The Best Seafood in Brazil
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The best seafood in Brazil, according to the experts: The 50 and the Michelin Guide have both weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Oteque comes out on top, and the good stuff runs deepest in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.
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Barú Marisquería and Madê hold the next two places. The Michelin Guide shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with The 50 next.
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Rank 1. Oteque
Seafood Brazilian
A discreet gate on a Botafogo side street opens into a soaring, brick-walled dining room where the hush tells you immediately that this is a serious tasting-menu restaurant. Alberto Landgraf, who trained in Japan and in London with Gordon Ramsay, builds his seasonal menus around Brazilian seafood kept close to its natural state. A Michelin star and a spot on the World's 50 Best list followed. The bread alone, straight from the oven, sets the tone.
The awards
- The 50 The 50: #81 · The World’s 50 Best Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Star
- The 50 The 50: #38 · Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants
- The 50 #81 · The World’s 50 Best Restaurants
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- The 50 #38 · Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants
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Rank 2. Barú Marisquería
Seafood
A small seafood restaurant tucked into the Villa San Pietro, a courtyard property set back from Rua Augusta. The feel is more coastal Colombia than São Paulo landlocked, with grilled fish, ceviche, and shrimp tostadas carrying the kind of brine and char that makes you forget you're nowhere near the water. The Michelin Guide awarded it a Bib Gourmand. Pair whatever you order with one of the cocktails, because the list is clearly not an afterthought here.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Bib Gourmand
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
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Rank 3. Madê
Brazilian Seafood
The awards
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
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Rank 4. Amadeus
Seafood
Oysters from the family's own beds in Florianópolis show up on the menu here, which tells you something about how seriously this seafood restaurant takes its sourcing. A family operation in Jardins, it runs à la carte and tasting menus built around Brazilian coastal cooking, with classics updated by chef Bella Masano. The moqueca with plantain and onion farofa is the kind of dish that makes the table go quiet.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Five places have the exact same Score, so they share #4. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #4 Amadeus (this place) 68.544
- #4 Cais 68.544
- #4 Escama 68.544
- #4 OCYÁ Ilha 68.544
- #4 OCYÁ Leblon 68.544
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Rank 4. Cais
Seafood
A charming small house in Vila Madalena with tables spilling out by the window and counter seats facing the kitchen. Cais is a casual seafood restaurant where the menu shifts constantly around whatever came in fresh that day. The room is always full, which tells you something, and the crowd leans into the unhurried pace rather than fighting it. The short, rotating menu keeps the kitchen honest and the fish cooking clean.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
A Tie
Five places have the exact same Score, so they share #4. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #4 Amadeus 68.544
- #4 Cais (this place) 68.544
- #4 Escama 68.544
- #4 OCYÁ Ilha 68.544
- #4 OCYÁ Leblon 68.544
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Rank 4. Escama
Seafood
A seafood restaurant near the botanical garden where the fish arrives straight from local fishermen and you choose how you want it cooked: grilled, baked, or poached. The sea bass with champagne sauce is a regular on the menu, and on Fridays the kitchen turns out a seafood feijoada worth planning around. Two floors, muted colors, the kind of relaxed room that doesn't feel the need to announce itself.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Five places have the exact same Score, so they share #4. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #4 Amadeus 68.544
- #4 Cais 68.544
- #4 Escama (this place) 68.544
- #4 OCYÁ Ilha 68.544
- #4 OCYÁ Leblon 68.544
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Rank 4. OCYÁ Ilha
Seafood
Getting here requires a boat, which is either a selling point or a dealbreaker, and the outdoor wooden deck on Ilha Primeira makes a strong case for the former. This is a seafood restaurant where the chef ages some of the catch in a dedicated chamber on-site before it hits the open grill. Sunsets arrive whether you ordered them or not, and the whole unhurried setup makes the city feel considerably farther away than it is.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
A Tie
Five places have the exact same Score, so they share #4. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #4 Amadeus 68.544
- #4 Cais 68.544
- #4 Escama 68.544
- #4 OCYÁ Ilha (this place) 68.544
- #4 OCYÁ Leblon 68.544
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Rank 4. OCYÁ Leblon
Seafood
A glass aging chamber greets you at the entrance, which tells you everything about what kind of seafood restaurant this is. The chef is a fisherman and diver who champions whole-fish cooking and artisanal sourcing, which means the menu runs to ocean charcuterie and aged fish alongside grilled and raw preparations. The Leblon space is airy and modern, a step up in polish from the original island location.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Five places have the exact same Score, so they share #4. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #4 Amadeus 68.544
- #4 Cais 68.544
- #4 Escama 68.544
- #4 OCYÁ Ilha 68.544
- #4 OCYÁ Leblon (this place) 68.544