Exame Magazine Picks Brazil’s Top 100 Restaurants

Posted on April 21, 2023 by Critical Divide

Exame Magazine has asked a jury of food critics and gourmands to come up with their choice of Brazil’s top 100 restaurants.

São Paulo’s A Casa do Porco came out in top spot with the Rio duo of Lasai and Oteque in 2nd and 3rd and Salvador’s Origem in fourth. Filling out the top five was Maní in São Paulo.

Full list of top 100 covering 12 Brazilian states below and for the original story CLICK HERE

1	A Casa do Porco	São Paulo
2	Lasai	Rio de Janeiro
3	Oteque	Rio de Janeiro
4	Origem	Salvador
5	Maní	São Paulo
6	Manga	Salvador
7	Metzi	São Paulo
8	Charco	São Paulo
9	Nelita	São Paulo
10	Glouton	Belo Horizonte
11	Notiê	São Paulo
12	D.O.M.	São Paulo
12	Fame Osteria	São Paulo
14	Taberna Japonesa Quina do Futuro	Recife
15	Shihoma Pasta Fresca	São Paulo
16	Evvai	São Paulo
16	Mocotó	São Paulo
18	Cipriani	Rio de Janeiro
19	Valle Rustico	Garibaldi (RS)
20	Murakami	São Paulo
21	Manu	Curitiba
22	Cepa	São Paulo
23	Ocyá	Rio de Janeiro
23	Pacato	Belo Horizonte
23	Tanit	São Paulo
26	Osso	São Paulo
27	Xapuri	Belo Horizonte
28	Escama	Rio de Janeiro
28	Fasano	São Paulo
30	Corrutela	São Paulo
31	Cais	São Paulo
32	Lilia	Rio de Janeiro
33	74	Búzios (RJ)
34	Rocka	Búzios (RJ)
35	Jiquitaia	São Paulo
35	Mesa do Lado	Rio de Janeiro
35	Picchi	São Paulo
38	Íz	Goiânia
39	Cozinha Tupis	Belo Horizonte
39	Igor	Curitiba
41	Caxiri	Manaus
41	Dona Mariquita	Salvador
43	Aizomê	São Paulo
43	Barú Marisquería	São Paulo
43	Capincho	Porto Alegre
46	Sult	São Paulo
47	Votre Brasserie	São Paulo
48	Preto	São Paulo
49	Punk Cuisine	Curitiba
50	Makoto San	São Paulo
51	Komah	São Paulo
52	Grado	Rio de Janeiro
53	Kan Suke	São Paulo
54	Florestal	Belo Horizonte
55	Chez Claude	São Paulo/Rio de Janeiro
56	Cora	São Paulo
57	Birosca S2	Belo Horizonte
58	Oro	Rio de Janeiro
59	Président	São Paulo
60	Tragaluz	Tiradentes (MG)
61	Jun Sakamoto	São Paulo
61	Kuro	São Paulo
63	Arturito	São Paulo
63	K.sa	Curitiba
63	Obst.	Curitiba
66	Gero Rio	Rio de Janeiro
67	De Segunda	São Paulo
68	Banzeiro	São Paulo/Manaus
69	Carvão	Salvador
70	Sud, o Pássaro Verde	Rio de Janeiro
71	Remanso do Peixe	Belém
72	Guri	Porto Alegre
72	Ostradamus	Florianópolis
74	Zoi	Fortaleza
75	Xavier	Porto Alegre
76	Turi	Belo Horizonte
77	Voar	Recife
78	São Pedro	Recife
79	Osteria Della Colombina	Garibaldi (RS)
80	Ristorantino	São Paulo
81	Cuia	São Paulo
82	Casa do Saulo	Santarém (PA)
83	Gajos D’Ouro	Rio de Janeiro
83	Nino Cucina	São Paulo
85	Borgo Mooca	São Paulo
85	Camélia Òdòdó	São Paulo
87	Haru	Rio de Janeiro
88	Hashi	Porto Alegre
89	Babbo Osteria	Rio de Janeiro
90	Amado	Salvador
90	Arvo	Recife
92	Kinoshita	São Paulo
93	Tasca da Esquina	São Paulo
94	Tangará Jean-Georges	São Paulo
95	Modern Mamma Osteria	São Paulo
96	Casa de Tereza	Salvador
97	Imma	São Paulo
98	Donna	São Paulo
99	Nōsu	São Paulo
100	Preta	Salvador

British Airways Daily Service to Rio as of October 2023

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Critical Divide

As of 28 October 2023, British Airways’ service from London Heathrow to RIOgaleão – Aeroporto Internacional Tom Jobim will continue on to Buenos Aires, which will lose its current non-stop service.

However, the flights will now be daily (rather than the current five times a week), and there will be a switch of aircraft from the Boeing 787-8 to the Boeing 777-200ER. That increases capacity from 214 passengers to 272.

The other change is that the outbound flight from London will no longer be a daytime flight but over night. It is expected that the BA 249 will depart daily from London at 22:10, landing in Rio de Janeiro at 07:05 the following day. Departing at 08:35 for Buenos Aires where it is scheduled to land at 11:40. On the return the BA 248 will depart from Buenos Aires at 13:30, landing in Rio de Janeiro at 16:25. It will depart Rio at 17:55 to arrive in London the following day at 08:10.

It is also worth remembering that British Airways will also be able to offer seats between just Rio and Buenos Aires.

Baía do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, world’s best beach for 2023

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Critical Divide

Baía do Sancho, on Fernando de Noronha, is the world’s best beach for 2023, according to Tripadvisor. Ipanema in Rio is at number 19 on the list.

