Where to Eat in Olinda: Our Tips

Northeastern Brazil has an incredibly diverse, delicious food scene. We loved pretty much everything we tried, and even though the flavors were quite different from what we’re used to, I really wanted to try the local meats (carne de sol, goat, and charque). Hope you enjoy these tips on where to eat in Olinda.

Casa de Noca

Widely considered the best spot for carne de sol (sun-dried beef), macaxeira (cassava), and coalho cheese — and the cassava really is delicious, served in generous portions, so come hungry. We found the meat a bit tough, though that’s pretty typical for this cut. The place looks simple from the street, but it’s actually huge — once you head down the stairs, you can really see how big the dining room is.

Olinda Art e Grill

Located at Alto da Sé, with a stunning view over the city. We tried the goat meat here — not really our favorite, since it was a bit gelatinous — but the side dishes were great, and honestly the location alone makes it worth a visit. The menu is extensive. We also tried a dessert of warm cocada (coconut candy) with ice cream, which was delicious. Good calories, worth every bite. Service was excellent too.

Mirante Bar e Restaurante

Also at Alto da Sé, with a beautiful view. Really pleasant — we ate here in the late afternoon and had arrumadinho de charque (dried beef with sides), which we thought was the best meat dish of the whole trip. It’s definitely salty, but very flavorful, and we’d recommend checking out both the restaurant and the dish.

Bakana’s Sorvetes

An ice cream shop on Praça do Carmo. Great value for the portion size, especially given the local heat! We wanted to try some regional fruit flavors, but since it was Carnival, several had already sold out — we ended up with bolo de rolo and Belgian chocolate flavors instead. Totally worth it, and a great way to cool down!

Bar Aritana

We tried the caldinho de feijão (bean soup) here, made a bit differently from what we’re used to — they add quail egg and olives, which was delicious and a great example of a local twist worth trying.

Casa dos Frios

The go-to spot in Olinda for dessert, specifically bolo de rolo made with guava paste — one of my favorite desserts in the region, so we made sure to grab a slice here.

Also check out our tips on where to eat in Pipa!