6 Best Restaurants in Minas Gerais, Brazil

A Parisian-like café and restaurant in an 18th-century building, this beautiful establishment serves delicious sandwiches, soups, and pastries, as well as full entrées. It's especially appealing on a rainy day to sip a cup of coffee or a glass of wine here to the accompaniment of a good novel. The happy hour bar downstairs, Escadabaixo, is the town's most popular hangout for wealthier ouropretanos and tourists. Escadacima is a small shop within the restaurant with a good selection of local and imported wine and beer.

A large and welcoming restaurant above a jewelry store, Casa do Ouvidor has won numerous awards for regional dishes such as tutu, feijão tropeiro, and frango com quiabo. The portions are generous. Since the restaurant's opening in 1972, it has hosted former President of France François Mitterand, actor Richard Dreyfuss, author John Updike, and many other luminaries. Try to sit by the windows, which look out on the street below and save room for the homemade sweets.

Patrons of the Estalagem rave about the feijão tropeiro and frango ao molho pardo, just two of the Brazilian dishes prepared by friendly chef Beth, who often makes time to come and greet diners. Although the restaurant is small, the atmosphere is elegant. Light music and an attentive staff make this an appealing place to dine.

Ouro Preto's finest restaurant is in the Solar Nossa Senhora do Rosário hotel. An elegant atmosphere with formal place settings, attentive service, and soft Brazilian music makes this the ideal spot for a quiet, romantic dinner. The chef, whose menu changes frequently, focuses on Italian and French fare with a mineira accent: you might find intriguing, perfectly prepared dishes such as carne seca (beef jerky) risotto with Gorgonzola cheese. The dessert options include doce de leite (caramel), a Minas specialty, as well as international options like petit gâteau (cake). Argentina, France, Italy, and Brazil itself are among the nations whose wines are represented on the excellent list.

What is widely considered Belo Horizonte's best Italian restaurant attracts a well-heeled clientele. Tuxedo-clad waiters serve selections from the extensive wine list as well as steak, seafood, and pasta dishes. Consider the grilled fillet of lamb with saffron risotto in a mushroom-and-garlic sauce; the gnocchi di mare, with spinach and potatoes, topped with a white clam and scallop sauce; or the badejo, a local white fish baked and dressed in a seafood sauce. The restaurant allows its diners into its kitchen to see the preparation of food. With its beautiful wood paneling and an extensive bar, Vecchio Sogno has the feel of a 1940s jazz club.

One of Brazil's best restaurants for comida mineira, the Viradas do Largo (also known as Restaurante da Beth) serves dishes such as chicken with ora pro nobis (a Brazilian cabbage) and feijão tropeiro with pork chops. Some of the ingredients, such as the borecole (kale), are cultivated in the restaurant's backyard. The portions are generous, enough for three or four people, but you can ask for a half order of any dish. The restaurant is also a market, with typical arts and crafts from Minas Gerais. Reservations are essential on weekends.