For Brazilians, it is a must to eat a hot meal for lunch every day. In fact, it is the most important meal and they use at least an hour for it. However, if you’re in the mood for lighter food, let’s say a sandwich, you might need to make a bit of an effort to find the right addresses. Here are some of our favorite places for tasty sandwiches in Rio de Janeiro.
Da Roberta
Behind the street food bar Da Roberta is renowned chef Roberta Sudbrack. Once named the best female chef of Latin America, she closed her famous restaurant that carried her name (with one Michelin star) in 2017. After that came Da Roberta, a street food bar located in the upmarket neighborhood of Leblon, at walking distance from the lake, Lagoa. Set up as an indoors food truck, Da Roberta’s pastrami sandwiches are especially popular with her clientele. Her sandwiches ‘go down well’, like the locals say, with a craft beer from local brand Jeffrey Niña.
Rua Tubira 8, shop A, Leblon. Tel: 2239-1103.
Petit Sanduicheria
Petit, as the mini restaurant is known, can be found in a charming pocket of Copacabana, called Peixoto. The stylishly decorated 
restaurant has a pleasant vibe and offers a simple menu, with tasty and some of the more surprising sandwiches in Rio de Janeiro. What to think of the pork tonkatsu sandwich, made of succulent pork with a crusty crust, with a sauce based on apple and soy, combined pickles, served on a brioche. Petit is the brainchild of Roberta Ciasca, founder of well known restaurants Miam Miam and Oui Oui in Botafogo.
Rua Anita Garibaldi, 83 – Copacabana Tel 25470787
Balada Mix
Once long ago a fruit juice bar, nowadays Balada Mix is a much-coveted restaurant, famous for its health food and great sandwiches. If you don’t mind spending a bit more, Balada Mix in Ipanema has got some of the most interesting sandwiches in Rio de Janeiro on its menu. Their Itanhangá sandwich is a rich mix of smoked salmon, mozzarella cheese, fresh tomatoes with pesto sauce, served with Arabic bread, or a ciabatta. You could combine it with an exotic juice, a mix of grape juice with cocoa.
Rua Farme de Amoedo 39, Ipanema. Tel: 2147-0111
Cervantes
It can’t get any more old school than Cervantes, if you’re looking for a traditional hang out to devour a hearty sandwich. Located in Copacabana, it’s one of those places to stop by after an evening of drinking. Their sandwiches are thick monsters, and not for people with a small appetite, Try their filet mignon and pineapple sandwich, it’s a classic. Thin slices of filet mignon, grilled to perfection, topped off with a roasted pineapple. Just great, even more with a glass of their excellent draft beer next to it.
Avenida Prado Júnior, 335, Loja B, Copacabana Tel: 2275-6147
The Sanduwish Shop
To eat a sandwich in The Sanduwish Shop, is also a good opportunity to visit the neighborhood of Largo do Machado, easy to be reached by subway. The Sanduwish Shop is a culinary project of nutritionist Kelly Fernandes and chef Paula Borges, who trained her taste buds in kitchens in Peru, Spain, Colombia, and Italy. One their favorites: the Wish Burger, an artisan blend of burger on a brioche bun, mixed with English cheddar cheese, bacon, mustard of the house, and arugula.
Rua Ministro Tavares de Lira 105A, Largo do Machado. Tel: 2557-0649
Leave a Reply