We went to Bar Urca for dinner on our third night in Rio. The main reason we chose this restaurant was because we read that they serve Camarão na Moranga--shrimp stuffed in a pumpkin. My girlfriend had been talking about this dish for years, ever since she first tried it during a trip to Rio nine years ago. Based on online reviews, Bar Urca seemed like the perfect spot to find it. The restaurant is located in Urca, a quiet, peaceful neighborhood with a charming vibe. The space itself is small, and the dining area is upstairs with a lovely view. The staff was super friendly and helpful--probably tied for the best service we had during the whole trip. As for the Camarão na Moranga--it was absolutely delicious and did not disappoint! The portion was huge--way too much food for just the two of us. Honestly, this dish could easily serve 3 to 4 people. We left completely stuffed. If you're ever in Rio, definitely give this place a try--and if you love shrimp, this dish is a must! read more

Well-served food, spectacular view, cozy place and good service. Very good restaurant, reservations are recommended as there are only a few tables. Excellent shrimp pie and fantastic bobó. read more

Bar Urca - Pastel de camarão e bolinho de bacalhau - Brazilian Near Me - Rio de Janeiro, RJ

After a lovely tour of Sugar loaf, we decided to come here for lunch. I've had my heart set to try Moqueca all week, so I was super happy that this place offered it. Again- I really have to be extra grateful to the staff for their kindness. Our Portuguese was definitely not the best, but they worked with us to figure out our orders. I started off with a shrimp empanada and crab pastel, and of course, the shrimp moqueca as a main. Everything was DELICIOUS! Though, I believe I prefer the crab pastel over the shrimp empanada. It was obvious that this spot is a favorite, as many locals filled the tables. It was a great scene of happiness over food. What took our meal over the top was their in house hot pepper oil. It was so good, we had to ask the staff for extra to take home!! read more

See all

Excellent food,friendly people and the best view of Rio de Janeiro Bay.I'll always recommend the Shrimp empanadas.Called in Rio,Shrimp pastel.Oh my gosh, it's amazing!Delicious!!! read more

Very posh and scenic spot. I heard the cafe downstairs is the spot to be seen at - bourdain was here for the pastels! We came a little late night after being tourists at sugar loaf. My partner is Brazilian (and born here). His aunties are locals in the next town over and recommended this spot. Couldn't help but order the main star of this dining establishment / the pumpkin shrimp thing that is enough for 3-4 people! Took forever to prepare and serve (we were informed / warned) and it was def a show when it came to the table. They delicately serve you pieces of the pumpkin and serve you...feel like royalty lol. Deliciousness it was and I really liked the farofa that had a hint of coconut that went well with the pumpkin "cheesy" sauce. We actually had the same dish a few days later in Cabo Frio with other family that ordered it and that one was NOT good (looked orange and tasted like cheez wiz). So this place def has made it their mission to ensure the authenticity and balance is perfected. I would def spend the $ for this dish but bring 2 more friends! Unless ur ok with eating this for days (leftovers) which we honestly didn't have the pleasure too. I would come back to try the pastels next time I'm in Brazil which I hope because this is to be an annual thing for me! read more

Bar Urca Antonio was amazing and a perfect location to stop at to have a drink on our way back to our hotel. I have never had a colder beer in my life. It comes out of the freezer and it has plenty of frost on the bottle, plus they put it inside what they called their beer condom (a Styrofoam container for the bomber beers). We started downstairs, ordered beer, grab and go, at this famous little place and walked Across the street to the wall to watch the sunset. The history is great, and it's right across from Rio's famous skyline wall. We moved upstairs where my new friend, Antonio took care of us. It was a tiny little place upstairs that serve some great food, with maybe about 10 tables if you're lucky enough to sit by the window you could look at the sky line. I WOULD recommend, the coldest beer EVER! read more

See all

Best meal in Rio! Seafood is so fresh and delish n priced reasonably . You cannot miss this meal when you are in Rio! read more

