Gal Bar do Mar

Set in the scenic Urca neighborhood of Rio, @galbar.rj is the perfect stop for seafood, beer, and Carioca vibes. The historic ambiance honors classic Rio decor where old and new meet for the perfect lounging space. The menu is filled with delicious bites, meant to be shared, but they also offer a “Prato Executivo,” our version of the pre-fixe for a 3 course meal during lunch hours.

Whoever invented the “Octopus Dog” should get an award, it’s culinary genius 🤌 and here it is done beautifully on a brioche bun with aioli. I also could not help but order an octopus coxinha, because when two things you love get married it has to be happiness guaranteed right? Yes, all the way.

For my main dish I had seafood rice which is adorably served in a copper sauce pan. It tasted like something I would make at home in the best of ways: fresh, intensely flavorful, and with a perfect balance of seafood to rice.

This Rio Season 4 Finale is as much about my lovely experience at Gal Bar as it is about celebrating how far @theriokitchen has come in its mission to share Brazilian food, Rio gastronomy, and our broader Carioca culture. This creative, healing, soul-filling, life-changing, and very personal journey came out of nowhere and spoke to me like nothing before. What you see here is the heart and soul of a carioca who’s lived far away for far too long. It started with an unexpected journey home, and the possibilities of where it’s going, are endless.