The Best Cafes In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Where To Get Your Caffeine Fix
The Best Cafes In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Where To Get Your Caffeine Fix
Published January 1, 2021
As a travel blogger, I’ve lived in both Vietnam and Brazil, the two largest coffee-producing countries in the world. While Vietnam has more coffee shops than you can ever dream of, they’re much harder to come by in Brazil. Luckily, this hasn’t stopped me from looking! After living in Rio de Janeiro for almost four months, I’ve found the city’s best places to get a latte, mocha, or espresso. This blog post will feature some of my top recommendations!
To skip down to any of the cafes on the list, click or tap the link below!
1. Tiny Cat Café
Address: Av. Nossa Sra. de Copacabana, 308 – loja B – Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22020-001
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cafetinycat
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cafetinycat/
Tiny Cat Café is at the top of the list because it’s my favorite coffeeshop in Rio. Their decor and branding are on point, and of course, they make a great cup of coffee! I’ve been a regular customer for months and tend to order their vanilla cold brew. They also make great lattes and other hot drinks.
The staff at Tiny Cat are also really friendly and welcoming. (Just be aware that this cafe doesn’t have actual cats roaming around, like some cat cafes in Asia do.) If you’re in Copacabana near the Cardeal Arcoverde metro station or Belmond Copacabana Palace hotel, be sure to check this place out!
2. Confeitaria Colombo
Address: R. Gonçalves Dias, 32 – Centro, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20050-030
Website: http://www.confeitariacolombo.com.br/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConfeitariaColombo/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/confeitariacolombo/
This massive, famous establishment in Centro (downtown) is an absolute must-visit for coffee and dessert lovers. Confeitaria Colombo has a gorgeous Portuguese dining room lined with huge mirrors, glass cupboards, and traditional floor tiles. If you’re a fan of egg tarts (pastéis de nata), this is a great place to get a few.
You can also order a full meal here, and it’s my understanding that the upper floor is reserved for customers dining in for lunch. During peak hours, you may have to wait a bit to be seated.
3. Bendito Cookies Brownies Café
Address: Condomínio do Edifício Pilar – Rua Hilário de Gouvêia, 88 – Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22040-020
Website: https://benditocookies.com.br/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benditocookies/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benditocookies/
I have to admit that Bendito Café is more of a cookie shop than a coffeehouse, but don’t let that stop you from visiting! Tucked away in the interior of Copacabana a few blocks in from the beach, this little store serves their cookies hot, and they truly melt in your mouth. I can’t remember the last time I had such amazing store-bought cookies!
If you’re going to get a cookie or two, be sure to order a latte or mocha to go with it! The coffee and sweets from Bendito go great together.
Bendito Cookies Brownies Café has a few other locations around Rio de Janeiro as well, but their website doesn’t list exact addresses as of January 2021.
Enjoying this post? Follow me on social media to stay up to date!
Enjoying this post? Follow me on social media to stay up to date!
4. Mini Joe Café
Address: Av. Nossa Sra. de Copacabana, 300 – Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22020-001
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minijoe.cafe/
This sleek, modern coffee shop is actually right next to Tiny Cat. If you’re staying in or near Copacabana, you might as well check out both! Mini Joe has a creative menu with unique offerings such as coffee infused with orange and cinnamon. They also make a good cold brew.
5. Fika Cafés Especiais
Address: R. do Carmo, 58 – Centro, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20011-020
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fika%20Cafes%20Rj/233948600847463/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fikacafes/
I am actually not sure if the name “Fika” refers to Swedish coffee culture or is a reference to the very common and versatile Portuguese verb “ficar,” which means to stay. Either reference would be fitting, as Fika Cafés Especiais is an ideal place to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee for a while.
As you can see, they’ve got a very Instagrammable umbrella theme going on both inside and out, although I’m not sure if that’s permanent or seasonal. Fika is located in one of the narrow alleyways of Centro (downtown), so you could check it out after a visit to the nearby Museu do Amanhã or Ilha Fiscal.
The most notable thing about this place is its huge menu with pages and pages of coffee and tea selections. I just chose one of their menu iced latte options, and it was both smooth and rich.
6. Mô Café
Address: R. Santa Cristina, 181 – Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20241-250
Website: https://mocafesanta.com.br/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mocafesanta/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mocafesanta/
This is the perfect place to caffeinate if you’re visiting the beautiful neighborhood of Santa Teresa. Mô Café is small, but it’s got a wonderfully casual vibe. You can also check out the gift shop of the same name next door while you wait for your drink.
7. Rishikesh Café (Govardhana Hari Restaurante)
Address: R. Rodrigo Silva, 6 – Centro, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20011-040
Website: http://rishikesh.com.br/about-us/ (or http://govardhana.com.br/)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Govardhana-Har%C3%AD/690272131077964
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/govardhana.restaurante/
This cafe is actually the second floor of a vegetarian Indian restaurant that I will absolutely be featuring on my international cuisine and restaurant guide for Rio [coming soon]. The lunch combo they serve in the restaurant is amazing, but head on up to the second floor for a bright and open yet cozy cafe!
This is one of the only places I know in Rio that serves Indian chai, but they also do standard lattes. There are also some gifts and souvenirs for sale here, too.
Note that as of January 2021, Google Maps lists this restaurant’s name as “Veggie Govinda Sabor da Índia,” which is not accurate. Perhaps they renamed at some point, but don’t let this confuse you! The address and physical location on Google Maps is correct.
