The Best Restaurants, Bars, &
Cafes In Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
The Best Restaurants, Bars, & Cafes In Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
Published February 18, 2021
Vitória is a relatively quiet, medium-sized city situated on the Atlantic coast of Brazil between Rio de Janeiro and Salvador. As the capital of the state of Espírito Santo, Vitória has a lot to offer, but the number one reason all travelers should check it out is its amazing food scene!
There are so many unique dining options in Vitória, and trying each one was so much fun! Most places listed here are located in the Praia do Canto neighborhood, but a few are a short drive north or south of there. Without further ado, here’s the list!
1. Restaurants
Alas Restaurante
Address: R. da Grécia, 228 – Santa Luíza, Vitória – ES, 29045-225
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alasrestaurante/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alasrestaurante/
First on the list is an excellent Greek Restaurant that has an on-point dining space to match its delicious food. With a very large outdoor patio overlooking the Santa Maria da Vitória River, Alas feels like dining in Greece from the moment you’re seated.
In fact, this restaurant was so good that I had to go back a second time. They have a large menu of classic Greek dishes and wine. I recommend either the saganaki (fried cheese) appetizer or the feta platter, which comes with tomatoes, olives, and capers.
For the main course, I loved their medusa negra pasta with prawns. For a slightly more budget-friendly choice, go with the souvlaki kebabs, served with fries and pita.
Aleixo Restaurante
Address: R. Aleixo Netto, 1204 – Praia do Canto, Vitória – ES, 29055-260
Website: https://www.dguests.com/aleixo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AleixoRestaurante/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleixorestaurante/
Located on one of the main streets in Praia do Canto, Aleixo feels like the perfect balance of fine dining and a relatively good price. In addition to serving lunch and dinner, they also operate a small cafe next door to the restaurant.
Aleixo Restaurante offers an interesting lunch combo (almoço executivo) for about 70 BRL that includes a starter, main, and dessert. The carne seca rice bowl they served with veggies and farofa was an interesting and memorable dish, and the bruschetta and salad appetizer was both delicious and beautifully plated.
Pier Aleixo Restaurante
Address: R. Aleixo Netto, 1702 – Praia do Canto, Vitória – ES, 29055-260
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/restaurante.pieraleixo/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pieraleixo/
This restaurant is only a few blocks away from the one mentioned above. They both have similar names, but it’s unclear to me if they’re owned by the same person or not. Regardless, I would still recommend trying both because they have different vibes and different menus. Pier Aleixo Restaurante is located on the northern end of Praia do Canto. If there’s a table open, you can sit right next to the Santa Maria da Vitória River under a covered outdoor dining area.
I decided to be fancy here and ordered their lobster with spaghetti which was really good. I haven’t had lobster since coming to Brazil, so it was definitely a treat.
Los Chicos
Address: Av. Des. Dermeval Lyrio, 56 – Mata da Praia, Vitória – ES, 29065-430
Website: https://www.flipsnack.com/cardapioloschicos/card-pio-los-chicos-2019.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LosChicosES/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loschicoses/
All fans of Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine should be sure to visit Los Chicos! It was better than any of the Mexican restaurants I’ve tried in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, which is saying something! In general, good Mexican food is hard to come by in Brazil, so it’s always amazing to find a place like Los Chicos that does a top-notch job.
Like Alas Restaurante, Los Chicos was too good to only go once. Everything I tried was spot on, from their creative cocktails to their nacho appetizers. If you’re having trouble deciding what to order, I really liked their soft shell tacos especiales, which you can get with carne asada, fish, or “messy pigs” (smoked pork).
Restaurante Papaguth
Address: Praça do Papa – Av. Nossa Sra. dos Navegantes, 700 – Enseada do Suá, Vitória – ES, 29052-150
Website: http://www.papaguth.com.br/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Papaguth/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/papaguth/
If you’re interested in trying local dishes, head over to Papaguth! It’s a little out of the way, but well worth the short Uber ride to get to. The restaurant itself is very modern with a large, open-air patio.
As you might expect, food from Espírito Santo (comida capixaba) is heavily seafood based. The most iconic specialty is moqueca, a fish stew that is popular throughout Brazil but has regional varieties. If you’re going to try it here, which you should, be sure to come hungry! It’s served with rice and pirão, a special type of gravy. In other words, moqueca is never going to be a light meal!
Ubud Cafe
Address: R. Joaquim Lírio, 189 – Praia do Canto, Vitória – ES, 29055-460
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ubudcafe.vix
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ubud_cafe/
This is one of my favorite finds in Vitória because this boutique-style cafe is bursting with character, and they serve coffee, cocktails, and full meals! Just check out how beautifully both the inside and outside of Ubud Cafe are decorated!
In addition, you’ll notice that everything on the menu at Ubud is creative. No matter what you order, it’ll surely be a new and exciting culinary experience!