See all

We just had a few appetizers and one large dish. But the food was fantastic. The restaurant is located upstairs, if you just want a few fried things to snack on they are available for grab and go at the downstairs stall. We had the shrimp with catupriry and crab pastels which were both phenomenal. For our main course the pumpkin filled with shrimp looked too good to pass up. And we were right. Creamy and rich with so many shrimp that you were likely to get at least 2 per spoonful. The pumpkin was not just for show, and it added a nice counterpoint to the rich shrimp broth. The service was old school, very friendly, and carried out by older more mature men. All this and the restaurant overlooks a beautiful bay with docked boats. read more

See all

We enjoyed this family style restaurant. It was busy but we scored a table for two immediately. A little surprised that shrimp Milanese meant fried shrimp but good. Big salad. Husband had steak in seafood restaurant but said it was ok. Nice view out windows of the sea. read more

What can I say. The place is a Rio institution. Getting a drink and taking it across the street to watch the sunset is a tourist's dream come true. Awesome! Don't miss this one read more

It used to be much better. They have added too many extra tables and now the waiters have difficulty moving around the tables to serve the customers efficiently. The food is not as tasty as before. read more

The hike down from Sugarloaf Mountain didn't cause me to work up an appetite. Nor did the stroll past the picturesque beach, Praia Vermelha, and down neighboring streets. I almost succumbed to the charm of a busy restaurant sitting just above Praia da Urca before my son reminded me that my desire was to go to Bar Urca. Though Bar Urca was mentioned in the Lonely Planet guidebook that wasn't what caused me to forge ahead. It was something else that I couldn't recall until arriving there. Rounding the corner from the military post above Bar Urca, the landscape of patrons lining the seawall came immediately into view. Drinks in hand, fried goodies being noshed, I knew immediately: this was a place I'd seen Anthony Bourdain at in his series, "No Reservations". There's an upstairs restaurant which I wanted no part of. The day was gorgeous and a place along the seawall called. Purchases are made across the street from the seawall, downstairs from the restaurant, at a confusing counter. It was a relief to know that Bar Urca employs an English-speaking "concierge" who they called down to help with the ordering process (the first few things I tried to order were not available). Fried calamari they had, and from there I took the concierge's suggestion for some other perfectly fried seafood appetizers then pointed at several savory, pastry-wrapped items to round out the meal. Caipirinha and icy cold beer were a given. More perfect food and drink could not be imagined in this astoundingly idyllic setting. I lined my plates along the seawall to form a point of interest for the camera. For a moment, a very long moment, I was Anthony Bourdain. From the setting to the food, the drinks, and the company, Bar Urca was perfection. There's a reason you should seek out Bar Urca for an afternoon. It will remain a lasting memory long after you've savored the last morsel of food. I'm not certain what all they serve here but you can't err if you do as I did - drinks, some fried seafood appetizer platters, and some selections from the case. Ordering is a bit confusing if you don't speak Portuguese but that concierge helps immeasurably. Grand total for the first round of food and drinks ran about $45 US. The food left me sated but more drinks were called for if only to provide a reason to sit on that wall a little longer. If you're a tourist you are no doubt headed to Sugarloaf Mountain. Make time for Bar Urca as well. I doubt you'll be disappointed. read more

See all

Gosh, last time we were here it was a holiday and it was soooo packed. This time we went on a weekday and an overcast one at that. So nobody was out and it was super easy to get a couple beers and other drinks and sit by the wall and relax. The view isn't quite as pretty when it's dreary outside but at least you're not cooking in the mid afternoon sun. This is definitely a good place to stop by after hiking up pão de açúcar. The town of Urca is cute and worth the short walk through the quite neighborhood of houses. Good choice of harder liquor but limited beer options. There's also food upstairs to accompany a midday snack. read more

Bar Urca - On the wall - Brazilian Near Me - Rio de Janeiro, RJ

See all

Waited for 40 min but was worth it. Had some kind of Portuguese paella and for dessert or Sobremesa as they call it , bananas with icecream + beer. Total bomb Delicious Must in Rio!! read more