8. Empório Jardim
Address: R. Visc. da Graça, 51 – Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22461-010
Website: https://www.emporiojardimrio.com.br/en/home-2/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emporiojardimrio/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emporiojardimrio/
This little cafe in the neighborhood of Jardim Botânico is well known for its breakfast, but it’s also perfect for an afternoon coffee break. Like most other cafes featured in this list, Empório Jardim has a meticulously designed interior; it feels sort of woodsy and outdoorsy.
When you see their pastries and cakes on display at the counter, it’ll be hard to resist one. The fruit tarts here go perfectly with their iced lattes.
If Jardim Botânico is a bit out of the way, Empório has a second location in Ipenema that’s easy to get to via the metro. That one is called Empório Jardim na Praia (Empório Jardim on the Beach).
9. Casa Cavé
Address: R. Sete de Setembro, 137/133 – Centro, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20050-006
Website: http://www.casacave.com.br
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/confeitariacave
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casa.cave
This one is actually more of a bake shop than a cafe, sort of like Confeitaria Colombo except that it’s a small fraction of the size. It’s housed in an elegant, eye-catching corner shop that is sure to pique your curiosity whether you know what it is or not when you walk by. What’s more, this happens to be the oldest bake shop in all of Rio de Janeiro, founded in 1860!
Walk inside and you’ll see a small dining room before turning left to order whatever sweets or coffee you may be craving. Confeitaria Colombo and Casa Cavé share a couple of interior design elements, including large mirrors on the walls and ornate floor tiles. If you’re interested in checking out a historic, culinary icon of the city, don’t miss this gem of a bakery!
10. Dark Coffee Centro Rio
Address: R. Beneditinos, 22 – Centro, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20081-050
Website: https://www.darkcoffeebr.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Darkcoffeerio/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darkcoffeerio/
This final recommendation on the list is a large cafe near the famous Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow) on Mauá Plaza. Housed in a long shop on one of the area’s quieter side streets, Dark Coffee isn’t a place you’re likely to find by accident. However, it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re spending the day in Downtown Rio!
They have a large menu of food and drinks, so I decided to try one of their cakes. I was also immediately intrigued by their cookie cup, so I decided to order that with a cappuccino inside it (shown in the photo below with the dollop of whipped cream on top). It was a very interesting, with the inside of the edible cup being glazed with a thin layer of chocolate to prevent the edible cup from crumbling and the coffee leaking out. I’ve never seen anything like that before, and I recommend trying it!
Well, that wraps up my list! Have you been to any of the cafes listed here? Do you have any other coffee recommendations in Rio? Let me know in the comments below! Thanks for reading and see you next time!
Share This Post With Fellow Travelers!
This post was published on Jan 1, 2021
The Caffeinated Man Behind The Blog
Where I’ve Been
I love that first mural with a fried egg as a duvet! The attention to detail in the Tiny Cat is amazing too – the spoons and the biscuits in a cat shape are very cute.
I want to visit ALL of the coffee shops when we travel! I’m also a sucker for the umbrella alleys, no matter how many times I see them!
I love pastéis de nata and the ones at Confeitaria Colombo look heavenly! Fika Cafés Especiais looks beautiful – love their umbrella theme.
This is so amazing. I love the first mural and the peach tart looks super yummy. Now that you mention it, I haven’t really sees too many cafes in South America either. There were several in Colombia and Chile, but I would have a hard time remembering any in Peru or Ecuador.
I think you and I would end up getting diabetes if we traveled together cause I am not the biggest coffee fan unless it is laced with sugar and chocolate and from what I see, you seem to like that too! With regards to these cafes you found in Rio de Janeiro, I think Confeitaria Colombo is by far the coolest looking. I love the floor tiles and the whole look and feel of the place. But those cookies at Bendito look amazing. Were the brownies any good? The umbrellas at Fika are really cool too!
These all look so cute! I always love visiting a good cafe. The Bendito Café sounds very appealing their warm cookies. The peach tart at Empório Jardim looks delicious! I would definitely have to try one(or more) of those cakes and tarts. Great tips and recommendations for visiting Rio de Janeiro.
The only city I can compare to the cafes of Rio is Lisbon in Portugal. There is a sense of ambiance in the air and they all have their own charm and character. I love checking out cafes in other cities, I like the old fashioned type of cafes (with a good drink), somewhere like Confeitaria Colombo on the list but the wife wants to pitch in here and says she wants to check out Dark Coffee. Keeping this list for when we eventually come to Rio. 🙂
Ahh…coffee, always my number one priority to find a good place to get coffee while traveling. All of these places sound great! I’m intrigued by the one that has orange and cinnamon infused coffee!
All these places look fantatic, but like you, I think my favorite would be the Tiny Cat Cafe. I mean how adorable is the decor?!?!? I also love cats and all the cat details are just too cute. And I am a huge fan of vanilla flavors so I’d love to try their vanilla cold brew 🙂
These are all really lovely cafes. Each one of them looks really special. But my attention was riveted when I saw the name Rishikesh Cafe. Being from India and vegetatarian at that, I was pleasantly surprised. The place looks so homely and comfy. Now we know where to head to when in Rio. The other cafe that attracted me was the Tiny Cat Cafe.
How many coffees did you drink a day? Most of our adventures start early, which means we need ALL OF THE COFFEE. I love coffee sampling abroad with so many new and unique blends☕️
Pingback: 4 lugares tranquilos no Rio de Janeiro para trabalhar remotamente
Pingback: 4 lugares tranquilos no Rio de Janeiro para trabalhar remotamente