Carlos Magno
Late Night Drinking Den...