Best restaurants in Fortaleza
Fortaleza
Fortaleza Restaurants
Every year, Veja, the most important Brazilian magazine, publishes a list of the best restaurants in some of the major Brazilian capitals. Click to read Veja's current list, in Portuguese, of the best restaurants in Fortaleza.
Below, a translation of the list of best restaurants of Fortaleza in 2005.
When available, a link to the restaurant website is provided (not many restaurants in Fortaleza have a website !!).
Notice: read also these tips about eating out in Fortaleza.
Best restaurant in Fortaleza: Alimenta Bistrô.
Elected best restaurant in town for the second year in a row. Also elected the best Contemporaneous Cuisine restaurant; the chef, Fernando Barroso, was considered Chef of the Year 2005.
Address: Avenida Dom Luís, 1112, Aldeota. Phone 3267.5885
Opening hours: Tue - Fri: 6pm-0am; Sat: 11am-3pm and 6pm-0am.
Best Italian restaurant: Pulcinella.
Two houses. Specialty is pasta combined with seafood.
Address 1: Rua Osvaldo Cruz, 640, Aldeota, 3261-3411 (120 seats).
Opening hours: Mon - Thu: noon-3pm and 6pm-1am.
Address 2: Avenida Senador Virgílio Távora, 600, 3244-0133.
Opening hours: 4pm-1am.
Best Regional Food: Colher de Pau.
Read more about regional food.
The name of the restaurant means Wooden Spoon, an utensil considered magic by local cooks. The decoration of the restaurant is also based on wood, combining rusticity and regionalism.
The house offers the popular dishes like carne de sol (jerked tender beef) and galinha caipira (countryside chicken); some dishes, like buchada and panelada, take longer to prepare and require prior ordering.
Address : Rua Frederico Borges, 206, Varjota, 3267-3773 (380 seats).
Opening hours: Sun - Thu: 11am-0am; Fri - Sat: 11am-2am.
Best Japanese restaurant: Kingyo.
Elected by Veja for the sixth year in row as the best Japanese restaurant in Fortaleza. On some nights, customers can enjoy the kaisseki, a combination of sixteen Japanese dishes and one dessert.
Address: Rua Pereira Valente, 1520, Varjota, 3267-3033 (120 seats).
Opening hours: Mon-Sat: 7pm-0:30am.
Best Pizza: Vignoli.
The restaurant opened in 2005 and was an instant success.
Address: Rua Frederico Borges, 81, Varjota, 3267-9066/6450 (300 seats).
Opening hours: Tue - Thu: 6pm-0am; Fri - Sat: 6pm-last customer.
Best Beef: Santa Grelha.
The name means Holy Grill.
This is the fourth time that this restaurant is elected by Veja the best of its kind in Fortaleza. The house specializes in cuts from noble meats, many imported from Argentina. Notice, however, that the service is a la carte, and not rodizio (read more about churrasco and rodizio); for a rodizio in Fortaleza, visit Estilo dos Pampas or Spettus.
Address: Rua Vicente Leite, 1062, Aldeota, 3224-0249 e 3264-8405 (120 seats).
Opening hours: Tue - Thu: noon-3pm and 7pm-0am; Fri - Sat: noon-4pm and 7pm-1am; Sun: 11:30:5pm.
Best Feijoada: Mucuripe Grill.
Read more about feijoada.
Veja elected this the best feijoada in Fortaleza for the 7th year.
Address: Avenida Beira-Mar, 3980, Gran Marquise by Sol Meliá, Mucuripe, 4006-5000 (150 seats).
Opening hours: Everyday: noon-3:30pm; Wed - Mon: 7pm-1am.
Best Fish and Seafood: Milmar.
Specialty is shrimps, with 20 different recipes. On Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays there is a buffet of shrimps for lunch; on Thursdays and Fridays, buffet is of seafood, for dinner.
Address: Rua Frederico Borges, 496, Varjota, 3267-1338 (246 seats).
Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 11am-3pm; Fri - Sun: 11:30am-1am.
Best French restaurant: Lautrec.
Address: Avenida Dom Luís, 1113, Shopping Buganvília, 3264-4020 (80 seats).
Opening hours: Mon: 7pm-0am; Tue - Thu: noon-3pm and 7pm-0am; Fri: noon-3pm and 7pm-2am; Sat: 7pm-2am.
Best wine selection: Expand Store.
The Expand Store wine shop has long been the most well regarded in Fortaleza; in 2004, a restaurant was opened adjoining the shop. The restaurant has a climatized cellar, with over 700 labels; there is also a space for smoking cigars.
The owner said that, when they started the restaurant, it should be just a complement of the main business, wines; however, the restaurant became so successful that today it overshadows the wine shop.
Address: Avenida Santos Dumont, 3131, 1st floor, Shopping Del Paseo, 3456-3377 and 3456-3009 (70 seats).
Opening hours: Tue - Sat: noon-3pm and 6pm-0am.