See all

This is an amazing place to have dinner with your special someone or group of friends!! The views of the bay at sunset are incredible. The chef has created an amazing menu that specializes in the regional Brazilian cuisine and has add some classic favorites with an interesting twist. read more

See all

If I were to live in Rio, Urca would definitely be my neighborhood of choice. With its tree lined streets, casual cariocas chatting along the low seawall, and colorfully petite fishing boats that dot the inner harbor, this seafront respite harkens back to simpler times. Capturing all the action (and views) the area has to offer is Bar Urca - and to think I'd almost left Rio without paying this excellent locale a visit! My dining companion suggested we opt for the traditional Camarão na Moranga - literally shrimp in a pumpkin - and the presentation alone was worth the order. Served up in a beautiful pumpkin, we lifted off the top to find a hearty stew filled with shrimp. Served next to rice, this dish was awesome. The ambiance of the place is rather old-fashioned, but that's certainly part of the appeal. After your meal, you can head downstairs to the outside bar and grab some beers to enjoy along the sea wall. I highly recommend it! read more

Bar Urca - Brazilian Near Me - Rio de Janeiro, RJ

See all

Nice spot with a great view! The food was delicious and the service was quick yet friendly. We sat outside in the shade after placing our order. The cod ball was different but tasty - just try it! The coprinina was refreshing! read more

Bar Urca - Brazilian Near Me - Rio de Janeiro, RJ

the open air bar is AMAZING and the view from the sea wall is unparalleled. One of my favorite spots in Rio. I know about 2 words in Portuguese but the staff called someone over who politely helped us order in english. We got the fried shrimp plate and the octopus calamari with two (large) beers. The beers were a light pilsner, the perfect refreshment for a hot day. The food was also exquisite, the calamari was fresh and the shrimp came with a dipping sauce that was BOMB.COM. At around 50 American dollars, it felt like a good deal. It didn't hurt that the view is gorgeous. An absolute gem in Rio! read more

Bar Urca - Sippin' on cervejas - Brazilian Near Me - Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Perfect spot for an afternoon snack! We had just finished our one tourist attraction of the day, Sugarloaf Mountain and were looking for a bite to eat. Decided to be adventurous and ditch google maps for a bit and instead just walk until we stumbled upon anything that looked good. We first stumbled upon the town of Urca, which was pleasant enough. Super cute town along the water with great views and gorgeous homes to check out while you walk around. In our stroll we then came across Bar Urca. We opted to not do the whole indoor restaurant thing this time and to instead take our snack to the waters edge. We ordered a variety of delicious empanadas....beef, cheese, and fish along with a large beer that came in a small cooler with two glasses. We took it over to the stone wall that lined the water to enjoy the weather while taking in the views. A must do if you're in the area! read more

Bar Urca - Cheese, Beef, & Fish empanadas - Brazilian Near Me - Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Great little gem in the urca neighborhood. At night expect long wait to eat inside but do the take out window and cross the street to sit on the sea wall. Great cold beer and sea food pastries. The food is local and really good. Specially if what you are looking for is sea food. The sea food soup (caudillo de fruto de mar) was the best. The moquequa de camaroa was good but very heavy and good for four people. read more

See all

A must go if you are in Rio de Janeiro. There is a bar that is curbed side and a restaurant above. The scene is relaxed. They have an amazing seafood "caldo"- soup/broth that you can get in a cup. The fritters are great. Inside the restaurant is more traditional Brazilian food. Moqueca is great! read more

Solid spot made famous to gringos by Anthony Bourdain. The soup was AMAZING the shrimp empanadas delicious. The casual atmosphere of dining along the water sitting on the stone ledge romantic. Felt like we were experiencing being a local. Lots of locals hanging out. Octopus salad! How could I forget? Would gladly return if u ever find myself in rio again. Worth the cab right out from wherever you are - we were in ipanema and made the trek. read more

