Sign up with email

or

Already a member? Log in.

Trouble logging in?

Not a member? Sign up!

Tucked away at the end of a hidden alleyway in a city full of secret places is an old bar, a timeworn, bare-bones hole-in-the-wall that had lain nearly forgotten for decades. But thanks in part to the bar’s antique cod ball recipe, this gem of carioca popular gastronomy is beginning to be rediscovered.

Bar do Seu Candinho is named after its owner, a Portuguese immigrant who settled in Rio’s Port Zone more than 40 years ago. He and his brother, Roberto, who is the cook, built this typical Portuguese botequim (a small bar that serves traditional snacks) in the mid-1960s. At the time, the area was full of workers, and they kept the bar crowded. But the economic crisis that started in the 1970s and continued through the end of the 1990s marginalized the Port Zone and the bar.

Bar do Seu Candinho, photo by Vinicius CamizaTwo years ago, with the government’s reforms underway for the 2016 Olympics, everything began to change. The old street where the bar is located is being refurbished. In the process, just a few meters away from the bar, archeologists found an old slave cemetery, which has been turned into a museum. Little by little, Seu Candinho is starting to see a bright future for his bar.

Don’t get us wrong – the bar is still pretty beat-up looking and doesn’t give much of a first impression. But we don’t go for the ambiance. We’re there for the unforgettably delicious cod balls. At just 50 cents a pop, these little wonders set themselves apart from all others in the city because the recipe is actually a mashup of two traditional Portuguese dishes, the classic potato-encased cod croquette and the patanisca, a cod fritter made with egg whites. The combination of potato and egg whites makes all the difference.

Bar do Seu Candinho, photo by Vinicius CamizaThe cod balls are not the sole attraction here. The shrimp rice is also very respectable, served in generous portions and very cheap – the perfect dish to share with a friend, accompanied by lots of icy-cold beer.

Spending an afternoon here makes for a truly carioca experience – so carioca that many cariocas don’t even know about it yet.

  • Tasca CarvalhoApril 26, 2017 Tasca Carvalho (0)
    Portuguese gastronomy is at the core of Rio's botequins, the small, often family-run […] Posted in Rio
  • December 18, 2014 Best Bites of 2014 (0)
    Editor’s note: The year is coming to an end, which means it’s time for us to look back […] Posted in Rio
  • May 28, 2014 The Botequim (0)
    After Portugal, Spain is second in exerting the most influence over the traditional bars […] Posted in Rio
Vinicius Camiza

Published on December 08, 2014

Related stories

April 26, 2017

Tasca Carvalho: Porto Meets Rio

Rio | By Juarez Becoza
RioPortuguese gastronomy is at the core of Rio's botequins, the small, often family-run gastrobars spread all over the city. Traditional botequins offer European food and some unique aspects of Brazilian culture – mix you’ll find only in Rio. That being said, it’s hard to say whether Tasca Carvalho, the brand new Portuguese gastrobar in Copacabana,…
December 18, 2014

Best Bites of 2014: Rio

Rio | By Taylor Barnes and Juarez Becoza
RioEditor’s note: The year is coming to an end, which means it’s time for us to look back on all the great eating and drinking experiences we had in 2014 and name our favorites among them. Ferro e Farinha We have the Fulbright Program to thank for this newcomer – a one-of-a-kind Rio dining destination.…
May 28, 2014

The Botequim: Rio Gastrobar Classics, Spanish Edition

Rio | By Juarez Becoza
RioAfter Portugal, Spain is second in exerting the most influence over the traditional bars and botequins of Rio. Even though the number of immigrants from Spain is less than that of Germany or Italy, the Spanish, like the Portuguese, took over much of the popular commerce in the city at the end of 19th century…
Select your currency
USD United States (US) dollar
EUR Euro