Espirito Santa.

I'm super excited to tell you about this restaurant because I think it might be one of my favorite ones (if not my favorite) in Rio. It's a charming little place in Santa Teresa, and every time I've been, I've been nothing less than very satisfied. The restaurant focuses on Brazilian foods-- which is a general, sort-of unhelpful term, but unlike other traditional Brazilian restaurants (where rice, beans, and beef are the staple dishes), this one has plates from Salvador, Belem, Manuas, and the like.

There's also a selection of juices from the Northeast, which can be a bit tricky to find in Rio. I like tapereba and cupuacu.

http://www.espiritosanta.com.br/novosite/