You know a place is something special when you visit it more than once on a limited time vacation. Bar Urca was that place for our summer trip to Rio. We caught glimpse of this place while watching Anthony Bourdain enjoy the seawall views on his show No Reservations and knew we had to go. We touched down in Rio on a Sunday morning, found ourselves here that night, and same goes for the following Sunday before heading back to the states. I don't think I've ever been more at ease sipping on an Antartica, enjoying the delicious bar snacks, and sitting on the seawall in 75 degree weather. If I ever find myself back in Rio, which I definitely hope to some day, this will again be my first and last spot. read more

This little neighborhood bar and cafe offers great views of Rio's skyline. Tonnes of locals and overall, a great residential neighborhood to check out during your trip to Rio. There is an upstairs seating area but people usually congregate across the street and stand or sit on the ramp. We enjoyed a beer, coffee and some fried calamari which were so fresh you could literally taste the ocean. I found the service to be kind of non-existent and prices a bit inflated. read more

Bar Urca - Brazilian Near Me - Rio de Janeiro, RJ

I guess I expected more when I heard all the talk about Bar Urca haha. It was definitely good just not as amazing as I heard. We were like "wait, this is bar urca??" What I ate We shared the baian moqueca. It was good, fish was fresh and shrimps were nice. I have to say I still rathered the moqueca in salvador (where the dish originates). Presentation was nice but I definitely realized we were paying more for location. Some of the side dishes were kinda salty. It says for two people but we had leftovers to eat it again later, can't complain about the serving size. Prior to the moqueca we had some shrimp empanadas which were delish. If I were to go back in time I think a better choice would be to order some drinks and empanadas and eat them outside near the water rather than eat inside. I'd come back, but not to eat inside. Or at the least maybe i'd order something else. read more

First thing you notice is the number of plaques there are on the wall... Loads of awards. Most of the waiters look elderly enough but they speak enough English for an order. We had the moqueca (Bahia style) and a pumpkin full of shrimp cooked with catupiry - it actually came inside the pumpkin. The food was great and portion sizes were rather big. The restaurant is on the first floor. Downstairs you will see the bar with a whole load of people getting their snacks and alcohol, chatting the night away. Ah.. the good life :) read more

I was going to wait until try the food from the Restaurant above Urca bar (that people say it's great) before doing this Review... but whataheck, I'll just update it later! That being said, I must say: I'm reviewing the bar, not the restaurant! The hype about this place is the atmosphere: drinking by the wall, with an amazing view from the bay (you can see Flamengo beach, Botafogo beach, downtown and Niteroi!)... by weekends it gets crowded and with a lot of foreign tourists (as I learned from previous reviews, this bar apparently showed up in a tv show). A nice place to check out the movement, catch up with friends and even (why not?) meet some interesting people! You order you beer and food by the counter and pay when you order. The bar food is solid (the shrimp empanada is pretty good!), not great. Great place to enjoy after going up to the sugarloaf. I remove one star because one thing in this place really bothers me: you drink across the street, sitting by the wall... meaning that they have NO costs regarding tables, cleaning, etc... the beer should be cheaper! Not that it is incredible expensive, but in my opinion they shouldn't charge 10 reais for a beer.... essentially, they are selling the view from the street! In that sense, there are some other bars before Urca that probably are better.... meaning: you still have the great view, still sit on the wall and the beer will be cheaper... Plus: I thought that one could see the sunset behind Christ from the bar, but Urca is after a turn that block the view of the Christ! These bars before Urca have a clear view from Christ, so I'm guessing that the view is better over there! read more

We came after visiting Sugar Loaf and enjoyed walking through the cute neighborhood to get here. Like most Americans, we came because Anthony Bourdain's recommendation. We got a ton of food from the carry out but the 2 stand outs were the octopus and the fried fish with awesome sauce that was a cross between tarter and cole slaw. Even if the food wasn't good, the seawall that most people sit on while eating has a great view with fishermen docking once in a while with their catch. read more

Bar Urca - Brazilian Near Me - Rio de Janeiro, RJ

See all

This is place is way overhyped. The upstairs restaurant is crowded, has mediocre service, and food that is good but super expensive. The outside area is...well, there's nothing to it. It's a small take-away counter with what's basically a seawall where you can sit if you can find a place. The view is good but there's absolutely nothing that sets this place apart from sitting on any other seawall in Rio. It's a hit with locals and tourists but I don't know why. I guess they're all into sitting around uncomfortable stone seawalls eating greasy food with their hands and trying not to drop a beer. read more

