What often only happens at nighttime in other cities, also happens during the day in Rio. Cariocas (Rio's residents) live to enjoy life, and often the bars are just as packed as the beaches from morning to night. The preferred drink is the caipirinha, which you can enjoy in the afternoon or after dinner at a bar or at one of the city's clubs. Almost everywhere you go is refreshingly low key and unpretentious, even the most sophisticated hotspots. Whether you head to one of Lapa's 19th century mansions turned into samba halls or stay in Leblon after a fabulous dinner, you'll find people simply wanting to enjoy the night as if there's no tomorrow (really, do these people ever work? -- is what you'll find yourself thinking). When tomorrow comes, it's business as usual -- at work, at the beach, or at the bar.


Galeria Cafe
Open at the end of the week for over a decade, this club in Ipanema regularly hosts special parties and art exhibitions. Other events include fashion shows and plays, while the bar serves a decent list of drinks.

Academia da Cachaça
Cachça is the white Brazilian rum distilled from sugar cane that is used to make the country's famous caipirinhas. At this bar you'll find hundreds of kinds of cachaça that are used to make the city's best caipirinhas, with the oldest example dating back to the late 19th century. Locals also hang out here for the food, ordering linguiça (sausage) and other meat specialties while tourists arrive to see what this institutions is all about.

Devassa
A young crowd usually fills up one of the Devassa bars (there's a handful of them in the city) to sit for hours drinking Rio's beloved tap beer. The one in Ipanema (Rua Prudente de Moraes, 416) is quite an enjoyable and friendly place, and one of the city's biggest hotspots for drinks.

Garota de Ipanema
Brazil's most famous song has the name of this bar. It was actually written here, and the Bossa Nova spirit is still in the air with the first few lines of "The Girl from Ipanema" written on the walls. It's often packed by large groups of locals and tourists, but you simply can't pass by Ipanema without going inside this bar for a chilled beer and a piece of local history.

Nuth
A wealthier crowd of locals and tourists come to this club to try their luck at finding a special someone. The biggest nights are on Thursday and Sunday, when everyone dances and flirts on the dancefloor to the sound of the latest international hits. To get some fresh air or if you've had enough of couples overdoing their PDA's, the courtyard is the place to go.

Rio Scenarium
This 19th century warehouse is filled with antiques and oddities, providing an eccentric backdrop to the samba shows often held here. It's a great place to capture the spirit of Rio, while the balconies on the upper level are the spot to watch Rio life go by. It also serves meals and has a decent list of national, Portuguese, and Italian wines.

Carioca de Gema
The name translates to something like "Rio native to the core" and you'll see old photos of local personalities on the walls. The city's boho crowds love the place for its live music and cocktails, and especially for its samba nights on weekends. It is said to offer the best samba acts in the city, but it's surprisingly not very touristy.

Estrela da Lapa
Lapa remains the most authentic and vibrant neighborhood in Rio at night, and together with "Carioca de Gema" (see above), this bar is the most popular stop. You can head to the terrace and sit with a drink overlooking the dancefloor or join the Cariocas moving to the traditional Brazilian beats.

MELT - Rua Rita Ludolf 47
Melt's candlelit lounge is the fashionable hangout of Rio's models and their equally attractive friends. They relax with cocktails and the DJ music or the sounds of a live band, performing everything from samba and bossa nova to hip hop.

00
Zero Zero is packed with many many of Rio's most fabulous people who arrive for the restaurant and stay for the nightclub. A DJ shows up at around midnight once diners have tried the excellent dishes on the eclectic menu, and everyone moves around the chic space or the terrace. This is a cosmopolitan place so the music is house and R&B, not samba and bossa nova. Put on your most stylish outfit and enjoy the night at one of Rio's most sophisticated hotspots.

The Week
Rio's largest club is housed inside an old palatial building and must be visited by any fan of electronic music on Saturday nights. It attracts an even mix of gay and straight, as well as a good line-up of DJs, both residents and international guests. Drink at the lounge or escape to the outdoor area by the pool whenever you feel like leaving the dancefloor.

Fosfobox
House, electro, and techno are the styles mixed by the resident DJs at this Copacabana club. The bars serve inexpensive drinks in a very casual atmosphere, enjoyed by a mixed crowd, both gay and straight.