Best Pastel in Rio — A Local's Guide
TL;DR
The best pastel in Rio de Janeiro is at a street feira, not a restaurant — go to the Feira Hippie de Ipanema on Sunday morning, order carne (ground beef) or queijo (cheese), and pair it with a fresh caldo de cana (sugarcane juice) for under R$25. For something different, climb to Santa Teresa for Bar do Mineiro's pastel de angu (corn-dough pastry) — a Minas Gerais twist you won't find at any other Rio feira. Below: 12 spots we actually go to, from R$8 feira stalls to gourmet sit-down pastelarias.
Pastel at a glance
| What | Deep-fried pastry with savoury or sweet fillings — Brazil’s king of street food |
| Price | R$8–18 at feiras · R$15–28 at botecos and pastelarias |
| Best fillings | Carne (ground beef) · queijo (cheese) · camarão (shrimp) · carne de sol (sun-dried beef) |
| Best time | Sunday morning at a feira (pair with caldo de cana) · any day at a boteco |
| Pair with | Caldo de cana (sugarcane juice) at feiras · chopp (draught beer) at botecos |
| Vegetarian | Queijo (cheese), palmito (hearts of palm), pizza flavour — available everywhere |
The 12 best pastéis in Rio
1.Feira Hippie de IpanemaR$10–15
Ipanema · Carne, queijo, camarão
Every Sunday at Praça General Osório. The canonical Rio pastel experience — queues snake past the caldo de cana (sugarcane juice) stall. Get the carne (ground beef) and pair it with a fresh caldo de cana. 08:00–18:00.
2.Bar do MineiroR$14–22
Santa Teresa · Pastel de angu (corn-dough), carne seca
Famous for the pastel de angu — a corn-based dough instead of the usual wheat, stuffed with dried beef. Heavier, crunchier, utterly addictive. Rua Paschoal Carlos Magno 99.
3.Pastelaria MiramarR$12–18
Copacabana · Queijo, palmito, pizza
A classic Copacabana corner pastelaria since the 1950s. Fast, cheap, no-frills. The queijo (cheese) is the benchmark. Rua Barata Ribeiro 678.
4.Feira de São Cristóvão (Centro Luiz Gonzaga)R$12–20
São Cristóvão · Carne de sol, queijo coalho, goiabada com queijo
Northeastern-flavoured pastéis at the great São Cristóvão market. Try carne de sol (sun-dried beef) or the sweet goiabada com queijo (guava paste + cheese). Open Fri–Sun.
5.CADEG marketR$10–18
Benfica · Bacalhau (salt cod), camarão
Rio’s wholesale food market also serves some of the best pastéis in the Zona Norte. The bacalhau (salt cod) filling is outstanding. Saturday mornings are prime time.
6.Belmonte (all locations)R$16–24
Citywide · Camarão, carne, queijo
The boteco chain everyone knows. Not the most artisan pastel, but reliably crispy, generously filled, and available from Flamengo to Leblon. Great with a chopp.
7.Adega PérolaR$14–22
Copacabana · Camarão, carne
More famous for its 70+ petiscos on ice, but the pastel de camarão (shrimp) here is one of Copacabana’s best. Standing room only. Rua Siqueira Campos 138.
8.Feira do Largo do MachadoR$8–14
Laranjeiras · Carne, queijo, frango
Wednesday and Saturday feira with some of the cheapest pastéis in the Zona Sul. Unpretentious, hyper-local, paired with natural juices from the next stall. R$8 for a basic queijo.
9.Empório Santa FéR$15–22
Botafogo · Gorgonzola com mel, camarão catupiry
Gourmet-leaning pastelaria with creative fillings — gorgonzola com mel (gorgonzola + honey) is the standout. Rua Voluntários da Pátria 446.
10.Banca do LuizR$10–16
Centro · Carne, queijo, pizza
Tiny pastel stand in a Centro galeria — workers queue from 11:00. Thin, crispy, and fried to order. The cheapest good pastel in the city centre.
11.Feira da GlóriaR$8–15
Glória · Carne, queijo, frango com catupiry
Saturday-morning feira in Aterro do Flamengo / Glória. Authentic, cheap, and the frango com catupiry (chicken + cream cheese) is Rio comfort food.
12.Casa de PastéisR$18–28
Humaitá · Siri (crab), camarão, palmito
Sit-down pastelaria in Humaitá — the siri (crab) pastel is the house speciality. Pricier than feira stalls but properly crispy and enormous. Rua Capitão Salomão 10.
