This is one of those stories I'll tell my grandchildren when I'm 80.
Gilda no Cantagalo is a jazz/cocktail bar that's located deep in a favela. You know, those places they warn you against going , especially alone at night. Well, it just so happened that we ended up in Cantagalo, a favela very close to Ipanema, trying to find Gilda late at night. This place is really in the know with the locals and offers outstanding views of Rio.
What we didn't know is that there is no clear marking of this place, except a nondescript sign with an arrow pointing up that just said, "Gilda." But where on earth was Gilda? Their phone number was out of service. The address meant nothing. The locals knew nothing about what it was or where it was. No one heard nothing, no one knew nothing.
We took an Uber there because we wanted to make sure that a regular cab driver wouldn't refuse to take us to Cantagalo; we quickly realized that you can't get dropped right in front because the road just stops. So if you plan on taking a cab, drive up to the hill where the police car is located and take an immediate right before the community center; walk up a dark, under-construction alleyway and follow the stairs that lead up to another street. And there I was, in a dark alleyway in Cantagalo. No epic "City of God" style shoot-out obviously; in retrospect, it was totally fine. Children were playing. People were celebrating.
And then, we finally found Gilda, but surprise!!! They were closed for the night due to the rain, which had stopped hours ago! They obviously should have updated their Facebook page. The guys seemed really chill and the views of Rio were indeed outstanding. I'd recommend coming here with someone who knows their way around and make plans of how you're going to get back down because there's no guarantee a cab will even pick you up here--if they can even find it. What a night! read more