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Rio de Janeiro has never needed an excuse for a drink, but its best wine bars give you a good one anyway. These are rooms with real conviction behind their lists, run by people who would rather pour you something you didn’t expect than something you already know. By the glass, that might mean a natural or biodynamic Brazilian wine, an Argentine Malbec, a Burgundy, a Jura or a grower Champagne.
The 13 venues here follow the city’s own geography. They begin in the Zona Sul, among the chef-driven dining rooms of Leblon, the seafront hotels of Copacabana and the old mansions of Botafogo. From there they climb into the hills of Santa Teresa, slip behind unmarked doors in the Jardim Botânico and reach west as far as Barra da Tijuca. Each one is chosen for what it pours by the glass and for the people who make it worth the trip.
Excellent
Emile
Restaurant · Av. Atlântica, 3804 - Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22070-001
Emile has a door of its own on Avenida Atlântica, set within the Emiliano hotel on the Copacabana seafront, and its wine programme is one of the most thoughtful on the beach. Argentine chef Bernabé Simón Padrós builds plates around Brazilian produce, fish and shellfish especially, using technique to sharpen an ingredient rather than disguise it. The cellar is run by Luís Otávio Álvares Cruz, holder of the ASI Diploma and named Brazil's best sommelier in 2023, and more than twenty wines are open by the glass. His list leans towards small growers and classics chosen with the heat in mind: cool-climate Pinot Noir, biodynamic bottles, crisp Arinto from Portugal and high-altitude Sauvignon Blanc from Serra Catarinense, with lighter whites, rosés and low-extraction reds given more room each season.
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LILIA Restaurante Sede
Restaurant · Rua do Senado, 45, Lapa, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
Lilia occupies two floors of a nineteenth-century townhouse on Rua do Senado, a short walk from the cathedral in Rio's old centre, where bare brick and an uncluttered, slightly industrial fit-out set the tone. The kitchen cooks to the season and changes its menu daily, with a set lunch and a longer tasting menu at night, and its loyalty to small suppliers carries straight through to the glass. More than twenty wines are poured by the glass, and the list tilts firmly towards natural, organic and biodynamic producers working with minimal intervention and little or no added sulphur. Expect Brazilian pét-nat from the Colinas region alongside Loire Cabernet Franc, orange wines, Portuguese bottles and the odd Bordeaux, all rotating as the menu moves on. It is one of the most rewarding reasons to linger downtown after dark.
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Oteque
Restaurant · Rua Conde de Irajá, 581 - Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22271-020
Alberto Landgraf's Oteque fills a high-ceilinged Botafogo room of weathered red brick, with round tables and a long counter facing the open kitchen where a single seasonal tasting menu, built around Brazilian seafood, is served. Wine carries equal weight here. More than twenty bottles are open by the glass, enough to run an eight-glass pairing alongside the menu, and sommelier Maria Carolina Penteado Aguilar, who now leads the dining room, works a list that sets small growers beside the great domaines. The premium pairing opens with Champagne and reaches for names such as Dagueneau, Raveneau and Roulot, while the everyday glasses wander through Burgundy, Alsace, the Loire, the Jura and Germany, with low-intervention and orange wines in the mix. A recent pour of Valentini Trebbiano d'Abruzzo shows the ambition.
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Umai
Restaurant · R. Raimundo Corrêa, 10 - Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22040-042
Tucked away on Rua Raimundo Corrêa in Copacabana, Umai is an omakase counter that chef Menandro Rodrigues deliberately split off from his main restaurant, giving it a dedicated team and a single focus. The cooking draws on Japanese technique and Brazilian produce, and Rodrigues, a certified sake expert with formal sushi training, approaches the wine with the same exacting eye rather than handing it to a separate sommelier. More than twenty wines are poured by the glass, chosen to sit beside raw fish and delicate broths: traditional-method sparkling such as Gosset Grande Réserve, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Portuguese bottles and labels from small Brazilian producers. Catalan Macabeu aged in barrel and egg on its lees is the kind of left-field white that turns up. The spirit of the place is trust, in the kitchen and in the glass.
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Aprazível
Restaurant · R. Aprazível, 62 - Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 20241-270
High in the hills of Santa Teresa, at the end of narrow winding streets, Aprazível has been feeding Rio for more than a quarter of a century from a garden setting with long views over the city. The kitchen works with organic and biodynamic produce gathered from across Brazil, and the wine follows the same thinking. Sommelier Gabriel Granato, who brings fine-dining experience and runs a wine bar of his own, favours small producers working with a light hand so that each bottle speaks of where it was grown. The by-the-glass selection reaches from Burgundy, the Loire and the Jura to Italian whites such as Pecorino, natural and low-intervention wines and Champagne, with a five-year Boal Madeira to finish. Lunch under the trees with a glass of something unexpected is the classic order.