I went to this restaurant/bar based on the Yelp reviews. I ended up eating a late lunch in the restaurant upstairs and the food was quite good. The restaurant was quaint and the service very good. As an American traveling internationally I do not expect everyone to speak English. After many hand gestures, fake Portuguese and a lot of laughs we were finally able to order. After dinner we went to the corner bar downstairs and had a beer And proceeded to the stone wall at the edge of the bay. The view was great and it made for a really easy and relaxing evening with a great view. All in all Bar Urca was good. I would recommends frequenting it after coming down for the Sugarloaf Mountain as it is only a 7 minute cab ride. read more

This is a place that locals adore. You order at the crowded counter and then sit on the sea wall. The best part is the social scene of diverse and friendly people, and it's safe. It's fun to come to Urca and to see all the boats. The caipirinhas were STRONG. read more

Charming spot in Rio De Janeiro. This spot has two places to order drinks, an open air bar out on the street facing out towards the Ocean and also a traditional sit down restaurant upstairs above the bar that looked to only be accessible by a flight of steps. I tried the open air bar on the street and ordered a plate of lightly battered shrimp and a caipirinha to wash it down. The bar was pretty packed but surprisingly the service was smooth and we received our order pretty fast. A must when coming here, especially if you order fried seafood, is to try the 'Brazilian coleslaw' for lack of the name of the actual sauce that came with our shrimp, but also the hot sauce they have available at the bar which is fantastic. This is a must stop for any Rio tourists, for the drinks, the food and the view. read more

We didn't have a meal here as they had an hour and a half long wait on a weekend. However we still had a great time by ordering some snacks from their takeaway corner and enjoyed them with the locals hanging around the sea wall across the street. Two thumbs up for the shrimp pastels. They were the best we had in all of Rio. If I had more thumbs I'd give it to the delicious fried sardines. Salty, crispy, dried goodness in every bite that went so well with the cold beer and smell of the the salty sea. This one is not to be missed! read more

We came to this place for lunch before heading to Sugar Loaf Mountain. It was bit confusing at first since it's both a restaurant (on the second floor) and a waterfront bar, but it turned out to be a great place to grab food and sit on a ledge by the water. There weren't many entree options, but they had a good number of pretty standard things to choose from (such as seafood risotto, codfish balls, seafood pasta) and some other things I still am not familiar with but were delicious. They had various fried pastries that were good, but a little too dry/heavy for me, even with olive oil. Generally, a cool place to check out for great prices, but I think there are better food options in Rio. read more

The view is great but because of the popularity it is crowded and very overpriced. A better bet in the same locale is the Garota da Urca bar and restaurant. Reasonable prices and great food. read more

It's a classic stop. One of the best sunset spots in Rio, and just a nice place to sit and watch people take endless selfies while drinking ice cold beer. Needs better bathroom options but that's all I can complain about. I always take visitors here. read more

Anthony Bourdain got me here. It overlooks the Rio beach and is just a perfect place for seafood and cold beer. Each morning tons of overnight fishers come in with their fresh haul and sell the fish to anyone here. It's quite an awesome site. Grab a beer, sandals, and some Brazilian food nearby and enjoy the amazing beach. There are pick pockets galore here though, so don't carry too many valuables. read more

I'm a big fan of this place. Seafood is SO fresh and the restaurant has a nice view of the water. Service is good. Highly recommend it.

Good place for a drink on Sunday. But I think there are better viewpoints of the sunset and of Cristo further down.

There are two places where you can eat the best of the sea food in rio: this one and another restaurant in Barra. Bar urca has a lovely view, from the tiny restaurant you can see the sea and lots of boats through the big window. Some of the bests dishes are the "Camarao crocante" and the "moqueca". The service is great, they are very friendly and the same people work there for many years. read more