Top ten for 2023 is:

Baia do Sancho, Brazil
Eagle Beach, Aruba
Cable Beach, Australia
Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland
Grace Bay Beach, Turks and Caicos
Praia da Falésia, Portugal
Radhanagar Beach, India
Spiaggia dei Conigli, Italy
Varadero Beach, Cuba
Ka’anapali Beach, Hawaii

Baile do Copa – Copacabana Palace

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Critical Divide

Saturday, 18 February, sees the return of the iconic Baile do Copa carnival ball to the equally iconic Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel in Rio de Janeiro.

The hotel is celebrating its centenary this year and the ball – that took place for the first time in 1924 – will celebrate its own centenary in 2024. This year’s theme for the ball is “Time Tunnel” to encourage guests to dress to recreate some of those special moments from the hotel’s past 100 years, or even if they wish from its future. The hotel promises an evening of “decadence, joy and glorious excess,…”, something we all need in 2023. Many of the great and the good have attended the ball over the decades from Orson Welles to Brigitte Bardot, to name just two.

Rio Carnaval Parades 2023

Posted on February 13, 2023 by Critical Divide

As always a diverse selection of themes and story lines have been chosen to be presented by the top schools at Rio’s carnaval.

In 2023 these include Vila Isabel that will celebrate the human capacity to have faith in what cannot be seen; Salgueiro that has chosen a plot about valuing freedom of expression, showing that paradise is built individually by each person, without restriction or sin. Mocidade will look at the cultural legacy of artists from Alto do Moura in Pernambuco, and the disciples of the artist Mestre Vitalino. Historic figures also feature and Viradouro will tell the story of Rosa Maria Egípcia who was brought from Africa to Brazil in 1925 and is credited as the first black woman to write a book in Brazil. Imperatriz Leopoldinense will travel to the northeast and tell the story of the arrival in both heaven and hell of the bandit leader and folk hero, Lampião. Império Serrano brings a storyline based on Arlindo Cruz’s success, “My Place”. In a tribute to the singer, the samba school will go through moments and places that marked his career.

Paraíso do Tuiuti will tell the story of the arrival and impact of buffaloes to Brazil, through the Marajó Island, in Pará, which inspired a cultural manifestation in the region. The state of Bahia is featured by three schools. Unidos da Tijuca will celebrate everything about Bahia, taking a lot of axé to the avenue and feature the joy of Bahia’s carnival. Mangueira will highlight the impact of women on the music of Bahia, while Beija-Flor will argue that the “true” independence of Brazil was the expulsion of the Portuguese troops from Bahia 200 years ago in 1823. Celebrating its centenary, Portela, one of the city’s most famous and traditional schools, will not surprisingly look back at the school’s history through the eyes of five characters who have been fundamental to the school and Rio’s carnival. And Grande Rio, the current champion of Rio’s carnival, will pay tribute to the musician and great sambista Zeca Pagodinho, who will join the school for the parade.

The main parades of the Grupo Especial – Rio’s top 12 ranking samba schools – will next take place on the nights of Sunday, 19 February and Monday, 20 February 2023.

Sunday, 19 February 2023

Imperil Serrano
Grande Rio
Mocidade
Unidos da Tijuca
Salgueiro
Mangueira

Monday, 20 February 2023

Paraíso do Tuiuti
Portela
Vila Isabel
Imperatriz Leopoldinense
Beija-Flor
Viradouro

Destinations Travel Show London

Posted on January 31, 2023 by Critical Divide

Nice choice of image for the Destinations Travel Show that opens at Olympia London on Thursday, 2 February and runs through Sunday. One of the best travel shows in the UK aimed at the travelling public.

A number of tour operators will be present that offer Rio de Janeiro and Brazil.

For more details about Dstinations CLICK HERE

Order of the Carnival Parades 2023

Posted on July 12, 2022 by Critical Divide

In 2023 the main parades of the Grupo Especial in Rio de Janeiro’s carnival are currently scheduled to take place on the nights of Sunday, 19 February and Monday, 20 February 2022. The 12 schools and the order that they will parade in 2023 are:

Sunday, 19 February 2023

Imperil Serrano
Grande Rio
Mocidade
Unidos da Tijuca
Salgueiro
Mangueira

Monday, 20 February 2023

Paraíso do Tuiuti
Portela
Vila Isabel
Imperatriz Leopoldinense
Beija-Flor
Viradouro

Carnival 2022: Day Two of Rio’s Top Samba Schools

Posted on April 24, 2022 by Critical Divide

Thanks to the Riotur.Rio team of photographers, a quick and colourful look at the second of two nights of parades of Rio’s top samba school. On 23 April it was the turn of Paraíso do Tuiuti, Portela, Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel, Unidos da Tijuca, Acadêmicos do Grande Rio and Unidos de Vila Isabel parade.

The results of the Grupo Especial, which covers Rio’s top twelve samba schools, will be announced in Rio on Tuesday (26 April) starting at 15.00 local time (19.00 in London). The lowest scoring school will be relegated to the Grupo de Acesso for 2023, with the winner of this year’s Grupo de Acesso joining the top 12 in 2023.

Dates of the parade of the Grupo Especial in 2023 are 19 and 20 February.

Carnival 2022: Day One of Rio’s Top Samba Schools

Posted on April 23, 2022 by Critical Divide

Thanks to the Riotur.Rio team of photographers, a quick and colourful look at the first of two nights of parades of Rio’s top samba school. Last night it was the turn of Imperatriz, Mangueira, Salgueiro, São Clemente, Viradouro and Beija-Flor.