Lastly, this cafe is owned by women who’ve traveled extensively, and that influence can be felt throughout. Everything from the cafe’s name to the decor to the items on the menu will delight travel enthusiasts. I enjoyed trying their rice dumpling appetizer; Southeast Asian food is really hard to find even in Brazil’s biggest cities! The staff are friendly too and will make you feel welcome as a visitor to the city.
Balthazar
Address: Shopping Day by Day – R. Elesbão Linhares, 15 – loja 18 e 19 – Praia do Canto, Vitória – ES, 29055-340
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/balthazarvix/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balthazarvix/
If you’re looking to splurge a bit, Balthazar is definitely one place to do that. It’s probably the fanciest place on this list, but it should be noted that most of the places on this list are more expensive than your typical local restaurant in Brazil. (In general, an appetizer, main dish, dessert, and drink from any restaurant on this list will cost between 100 and 150 BRL).
With that said, Balthazar had some unique offerings, including a custard dessert called Montanhas de Minas Gerais, pictured below. They also serve a burrata with actual truffles (not just truffle flakes or truffle oil), which was my first time trying this famous delicacy.
To be completely honest, the main course I got (lingua no sous vide) was good but not nearly as interesting as the appetizers, drinks, and dessert. So if you’d like to try this restaurant without spending as much, you could perhaps plan more of a happy hour and then get a cheaper, small dinner afterwards.
Casa Graviola
Address: R. Elesbão Linhares, 41 – Praia do Canto, Vitória – ES, 29055-340
Website: http://www.casagraviola.com.br
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/casagraviola
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casagraviola/
I was honestly surprised to learn that this restaurant is a chain with locations in multiple Brazilian states because it felt so on-brand with the food scene in Vitória. With that said, it’s still on my list because the food and drinks here were pretty delicious, and everything seemed healthy and fresh. I especially enjoyed trying their vegan pad thai, which had noodles made out of veggies (i.e., those noodles aren’t noodles at all; they’re actually long strands of squash, zucchini, carrot, etc).
Be sure to save room for dessert at Casa Graviola! They have great brownies and fruit crumbles served with ice cream.
Don Camaleone
Address: R. Des. Sampaio, 263 – Praia do Canto, Vitória – ES, 29055-250
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DonCamaleone/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doncamaleone/
There are a lot of good pizza options in Praia do Canto that offer both American- and Brazilian-style pizza with a thicker crust as well as a more Italian-style with thinner crust. While the pizza at Don Camaleone wasn’t exactly what you’d find in Italy, this was probably my favorite that I had in Vitória. I saw burrata cheese on the menu here too, and couldn’t pass that up either!
2. Cafes
Urban Coffee Gourmet
Address: R. Neves Armond – Praia do Suá, Vitória – ES, 29052-280
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urbancoffeegourmet/
This cozy little cafe in the Praia do Suá neighborhood is worth a visit if you’re passing through. They have great cappuccinos and cakes, and the owner, Erlan, is very friendly! This cafe is within walking distance of Restaurante Papaguth (mentioned above) and D’Belem – Doçaria Portugesa (mentioned below).
Café Teugrano
Address: R. Joaquim Lírio, 455 – Loja 1 – Praia do Canto, Vitória – ES, 29055-460
Website: https://cafeteugrano.com.br/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cafeteugrano
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cafeteugrano/
This was my favorite cafe in Praia do Canto. They open early(-ish) and are conveniently located. They also have a large, semi-outdoor seating area at the entrance to a small shopping center.
The Teugrano menu is pretty standard, but one interesting thing you can try is their “orange coffee,” which is orange juice and coffee served together! I’ve seen this one other place here in Brazil but this is definitely a niche beverage. I actually do like it and find that the sweetness and bitterness sort of balance each other out! Would you be willing to try it?
Café Bamboo
Address: R. Afonso Cláudio, 254 – Praia do Canto, Vitória – ES, 29055-570
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cafebamboo
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cafebamboo
The artsy vibe of this cafe reminded me a bit of some of the local coffee shops in my home city of Seattle, which is one of the reasons I liked it! I stopped in one rainy morning for a Nutella latte, which was the perfect way to start the day. It’s only a block or two away from Teugrano, so be sure to check it out!
Odara Pão e Café
Address: R. Aleixo Netto, 834 – Praia do Canto, Vitória – ES, 29055-260
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/odarapaoecafe
My Airbnb host recommended that I try Odara, and I’m glad she did because it was very good! I’m sure you could stop in for a quick coffee, but they also do a nice little brunch combo with eggs benedict, coffee, orange juice, and a tart for dessert.
