A fancy restaurant with a great view and Brazilian dishes with a twist. This restaurant is one of the fanciest one in Rio, to get there, you have to deserve it! It's a long climb up because it is in Santa Theresa, a district located in a big hill of Rio. When in front of the entrance, you need to take a little elevator down to the restaurant, you get a little piece of the view you'll get later (if you're lucky enough to be seated to a good location...). The restaurant itself is really cool, it looks like a Hewok village : some tables are on bamboo house ! We could have easily given 5 stars but we were very disappointed that half of the dishes on the menu were not available. It was almost funny, every time we asked an item to the waiter, he would come back 5 minutes later saying that it was not available. I guess what is acceptable is a random restaurant is not in this one, considering the price of the food (very expensive). We ended up eating: - palm tree heart: EXCELLENT! And it comes in a real piece of palm tree, I highly recommend it - duck: very good ! - chicken: good - tapioca ice cream with açai: disappointing, not very flavorful For one appetizer, two entrees, one dessert and two drinks, it was about 300 reais. read more

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Ambience was great. A truly tree house restaurant. Very popular one. Views exceptional. Good wine list, expensive though. Starting at R$ 160-200. Food was simple, ingredients centered. Açaí guacamole was superb. Carnival Octopus was also delicious. Amazone sourced ingredients, great starters. Will be back. read more

THIS PLACE IS AMAZING!!! I understand after going there why everyone was telling me to try this GEM!. The drive to the restaurant is painful super tight roads and gps being lost at many times, it was definitely not easy but worth the trip! The food was served on the smaller side, more like the french way, small plates but very healthy! The decor is fantastic, it feels like you are eating in giant tree house! The service was fantastic. One of the problem for our group was that they close the kitchen very early so we basically arrived and had to order right away and also all the plates arrived in the same time. We had a great rose from Provence, their wine list is great! I can't wait to go back!!! read more

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Definitely culinary highlight of Rio. It's expensive but not outrageously so given what you're getting: amazing view, great service, innovative presentation, and just great tasting food. The heart of palm starter is a must. They cut out the heart of palm right in front of you -- something I've never seen done and you know it has to be fresh then. The Moqueca (fish stew) is excellent here. read more

Maravilhosamente maravilhoso. Você paga caro, mas paga pelo local sem igual, pelo atendimento ótimo, e pela comida, a melhor do rio.

Hard to beat the location considering its on the side of the mountain in St. Theresa. We first learned about the restaurant on a travel show. The trip there wasn't easy as we had to navigate downtown Rio and find the bonde de Santa Teresa with my shaky Portuguese. We happened to meet a tour guide in the bonde who knew where we were headed. He told us the correct stop and then we proceeded to walk. We eventually located the restaurant and descended to find a jewel of a place. The food was amazing but let's be honest the location is the star of the show. Probably the most unique dining experience of my life. So what the mountain may be more of a hill? The way down is far enough and the views of the city are amazing. While we ate we saw something very similar to a lemur in the trees. Quite the experience. They also had an accommodating hostess that spoke four languages. Very helpful! In 2011, the bonde was discontinued after an accident but it's scheduled to make a return in 2014. Hopefully if you're in Rio for the World Cup or the Olympics you can catch a ride and enjoy Apravìzel. If not, catch a cab. Just go. read more

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We came here for drinks and to enjoy the view. The drinks, the view, the service, and the atmosphere were all amazing. We got the couvert off of the appetizer menu to have something small to eat with our drinks and it turns out couvert is an assortment of fresh bread together and butter and a few spreads. What we got was very good and overall a great experience. I would recommend this place. FYI despite being a more upscale restaurant, lots of tourists were wearing havaianas so if you didn't bring your heels, don't worry! read more

Location. Location. Location. Ever wanted to eat in a magical tree house restaurant on the side of a mountain overlooking one of the most beautiful cities on the planet? Look no further. Pao de queijo? Check! Although I wasn't blown away by the sausage version. Plenty of meat courses to choose from? Check! Their sacred lamb dish was amazing. My family opted for the steak courses. Everyone loved what they had! And then, did I mention, TWO PAGES of desserts? The rock star was their banana and ice cream dessert, we crushed that thing. Ultimately, there's just so much to love about Aprazivel. One of the best places to have a meal in Rio in my oppijnion. Make a reservation. read more

