Salvador da Bahia Restaurant Tips by acemj Top 5 Page for this destination

Sorriso da Dada: A gap-toothed wonder Sorriso da Dada Review

Don't let the exterior appearance deter you from eating at Dada. Once inside, you'll find a cozy room with paintings of the proprietor herself, Dada. She is a warm looking Afro-Brazilian woman usually depicted in traditional clothing and with a bright smile accented by a charming gap between her two front teeth. Too bad I didn't meet her while I was at her restaurant. Based on the photos of famous celebrities (Hillary Clinton, for example) on the walls with her, she looks like a very friendly lady.

Favorite Dish: I started with a caipirinha, the national drink of Brazil that's made with sugar, lime, ice and a sugarcane liquor called cachaca. Then, I ate a couple appetizers which filled me up just fine. The casquinha de siri (crabmeat) was really good. I also had vatapa. Yum.

Address: Rua Frei Vicente, 5

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Pelourinho

Phone: 071 321 9642

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 5

Theme: Local

Il Forno: Great pizza selection

This pizza joint in Barra near the lighthouse is located in a nice old house that has been transformed into a pizzeria. The menu had at least 40 different kinds of pizza and the service was prompt and attentive. I ate downstairs, but there is also an upstairs with a patio. The kitchen is open so you can watch them putting your pizza into one of the ovens and smell the cheese melting while you wait starving.

Favorite Dish: I ordered a Broccoli and Garlic pie and drank an Antarctica chopp. The pizza was better than I expected and the mere fact that they have so many great choices on the menu, makes this place worth a try.

Address: Rua Almirante Marques de Leao 77

Comparison: about average

Directions: Near the lighthouse in Barra

Phone: 071 264 7287

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Pizza

Barravento: Don't forget the chopp Barravento Review

Barravento calls itself a restaurante & chopperia, so don't forget the chopp. I ordered a chopp (draft beer) and bottle of Antarctica beer to accompany my spicy meal and both were decent (hey, you don't go to Brazil for the beer!).

Rating: 0

Theme: Local

Barravento: Great beach atmosphere Barravento Review

The patio is covered by a cool, sail-like roof and overlooks the beach with a view all the way to the lighthouse at the end of the sand. Since the weather wasn't the greatest, I decided to eat inside where there are still large floor to ceiling windows that allow you to look out at the view.

Favorite Dish: I ordered Moqueca de Siri Mole which is a typical dish of Bahia. Moqueca is basically an African-inspired seafood stew. In Bahia they cook with dende oil, which has a distinctive and rich taste and I enjoyed the hotter spices that gave the food a great flavor. The moqueca, however, seemed to skimp on the meat. The bits and pieces of seafood seemed to be all the throwaway bits and it was hard to find chunks of meat. I crunched my way through all sorts of legs and shells, but the flavor was so good, I didn't mind too much.

Address: Av. Oceanica, 814

Comparison: about average

Directions: In Barra

Phone: 071 247 2577

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 3

Theme: Other

Sorriso da Dada: Dessert to die for Sorriso da Dada Review

You didn't think I'd skip dessert, did you? I can't remember what this was called, but it was an amazing, rich chocolate cake of some kind. The cake was moist, almost wet, so it's possible that it was made without flour. The sauce on it was a warm, creamy, sugary coconut wonder. Wow. It was great!

Rating: 5

Theme: Local