I was introduced to this restaurant by a client of mine who wanted to take me there so that I could…read moregive them my opinion whether their codfish (Bacalhau) was Portuguese authentic. I have to say that I don't remember eating a better codfish than the one I ate there (including in my home country!). I highly advise this place for anyone who wants to try Portuguese-style salted codfish. Some dishes are adapted to Brazil but que quality of fish is the real deal! I've tried their other restaurant in Barra da Tijuca but I didn't think it was as good as this one.

The best Brazillian food I had during my trip to Rio. Walked in and this place was packed with…read morelocals. It had a good charm about it. We were seated and ordered the cod fish ball which was delicious and the brazillian lamb with broccoli rice and potatoes - this dish was the highlight meal of our entire 10 day trip. The lamb is baked for 8-10 hrs and then deep fried to give it the perfect texture and bring out all the flavors that are balanced by the broccoli rice and garlic potatoes. We also tried their Colorado beer and it paired very well with the meal. Service was quick and if I would return to Brazil, i would definitely stop by here again without a doubt. Highly recommend this gem of a place.

Yelp Review 2025 #204:…read more Nova Capela is one of Rio's oldest restaurants. It's located in the Lapa neighborhood. They serve traditional Brazilian food. This restaurant can get pretty busy in the afternoon to evening so, the best strategy is to come here as soon as they open. When I went, it seemed like the diners were locals and a few tourists. I looked up this restaurant before coming here so I can narrow down what I wanted to try. Fish or chicken filet with broccoli rice was the plan. But that's not what I ended up getting! Octopus: I love octopus so, I had to get it. Tender, perfectly cooked. Not heavily seasoned so you can fully enjoy its natural flavor. 4/5 Bolinho Bacalhau: When in Brazil or Portugal, you have to get bacalhau. Salted cod fritter without being salty. You get some crunch while the inside is soft without being dry. 4/5 Just the right amount of food so I can try more than one dish. Satisfying lunch. This is a very homey small casual restaurant. Service was good. Just wave somebody over if you need something. You must try this place!

If you're looking for a good cold beer (great variety of craft brazilian beers) near the port area…read moreand near the pedra do sal's samba or for a good lunch this place is a no brainer. Menu is really great and this "boteco" is always competing for the "comida di buteco" award.

The prices are fair, and the portions are huge. I eat a lot and I shared my dish with a friend and…read morewe both were full. I had the kiwi caiperhnha, great choice, I want to try the mango one next time. Everything was fresh and natural, the meat was well seasoned. I went back that same night to drink some "original" beer.

I will still give this place a five stars despite the difficulty of effective communication...we…read moredidn't understand a word of Portuguese so you can imagine the amounts of "obrigados" we exchanged. We order empanadas do queso and camaron....outstanding to say in the least. Plus their hot salsa is fire!! Very spicy and delish! They recommended their national drink "caipirinha." Outstanding! I'm a cheap drunk so one was enough and it was strong!

I really enjoyed my time here while visiting the steps of Rio. The food was delicious and had a big…read moreportion. I showed up with my partners relatives and they put me on this spot and it was amazing. We showed on a busy day so our tables were on the road. Wasn't any problem but added on to our experience! The service took their time with our food which is fair because of how busy it was. We also ordered juice and I highly recommend you order the strawberry juice, it's real tasty and sweet. I definitely would love to come back here.

This is a great place to have a drink on the patio and watch people walk by to visit the steps. We…read morehad drinks only. There is inside seating also. Service was good.

Great food and service. Our tour guide suggested this place for the award winning feijoada. The…read morefish stew was also very good.

Bomb prime rib sandwich and had omelet...the egg is deep fried and small portions but splendid …read more Lemonade is a bit sour (if you dont like that then I wouldn't recommend). Also, it's a 20 min walk from the Santa Teresa steps . The service is amazing . The staff is very attentive.