Wow! They had the store front sign up a while before they opened their doors. I found their website…read moreshows a Barra de Tijuca store but this is new branch. It has a very similar layout with a clean modern look with a corridor of freezer and refrigerated cases along both walls as you walk in, filled with high end cuts of fancy meat. Pretty much anything you need for a proper churrasco you can find here. Plenty of selection from beef to pork to king crab, it's all available for a price. Some meats are seasoned and others are plain but most are vacuum packaged for freshness. In the back is a selection of specialty beers and wines. Zone sul action has a decent selection for a better price but it's only one stop of you get your meats here. There's also a nice selection of seasoning; salts, spices, condiments, teas and the like along the shelves. It could be a fancier version or similar to what you might find a Talho Capixaba down the street. I haven't bought any of the meats yet but have lingered and eyed the options of meats. It's enough to make one salivate!

I am LONG overdue for a review on this place. I have been going here for over a year now and it is…read morejust wonderful. Since Brazil doesn't really have the same 'coffee shop' culture as the US, I had trouble working from home the first year that I lived here. FINALLY, I found Grão & Cia where they have free wifi, great coffee, nice people and a quiet upstairs to work where you are undistracted. Sometimes I literally work here for 6-8 hours so luckily they have snacks like nuts, cheeses and gluten free breads and granola bars. It is full of artisan snacks and craft beers and great wines. I bought this farofa that is so good! It comes in a fancy glass jar and has rosemary, Brazil nuts, basil and some other spices. I coated a piece of dourado (I think that is Mahi Mahi) with it and baked it and it turned out so yummy! The manager is really helpful. He is always getting new snacks in and has picked up on the types of things I like so every time I go in, he suggests new products. He also speaks English. Though, now I am fluent enough and we speak in Portuguese. The ONLY downfall of this place is that they literally play the same CD of 12 tracks over and over and over and over. In the year that I have gone there, it has NEVER changed. Thus, I bring headphones and play my own music.

It is very "Ipanema". A fusion of high quality gourmet products, a great selection of wines and…read morebeers and an addition of a very special food truck every Saturday, offering a mouthwatering pork sandwich. That is the time that I like most. The ambience is great with few outside tables and people gathering to talk, eat, drink and have fun. A very positive atmosphere. The sandwich itself costs 20 reais and it is delicious (ask for the "special" sauce). You can buy special beers or wine by the glass from the store. But it is not cheap after all: one imported beer and one sandwich (or a glass of wine) will end up around $50.