Check out options to taste the traditional flavors of Salvador
Friday in Salvador is not like in other places in Brazil. In addition to the parties, drinks and fun that involve relaxing after the workweek, here you wear white in honor of Oxalá and enjoy good Bahian food based on palm oil, in a tradition inherited from the Africans who landed in Bahia over the centuries.
To help you, we have selected 10 restaurants that serve the best of our flavors. In addition to the food, each space also has a special charm in its view and decoration.
1- Restaurante Preta
Restaurante da Preta. Moqueca dos deuses e deusas! Foto: Angeluci Figueiredo / Divulgação
In the marvelous Ilha dos Frades, in addition to the beautiful landscapes, one of the best attractions is the Preta Restaurant. The place is decorated with antiques and handicrafts. One of the main dishes is shrimp moqueca with octopus, green coconut ice cream with tapioca and sugarcane juice with ginger.
Instagram: @restaurantepreta
Address: Ponta de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe Beach – Ilha dos Frades, Salvador.
Phone: (71) 99326-7461
2- Casa de Tereza
One of the most traditional restaurants in Salvador, Casa de Tereza has several special environments, including the “Salão Galeria Yemanjá” (Gallery Hall Yemanjá), with works by 11 artists from Bahia. On the menu, fish, shrimp, lobster, octopus and vegetarian moquecas, as well as fish and bobo de camarão.
Instagram: @casadetereza_
Address: Rua Odilon Santos, 45 – Rio Vermelho, Salvador – BA
Phone: (71) 3329-3016
3- Dona Mariquita
Still in Rio Vermelho, the Dona Mariquita restaurant has been operating for 15 years, recovering original recipes and ingredients, with seafood from the Recôncavo da Bahia region mixed with indigenous, African and country influences. Among the main dishes are acarajé with vatapá, in addition to the famous poqueca, which is different from moqueca once it is served in a banana leaf.
Instagram: @donamariquita
Address: Rua do Meio, 178 – Rio Vermelho, Salvador – BA, 41490-426
Contact: 71 3334-6947
4 – Re-restaurante da Dona Suzana
Next to the Museum of Modern Art of Bahia (MAM), within the community of Solar do Unhão, there is a restaurant serving Bahian food that is really worth visiting. The place offers not only a wonderful moqueca, but also a privileged view of the All Saints Bay.
The owner, Dona Suzana, is something else. A loving character, with a big smile and many things to tell. Her restaurant is practically the continuation of her own house, with tables in the backyard. Before you go, you must schedule by phone: 71 3328-2056. Another valuable tip is to arrange with Suzana for someone from the community to pick you up close to MAM, so you don’t have to spend time looking for the restaurant.
Service
Restaurante Dona Suzana (@donasuzanarerestaurante)
Location: Solar Community of Unhão
Phone: (71) 3328 2056 – Attends only by appointment
5- Bar da Mônica (Mônica’s Bar)
To get to Bar da Mônica, in Gamboa de Baixo, the tip is to go by boat: the restaurant is on a concrete slab facing the sea. You can take a small boat at “Praia das Pedrinhas”, close to the community of Solar do Unhão (next to the Museum of Modern Art of Bahia – MAM). This “mini” boat trip is worth a lot.
The restaurant is simple; it is located on a pier and has a staircase that leads to the sea. Often, there is a very loud sound, where locals, tourists and navigators gather. Try the lobster moqueca with shrimp and fish.
Service
Instagram: @bardamonic
Operation: 7:30 am to 6:30 pm EVERYDAY!
All cards accepted
Phone: (71) 3336-9728/ (71) 98156-9717 (Monica)
6- Jô da Bahia
Leaving Rio Vermelho and going to São Caetano, we find Jô da Bahia, winner of the contest “Comida de Buteco” in 2012 and elected “Best bar food” by Veja magazine. There, there is a buffet service, but dishes with fish and shrimp, such as moqueca and bobó, can also be ordered à la carte.
Address: Rua Professor Francisco Góes Calmon, 50 – São Caetano, Salvador – BA
Phone: (71) 98878-7072
7- Sorriso da Dadá
Dadá, who is perhaps the best known chef in Bahia, couldn’t be out of it. O Sorriso da Dadá, in Pelourinho, features fish moqueca and bobó de camarão as stars. In addition, the sururu broth and the acarajé portion also stand out.
Address: Rua Frei Vicente, 05 – Pelourinho, Salvador – BA
Phone: (71) 3321-5819
8- Ki-Mukeka
One of the most famous restaurant chains in Bahia, Ki-Mukeka can be found in several addresses in the Bahian capital, serving one of the best moquecas in Salvador. There are also other traditional dishes, such as acarajé, abará, pirão and bobó de camarão.
Addresses:
Rua Abelardo Andrade de Carvalho, 87 – Boca do Rio, Salvador
Av. Octávio Mangabeira, 136 Jardim – Armação, Salvador
Av. Octávio Mangabeira, 345 – Pituba, Salvador
Rua do Vento Sul QD 3, lot 5 – Itapuã, Salvador
9- Yemanjá
The Yemanjá restaurant is also very traditional. The place specializes in moquecas, offering options of shrimp, fish, soft crab, crab, oyster, lobster or octopus – in addition to delicious “mariscada” (seafood).
Address: Av. Octávio Mangabeira, 4661 – Armação, Salvador
Phone: (71) 3461-9010
10- Restaurante Bombordo
Strolling along Ribeira, before or after enjoying the sunset at Ponta do Humaitá, a good option is to stop and try the delights of the Bombordo restaurant. With several options of moqueca and mouth watering seafood, you can sit both indoors and on the sidewalk of one of the most charming neighborhoods in the Lower City.
Address: Av. Beira Mar, 340 – Ribeira, Salvador
Telephone: (71) 3316-2124
11- Dendê Gastronomia
Rio Vermelho neighborhood also reserves the Dendê Gastronomia restaurant for us. The food options offered by the establishment include moquecas, caruru, vatapá, cozido, quiabada, chicken stew and feijoada.
Address: Rua da Fonte do Boi, 131 – Rio Vermelho, Salvador – BA, 41940-360
Contact: (71) 3052-6209
12 – Odoyá Restaurant
To close the list, we have Odoyá restaurant, in the heart of Pelourinho. The moqueca options are individual or for two people, made from vegetables, crab, fish, shrimp or octopus – in addition to the bobo de camarão.
Address: Largo do Cruzeiro de São Francisco, 1 – Pelourinho, Salvador
Phone: (71) 3322-7892