Aprazível - Banana awesomeness! - Brazilian Near Me - Rio de Janeiro, RJ

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This review is based on the vibe, decoration and atmosphere! The structure of the restaurant is really cool and picturesque. They are tables on different levels and the kitchenware, seats and decors are unique. Portion is small; unlike other Brazilian restaurants in which dishes can be shared. Food here is for one person. read more

COMPLETELY OVERPRICED AND OVERRATED. Great view, but it's a shame that the staff is so rude. They didn't let us choose a table, even thought there were plenty and and they were annoyed because we asked the price of the wine. For the price, is just not worth it. The menu is a mess and our lamb and goat were flavorless. The desert (Banana Teresa) was really good,though, but I was just expecting A LOT more. read more

Aprazível - Brazilian Near Me - Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Ok, it's been two weeks since I was here and I'm still thinking about this restaurant. Yes, the views were amazing. But the food. The food was incredible. The hot heart of palm with pesto and olive oil? The best. I had the steak and my wife had a untraditional "country chicken". Both were amazing. The service was excellent. They were attentive but invisible. The best combination. The restaurant was so much fun to explore after after a few glasses of wine. All of the different levels and bars were a surprise. We don't normally go back to the same restaurants twice when visiting other countries but we will for this one. read more

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TL;DR--views: almost all are largely obstructed, food: below average, service: extremely rude. From the reviews we had read we were hoping for great views, good food (but not necessarily spectacular), and at least tolerable service. We came up short on all three. I've never felt compelled to leave a review before, but I had such an awful experience that I couldn't avoid it. The Views: The main draw for us to Aprazivel was the views. However, this was one of the biggest letdowns. We made a reservation for early (by Brazil standards) evening. I think there were two other couples in the entire restaurant while we were there. Despite being completely empty we were given excuses as to why we could only sit at a table with a mostly obstructed view. We were told that the area my wife liked the view from the most was "not available" for seating for another hour. As a consolation prize they said we could take a photo from the area, but then would have to sit somewhere else. When we asked about the next best seating area, we were told that only larger groups than ours could use those tables (despite the restaurant being completely empty). The view from the table we were seated at was almost completely blocked by a roof, and was crawling with ants and spiders. The Food: The food was ok, but not great. There are so many excellent dining choices in Rio, including Michelin reviewed restaurants, that are the same price point or cheaper. Not the worst food I'd have, but mostly a waste of time/money. The Service: I tend to roll my eyes that complain about service. I generally have a pretty low bar of what I consider acceptable service, which I lower even further in a country like Brazil. However, the service we received was bordering on openly hostile. My wife and I placed our order with the waiter (who did not repeat back our order to confirm). When he brought our food out one of the dishes was not what we had ordered. I politely brought this up to which he responded "Well, that's not what I heard". He then said "I can take it back if you want, but it's going to take a really long time". I said if it wasn't too much trouble we really would like to have the food that we ordered. For the rest of the night we got the complete silent treatment. After nearly an hour, other waiters noticed that he was intentionally ignoring us and stepped in to fill drinks, take our dessert orders, etc. Later, I told one of these waiters I was ready to pay. He relayed the message to the original waiter who looked over at us, and then proceeded to look at his phone for 15-20 minutes. Eventually, he brought the card reader to our table, swiped our card, and then left without saying a word. We had just spent R$400 and didn't even get a half-hearted "goodnight" or "thanks". As we walked towards the exit, he very obviously pointed towards us while audibly complaining about us to the other waiters. My recommendation: take in the breathtaking views from Santa Teresa (the view from the street in front of the restaurant is even better than the best tables in the restaurant!) and then go eat literally anywhere else in the city. read more

Beautiful scenery at the top of Santa Theresa, though really only accessible by car. It's a great view from many of the outside seats and the seating is quite spread out (inside air conditioner, tree house section, open cabana, lower bar area, outside porch area). We sat at the outside porch area overlooking the bar and gave us a great view of the Sambadromo. We started off with some water and a strawberry juice, which was unsweetened. They have a variety of specialty cocktails. The caipirinha comes with sugar cane ice cubes which were delicious but a little too sweet when it melted. They also make they own house brew. They were out of a few of the options but the wit beer was smooth and refreshing. We started with the typical pão de queijo which came in a basket. It wasn't overly impressive. But the main course, the grilled octopus with a pesto sauce, potato wedges and lightly salted grilled vegetables were absolutely delicious. We finished with a chocolate cake with caramelized cashew nuts and sea salt. The cappuccinos were very tasty as well. This place is so large with even a kids play area down by the bathrooms. There was a tree growing through the roof of the men's bathroom. It's quite unique, very quaint but spacious. Definitely worth the trek out here. read more

