Rio's Best Nightlife Streets

The Cidade Maravilhosa is famous for its marvelous nightlife, and you can find great parties all over the city any night of the week. Read on for a guide to four of Rio's best nightlife streets, whether you’re looking to move to the rhythms of samba with a caipirinha in hand or to chill with friends at large outdoor street parties.

Rua Dias Ferreira, Leblon

Leblon is the city’s most expensive neighborhood, but that doesn’t mean it’s a stuffy place reserved for the rich. Far from it. Rua Dias Ferreira, the long, curved street running through the center of the neighborhood, is one of Rio’s most active nightlife spots, particularly on Friday nights. The packed bars that line it spill out onto the sidewalks and into the street, stretching on for several blocks. You can try to squeeze your way into a bar or just grab your drink in a plastic cup and head out to the street. I recommend checking out Bar do Adão, Boteco Belmonte, Boteco Rainha, or Boteco Boa Praça.

Rua Arnaldo Quintela and Rua Fernandes Guimarães, Botafogo

This intersection is the center of Botafogo’s bar scene. The neighborhood has a decidedly younger and bit hipper vibe than Leblon, but it’s a similar set up in terms of a relaxed party extending past the sidewalks and into the street. If you can’t get a seat at a table, you can just walk right up to one of the bars like Boteco Treme Treme on the corner and get your drink in a plastic cup.

If you’re looking for some live music, head to Bar Bukowski around the corner, a famous rock bar in an old mansion with a lovely garden out back.

Pedra do Sal

Pedra do Sal is widely considered to be the birthplace of samba, the music and dance style that is one of Brazil’s most widely admired cultural treasures. Samba’s origins lie in Bahia, but it was forged here in the urban heart of Rio in the early 20th century by migrants from the northeast. Pedra do Sal has long hosted performances by acclaimed sambistas, and it continues to be a center of samba today, hosting some of Rio’s most active street parties to the tune of live music from the circle of musicians known as the roda de samba.

The party happens on the weekends as well, but the most active day is actually Monday. The festivities start up around 8pm, and you’ll want to get there not much later than 9pm if you want to be close to the musicians.

Avenida Mem de Sá, Lapa

Running under the iconic colonial-era Aqueduto da Carioca, Avenida Mem de Sá represents the heart of Lapa, Rio’s original bohemian neighborhood. Since the 1950s, Lapa has been a haven for artists and musicians, and it continues to be a center of live music today. The rhythms of samba, forró, choro, and MPB reign supreme here, so be ready to dance the night away with festive revelers all around you. Some good choices for a bar on this street include Bar Carioca da Gema, Ponto de Encontro Ximeninho, Choperia do Papai, and Bar da Cachaça.