3. Bakeries
D'Belem - Doçaria Portugesa
Address: R. Ferreira Coelho, 113 – Praia do Suá, Vitória – ES, 29052-210
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/docesalgadovitoriaes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/docaria_portuguesa
This is one of the places on the list that’s a little out of the way, but you should absolutely take an Uber over to the Praia do Suá part of town to visit this Portuguese bakery. Whenever I see pastel de nata (egg tarts) here in Brazil, I make sure to get my fill as they’re not super common here. What’s more, the owners of this small bakery are actually from Portugal, so it’s the real deal!
Empório Joaquim
Address: Rua Elesbão Linhares, 15, Shopping Day By Day, Lojas 01 e 02 – Praia do Canto, Vitória – ES, 29055-340
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emporiojoaquim/
Empório Joaquim is an interesting place because it’s both a small restaurant and a deli where you can buy wine, meat, cheese, and other items to go. I stopped here for a quick coffee and a salmon on brioche sandwich on my last morning in Vitória.
4. A Cool Brewery
Vikings Cervejaria
Address: R. João da Cruz, 322 – Praia do Canto, Vitória – ES, 29055-250
Website: https://www.goomer.app/vikings-beer-and-burger-vv/menu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VikingCervejaria
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vikingscervejaria
Last but not least on my list is a brewery! I don’t know about you guys, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I feel like my alcohol consumption has been a lot lower than in years prior. Furthermore, proper breweries don’t seem to be so common in Brazil, which is why I had to check this one out when I walked by it.
In addition to having good beer, one interesting thing about Vikings is that they have self-serve taps. You load credit onto a card, then swipe the card on whichever brew you want and pay per milliliter. It was an interesting experience for sure!
The only caveat with this is that you basically have to know how much you want to drink beforehand. I suspect that they wouldn’t issue a refund if you had a couple reais left on the card. I’m also not sure if you could hold onto the card and use it some days or weeks later, but hopefully it doesn’t expire overnight.
Curious about Vitória? Check out these other posts!
If you’re planning to visit Vitória, congratulations: you’re in for a real treat! To see some other recommendations besides food and drink, check out one of the blog posts below!
Have you tried any of the restaurants listed here? Do you have any questions? Leave a comment below and let me know! Thanks for reading, and bom apetite!
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This post was published on Feb 18, 2021
The Caffeinated Man Behind The Blog
Where I’ve Been
This so reminds me of Lisbon. Sorry, I keep comparing Lisbon in Portugal with Sao Paulo and Rio. The restaurants all look the same, but looking good. I love the decor and the space they have there. I am starting to know more about the cuisine there because of your blogs and by heck, I got a lot to try when I eventually get to Brazil. I also love the brewery, i always try and check one out when I am on the road, so now I gotta get to Vikings. Never heard of them but I am sure the beer is pretty tasty.
What an amazing selection of eateries. Ubud captured my interest- love that it is owned by female travellers, it just has a great vibe, and those dumplings look amazing. Such a great café culture too, a little edgy- I love it. I would definitely head to the Portuguese bakery and try some of those creamy custards. I miss those from Portugal.
Wow all of these places look so good! I would definitely try the Greek place and Ubud if I visit. I am now craving saganaki!! The brewery also looks cool, I have heard of some places in the US with the same set up, but I haven’t been to one yet.
We enjoyed our meat feast when we visited Santos. But we did not get to Vitoria. I do love the variety of cuisines that you showcased. We loved the coffee in South America so we would definitely check out the cafes you listed. But I am not sure about the coffee and orange juice combo. But would not pass on those Portuguese tarts.
Alas Restaurante is soooo prettty!! I love the blue lights and mellow tone of the restaurant. Meanwhile… every food picture on here looks freaking amazing, I can see why you’d visit some more than once haha Los Chicos peaked my interest, I’m a huge fan of tacos and everything Mexican food. Next time you go on your amazing food tour – take me with you!! haha
The food looks delicious in every photo. The ubud cafe, cafe bamboo and the brewery would definitely be on my list! If they cater for veggies of course 🙂
Wow such a detailed post! These are look so amazing. Being a native Texan, I’d be very curious to try out that Tex-Mex restaurant!
These all looks soooo good Kevin! I am surprised by how varied it is – you really can get things from all around the world. It’s more than I’d expect from a medium sized city! Go Vitória!
p.s. I am sort of sad to hear that pastel de nata are not super common there. It would feel strange to hear Portuguese and not be eating them!
So many varieties. Moqueca particularly caught my eye. Brazil is on my bucket list for long time. Hopefully soon!
I am trying to write while I am now hungry even though we just ate dinner. The food looks fantastic. I have never been in Brazil, so I son’t really know what typical Brazilian food is. But I love Mexican food, so Los Chicos immediately caught my eyes. I can understand that you liked it there.
One question: The pizza at Don Camaleone looks like a round flat bread with tons of pepperoni on it without any sauce and an excuse of cheese in some areas. How does it compare to a more traditional Italian style pepperoni pizza?
I love the idea behind the self-serve taps at Vikings. Especially charging directly by mL, that means you could sample everything and then go back for your favorite!