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Nice place.... With outside and inside Nice decoration and the food was amazing... The view worh the place read more

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Beautiful restaurant! Breathtaking views! Food is a bit more expensive but the atmosphere makes it all worth it! read more

Aprazível - Brazilian Near Me - Rio de Janeiro, RJ

This place is a tourist trap and should be avoided. The wine is marked up twice the price of other places in Rio. Took 30 minutes past my reservation time to get a table. Not a big deal. Took an hour and half to get bread service, which came out as scraps from kitchen that someone threw in a basket without any accoutrements and not even what we ordered. Took two hours to finally get our meal. Also, only about 10% of the tables even have a view, which is what this place is known for. We have eaten so well in Rio...no need to come here. read more

Great find with an amazing location in the middle of the green above the city and the view is just fantastic . The food is amazing and the service and wines from Brasil are just as good . read more

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The views are beautiful and the food was good too! Caipirinhas were STRONG. Would definitely recommend.

Great restaurant in Santa Teresa. The views are amazing, and so is the food. The restaurant is super well integrated in the nature. We really enjoyed Aprazivel read more

We ate here for Friendsgiving and it was amazing. The views going up were beautiful. The restaurant is amazing and more than I expected when it was described as dinner in a tree house in a magazine. The ambiance is perfect. The wait staff were excellent and even brought us off big spray upon request. The wine and caipirinhas were delicious. For dinner we had the crab, sea bass, chicken and rice, and beef medallions. Everything was delicious and well prepared. The right portion sizes as well. And affordable! I'm so glad I didn't miss this experience! read more

We had lunch here, with delicious food and a great view of the mountains and part of the city. It's really high so as you go up you can get a good feel of the bohemian Santa Teresa, a very old and traditional neighbourhood of Rio, that has a very cool and laid back vibe. It's a beautiful ride up there & one of the best and most unique restaurants in Rio. It's a whole experience for sure! Service was amazing and you can't (CANT) beat that view! The whole feel of the place is sooo laid back and relaxed, it's like you're eating in a tree house! SO COOL If you would like to eat there, book in advance specially for the weekends or breakfast. read more

This is definitely romantic and unique, as well as a commendable representation of northeastern Brazilian comfort food. You're in the very cool Santa Teresa, which does not have the cable car any more alas. So, it's a long cab ride from Ipanema and Copacabana. But it is definitely worth the trek. You're on a hillside, in a treehouse, in the jungle -- and plants love Rio. You will occasionally catch drifts of heady jasmine in the night air. The fruits and vegetables are as nature intended them to be. They taste different from even our organic produce. Therefore, the hearts of palm is not to be missed. It is a long stalk carved tableside, and the meat is tender and succulent. Imagine something resembling a leek with a taste somewhere between steamed artichoke and boiled corn. It is so delicious! Very different from what you get in a jar or can. I would also recommend the house salad, something closer to what we're used to up north than what I've seen elsewhere in South America, lots of lettuce in a vinaigrette. The beef fritters with spicy pickles were great, and they make the best bacalhau I've ever had. It was the owner's grandfather's recipe, and you can definitely share this dish. You get two large pastry-encased servings. Another dish you can share is the spinach ravioli in crushed tomato. The wine list is all Brazilian vintages. Somebody needs to start importing them, because the world needs to discover how good their wine is. I deducted a star for the kind of daft service. Lovely people, but they had no idea who we were, though our concierge made a reservation and communicated that we were celebrating a special occasion. My husband had to flag them down and pull them aside several times. The table next to us didn't have that problem, though, and they were American. Maybe they were just having a busy Saturday night. read more

Beautiful location, but a bit pricey. It's a real trek to get to this place, but if you're a sucker for dinner with a sunset, you won't regret it. At the top of a hill, you find a glass elevator that takes you down to a multilevel treetop restaurant just right for a romantic evening mood. Like a lot of grub in Brazil, I found my tender goat to be a tad too salty, but the meat was tender and fell apart easily, and the shallots were just the sweet and crunchy accompaniment to offset the savoriness. But my favorite part of the meal by far was dessert. The mulberry sorbet was absolute perfection. Great service, and they speak English. read more

Food was excellent tasteful and fresh the ambiance was terrific awesome views and amazing architecture around the natural elements we ordered the filet mignon and grilled fish and finished it up with the apple pie with caramel and ice cream only 3 stars because of our assigned servers lack of service and attentiveness to his customers, be aware Uber typically declines to drive u there due to the long twisty cobble stone roads this place is very cute but the drive is hectic ur best option is to catch a cab. read more