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Best pastel by scenario
Sunday feira ritual
Feira Hippie de Ipanema + caldo de cana. The quintessential Rio Sunday morning.
Late-night craving
Belmonte (open late, citywide). Reliably crispy, reliably open.
Most unusual filling
Bar do Mineiro's pastel de angu — corn-dough, carne seca, Santa Teresa charm.
Cheapest in Rio
Feira do Largo do Machado (R$8). Wednesday and Saturday, hyper-local, no tourists.
Gourmet sit-down
Casa de Pastéis in Humaitá — the siri (crab) pastel is the house speciality.
Best for kids
Empório Santa Fé — creative fillings, indoor seating, and a calmer vibe than a feira.
How to order pastel like a Carioca
- Point at the filling chart. "Um pastel de carne, por favor" is all the Portuguese you need.
- At feiras, always pair with caldo de cana (sugarcane juice, R$6–10). It's the official combo.
- Eat it immediately. Pastel loses its crunch in minutes. Don't take it home.
- Ask for "bem crocante" (extra crispy) if you want it thin and shatteringly crisp.
- Pay with Pix or cash at feiras. Most feira stalls don't take cards.
Common mistakes tourists make
- Ordering pastel at a restaurant when there's a feira happening that same day. Feira > restaurant, always.
- Getting sweet fillings first. Start savoury (carne, queijo), then try doce de leite or Romeu e Julieta (guava + cheese) as dessert.
- Skipping the caldo de cana. The sugarcane juice is half the experience.
- Assuming pastel is just an empanada. It's thinner, crispier and fried (not baked). They're different things.
- Burning the roof of your mouth. Wait 60 seconds. The filling is molten.
Frequently asked questions
What is a pastel?
A pastel is a thin, deep-fried pastry envelope stuffed with a savoury or sweet filling — ground beef (carne), cheese (queijo), shrimp (camarão), chicken (frango), or hearts of palm (palmito) are the classics. It’s Brazil’s most popular feira and boteco snack, always fried to order and served piping hot.
Where is the best pastel in Rio?
For the quintessential experience: Feira Hippie de Ipanema on Sunday morning, paired with caldo de cana. For the most unusual: Bar do Mineiro’s pastel de angu (corn-dough) in Santa Teresa. For cheap and local: any Wednesday or Saturday feira in the Zona Sul (Largo do Machado, Glória). For gourmet: Empório Santa Fé in Botafogo.
How much does a pastel cost in Rio?
At a street feira: R$8–15. At a boteco or pastelaria: R$15–28. At a gourmet spot like Casa de Pastéis: R$18–28. Feira pastéis are almost always the best value — and often the best full stop.
What is pastel de angu?
Pastel de angu uses a corn-based dough (angu) instead of the usual wheat wrapper. It’s heavier, crunchier, and a Minas Gerais specialty — hard to find in Rio outside Bar do Mineiro in Santa Teresa. The classic filling is carne seca (dried beef). Worth the trip.
Are pastéis gluten-free?
Standard pastéis are not — the traditional wrapper is wheat flour. The pastel de angu at Bar do Mineiro uses corn dough and may work for some gluten-sensitive diets, but it’s fried in shared oil, so cross-contamination is likely. If you’re coeliac, skip the pastel and try tapioca crepes instead.
What is the best pastel filling?
Ask ten Cariocas and get ten answers. The safe classic is carne (seasoned ground beef) — every stall does it well. Queijo (cheese) is the purist’s pick. Camarão (shrimp) is the premium choice at botecos. Our dark-horse pick: carne de sol at Feira de São Cristóvão.
Where can I eat pastel on Sunday in Rio?
The Feira Hippie de Ipanema (Praça General Osório, 08:00–18:00) is the classic Sunday pastel spot. The feira at Praça Nossa Senhora da Paz (Ipanema) and the Babilônia Feira Hype (Gávea) also run Sundays with pastel stalls.
Feira vs restaurant pastéis — what’s the difference?
Feira pastéis are thinner, crispier, and fried in big vats of oil — they come out lighter and more delicate. Restaurant/boteco pastéis tend to be thicker, larger, and sometimes baked or air-fried. Locals generally prefer feira pastéis — the thin dough and fresh oil make the difference.
Can I eat pastel at the beach?
Not really — pastel is a feira and boteco food, not a beach snack. On the sand you’ll find biscoito Globo, queijo coalho, mate com limão and açaí, but not pastel. Walk to the nearest feira or Belmonte for your fix.