Nova Capela

This traditional restaurant at the heart of Rio's party district opens until 4am every night of the week, and has been helping hard-partying Cariocas to soak up alcohol since the 1960s. But while the late hours and plum location are part of its appeal, it's the delicious food that has secured Nova Capela's success over the decades. Along with excellent renderings of traditional bar snacks such as 'bolinnhos de bacalhau' (seasoned cod and potato balls), the informal restaurant also serves hearty dishes such as a famous goat with broccoli rice. By day it's popular with out-of-towners refueling during walking tours of Centro, but after midnight it throngs with tipsy locals, and the caipirinhas here, while not the best in town, are dependably good and pleasingly potent.