Aprazível is by far the most romantic restaurant in Rio de Janeiro. Situated at the top of Santa Teresa, you will witness one of the most amazing views of Rio while having your meal. If you're 4 people of more ask for the little bungalows they have on top of some trees. Food was also really good. The prices are high but you're also paying for that amazing view. Reserve in advance to avoid disappointment as many times you won't get to seat without one, even if you choose to wait. read more

On the recommendation of a local colleague, a group of us made the voyage from Copacabana to Sta Teresa to enjoy the marvelous sights and tastes of Aprazivel. I made a point to come back my following trip to Rio because it was so good! To begin with, the location is breathtaking. Up on a mountain overlooking Rio is a great sight, day or night. The food is delicious too! Both times I visited, my plate was absolutely spotless by the time it was taken back. My compliments to the chef and owner for a wonderful dining experience. read more

I visited this restaurant with a few friends while on a trip to Rio de Janeiro. We hiked up a steep mountain in order to get to the place (with the spotty service and pitch dark streets, it was impossible to find a taxi/uber). Once we got there, we weren't disappointed. The restaurant is huge, with a decor that makes it feel like you are in a tropical jungle. The patio seating offers magnificent views of Rio de Janeiro, it is impossible to capture them with your camera. Ambiance is cool and relaxed. I had the Marreco Apprazivel, or the wild duck, which was mouth-watering delicious, served with wild rice and apple purée. Definitely an unforgettable place. Worth that hike! read more

Summary: Good to excellent food offerings, excellent high level of service, amazing view of Rio de Janeiro. Hard to get to. Expensive. The food is good: I had several appetizers and dishes as I went with a large group of people, thus I cannot make any specific recommendations as to specific dishes. Universally all the dishes were good. High quality of service: The nighttime view of Rio de Janeiro was amazing and the restaurant surroundings is expansive - one of the more unique designs I've ever seen, with multiple levels and setup - tree house like structures, canopies, verandas... Requests for services were conducted in a foreign language, so I cannot comment on their ability to adapt for tourists and English speakers. Service obtained in Portuguese were high quality, as expected for a restaurant of this caliber. Hard to get to: It is not easy to arrive at Aprazivel. My taxi got lost. Due to location and for safety reasons, tourists should rely on private transportation or friends who know the area well. On the high-end of things: This is one of Rio de Janeiro's high-end restaurants with an excellent ambiance and service to match. The pricing reflects the high-end nature of this restaurant; I would not come here to eat everyday. Portions sizes are not American-large, but Brazilian standard. It is an excellent restaurant for what it is, but unsurprisingly expensive - typical of high end Brazilian restaurants. I ate here when the currency was approximately R$2.50=$1, and my moderately sized meal was about $50 USD. read more

This place is litterally a consecutive orgasmic rhythm in the rainforest of a restaurant. This is, is anything, an understatement of it's spiritual an culinary greatness. Do not enter or leave Rio without stopping in here and having your doors blown off. read more

Loved this place. Amazing view and great service. Of course must try palmito! It's served in a bamboo shelf and tastes nothing comparable with anything. read more

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Absolutely amazing place, the view is spectacular, I like the style. Food is delicious and nice presented, drinks are yummy, just to relax, enjoy and be happy. read more

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Great environment and and really nice view. The food was really good, although the wait was a bit long. I wouldn't recommend anything over an another, because every meal had its own creative touch. I would still recommend to avoid the ravioli, because although they were quite good, and unlike any I had eaten before, it wasn't a large meal. In fact, it wasn't enough to fill a person up. All in all, a great restaurant with a superb view, but I had to wait a really long time for my food, which is not pleasant. read more

The main reason I chose to go to Aprazivel is the view. The restaurant is located on the top of Santa Teresa, so it has one of the most beautiful views from Rio de Janeiro. The decor of the restaurant is really nice, kind of rustic, and they have a big area. The food was tasty, but the portions small. I think it's a little overpriced, but it's a nice place for an special occasion. I will definitely return! read more

Best view in the whole city. Wonderful food. Very fresh cocktails, it's like a multi level tree house high over the city! Should be a must do on a visit to Rio!! read more

Aprazível - Brazilian Near Me - Rio de Janeiro, RJ

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Nice view, awesome food. Bit expensive. Try Pao de Queijo with Linguiça.

Order the ceviche. It is the best I have ever had... our table ended up getting 3 orders and every bite tasted as good as the first one. Would also recommend the drink Santa Teresa and the açaí ceviche read more

Aprazível sits high in the hills of Santa Teresa, where its shtick as a fairy tale treehouse of a restaurant with a tropical cliffside vista could be enough to seduce diners and be successful. Luckily for us, someone in charge here decided that most definitely wasn't enough, and it just so happened to also be the best meal we had in Rio. The steak medallion - or Medalhão - was a particular standout, tender and flavorful and grilled to perfection, absolutely upholding Brazil's top-notch reputation for world-class beef. The Tropical Fish, delicious in its own right in orange marinade, was highlighted by a surprising side of coconut-and-cashew rice. The bread basket came with an awesome, clam-heavy Shellfish Vinaigrette. And even a non-banana fan like myself couldn't deny the Banana Santa Teresa dessert, grilled with cinnamon and sugar and plated alongside vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce. But the most phenomenal item we ate, without a doubt, was the Fresh Roasted Heart of Palm. Back in the States, this is typically salad filler to me. But in Brazil, this veggie takes on a more magical taste, giving it scene-stealing memorability, and Aprazível's offering was bar none the best we had in town. With a smooth texture (versus perhaps a straw taste from jarred varieties), it was forkable, fresh, and nearly melted in your mouth. In all honesty, it was akin to discovering a new food altogether. I had a heart of palm awakening, if you will. The scenery must be experienced in person (a microcosmic statement for Rio at-large), and it would appear all tables come with a view. If it's date night, they've got a few two-tops specifically well-positioned so that you can sit next to one another and share the sights side-by-side. And even a trip to the toilets won't let you forget you're in a forestial fort, as the men's room has a giant tree in the middle that the restaurateurs seemingly built around as to keep it preserved. As it's off the beaten path a bit, ask your hotel the best way to get to Aprazível, whether it's by bus or tram or taxi. It's a nice escape from Zona Sul, one that promises an amazing meal with a view, and, you know, maybe the potential for some born-again heart of palm vibes, as well. read more

Worth the excursion from the beaches in Rio. The view is amazing, service is impeccable, food is delicious. Very intimate restaurant for an open air restaurant. This is a unique experience tourists are looking for! I highly recommend this place as a stopover following a visit to Christ the Redeemer statue. read more

Aprazível - Wonderful restaurant off the beaten tourist path! - Brazilian Near Me - Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Rated as one of Santa Teresa's most romantic restaurants, we went there during June 2011 trip. At that time, I couldn't give a review since Yelp had recently added Brazil. I remembered Hub wanting to be adventurous enough to climb the steep hills of Santa Teresa. I highly recommend taking the trolley there unless you don't mind bruised feet from walking the cobblestones and steep hills of Santa Teresa. We were lucky enough to score the best table in the house with a spectacular and beautiful views of the city and gardens. Our hostess gave us recommendations along with any translations of the menu. Luckily, Hub didn't have much difficulty thanks to his Portuguese classes in college. I had the Rainha do BAIÃO (in honor of Queen BAIÃO aka famous singer Carmelia Alves), fillet tilapia seasoned with olive oil and coriander served with hot peppers and al dente okra accompanied by a side of rice mixture with beans and farofa (toasted manioc flour is with butter, salt, and bacon used to sprinkle over poultry, sweet nuts, rice, etc. Brazilians love to use it as an condiment for most dishes. Get to know it!). Hub had the flank steak with beans accompanied with a rice salad of raisins, pickled red cabbage, sweet potatoes, eggs, etc. For dessert, thanks to our servers recommendation, we shared the strawberry love which is a strawberry liquor flamed with cointreau and orange juice poured over strawberry icecream and whipped cream. I also had their caipirinha which could knock you off your feet. I had to ask for a less potent one no matter how well I tolerate alcohol. Even the 2nd one was still strong but not as overwhelming as the 1st one. Overall, if you want to spend a quiet evening relaxing and dining, this is the IT spot. Highly recommend a reservation if you want the best seat in the house. It can get a bit dark at night which makes it confusing to locate. It's actually in the steep hills in the middle of the road that has an hidden gate to the Aprazivel. If you see waitstaff lounging outside, you found it! read more

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Breathtaking views, good food and some of the best and coldest beer in recent memory. Not the best meal of your life, but an amazing overall experience due to the ambiance. read more