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LIBÔ COMIDA E VINHO
Restaurant · Rua Conde de Irajá, 90 - Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22271-020
Libô sets up in an old mansion on Rua Conde de Irajá in Botafogo, and it is one of the most persuasive arguments in Rio for drinking adventurously. Chef Roberta Ciasca cooks relaxed, generous food, but the draw is the wine chosen by sommelier Maíra Freire, recipient of a Michelin Sommelier Award in 2024. Her list runs to around fifty labels of natural, organic and biodynamic wine, taking in pét-nat, orange, rosé and dessert wines from avant-garde producers, little-known grapes and limited releases. The glasses change every week, so a return visit always brings something new. Brazil is a strength: Lorena, made from a grape developed by Embrapa, Pinot Noir from Vinhas do Tempo, and a Peverella dessert wine from Era dos Ventos have all featured. It is a room for curious drinkers with an open mind.
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La Spiaggia Cucina Mediterranea
Restaurant · Av. das Américas, 3900 - lj 306 - Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22640-102
La Spiaggia brings Mediterranean cooking to Village Mall in Barra da Tijuca, a polished but easy-going room that suits long lunches, family gatherings and celebrations alike. The wine is overseen by Gustavo Alves, partner and hospitality director of Grupo Glória, who has spent more than three decades in hospitality and personally chooses the list and trains the floor team. His selection is broad and classically minded, with Italy at its heart, from Barolo to Gaja's Nebbiolo, alongside Spanish reds from Rioja and Ribera del Duero, Chablis from Joseph Drouhin, and Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay from Argentina, Chile and California. His own favourite glass is Alión, the Ribera del Duero from the Vega Sicilia family. It is a dependable address for serious wine in Rio's western suburbs, well away from the Zona Sul crowds.
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Le Blond
Restaurant · Av. Ataulfo de Paiva, 1321 - Leblon, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22440-034
Le Blond is Thomas Troisgros's take on the Parisian bistro, facing Praça Cazuza in Leblon and open for lunch and dinner every day since 2018. The kitchen sticks to the French repertoire, bisque, velouté and long, slow braises, but cooks it with Brazilian produce and a light hand, so pâté en croûte and fish crudo share the menu with pork belly cooked for hours and a pasta of shellfish. Sommelier Renan Barros has run the wine since the doors opened, keeping about a dozen bottles open by the glass for a tour that moves from the Loire through Bordeaux and Burgundy to Portugal. Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir and Loire whites sit beside Argentine Malbec and Chilean reds, and Brazilian sparkling from Adolfo Lona makes an ideal opener. Informal, unhurried and very French in spirit.
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Oro Restaurante
Restaurant · Av. Gen. San Martin, 889 - Leblon, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22441-015
Oro is where Felipe Bronze cooks a fiercely Brazilian, fire-driven tasting menu a block from Leblon beach, and the wine is every bit as considered as the food. Open since 2010 and holding two Michelin stars, the restaurant offers two menus that pay tribute to the country's regions, with a four-seat counter in front of the kitchen for those who want to watch the grill. Partner and sommelier Cecilia Aldaz, born in Mendoza and trained in oenology, builds pairings from leading producers and exclusive labels across a wide spread of regions. Argentina and Chile are naturally strong, yet the list also reaches into Champagne, Riesling, South African reds, Portugal and Syrah. A glass of Taittinger to start and a Tokaji Aszú from Oremus to close shows the range of the pouring list.
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Restaurante Beatriz, Vila Santa Teresa
Restaurant · R. Alm. Alexandrino, 2305 - Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 20241-264
Beatriz is the dining room of Vila Santa Teresa, the boutique hotel of the Monteiro de Carvalho family, set in 1970s architecture amid Atlantic Forest with an open view across Guanabara Bay to Sugarloaf Mountain. The cooking is refined and the service quietly attentive, but the wine programme is the reason to make the climb. An underground cellar holds a tightly edited list that favours the Old World and less obvious regions, with real conviction for organic and biodynamic growers. Argentine sommelier Ivo Arias, a consultant and lecturer for ABS-Rio, has poured grower Champagne from Barrat-Masson, Foradori's Manzoni Bianco from Trentino and Alvarinho from Monção e Melgaço by the glass. The range spans Burgundy, the Jura, Barolo, Alsace and the Rhône, with full-moon tastings and glasses in the hotel's park for special occasions.
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Sud, o pássaro verde
Restaurant · R. Visc. de Carandaí, 35 - Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22460-020
There is no sign on the door at Sud, o pássaro verde, Roberta Sudbrack's house on a quiet street in Jardim Botânico, and the heart of the room is a large clay oven beside the open kitchen. The menu changes daily, built on produce from small local suppliers, and her wet chocolate cake never leaves it. Sudbrack wrote the short wine list herself to match the cooking, and it is a personal one: plenty of small producers from Brazil and beyond, Burgundy and Pinot Noir for depth, and a wine made especially for the house by Brazilian winemaker Luiz Henrique Zanini. By the glass, expect surprises such as La Jaca Manzanilla from Jerez or a sweet Sicilian Zibibbo from Baglio Baiata. Intimate, unshowy and entirely in the chef's voice, it rewards those who come hungry.
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Virtuoso Vinho
Restaurant · R. Gomes Carneiro, 130 - lj b - Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22071-110
Virtuoso Vinho is a small, low-lit natural wine bar on Rua Gomes Carneiro, in the pocket where Ipanema meets Copacabana that locals call Copanema. More than sixty labels line the list, and around ten are poured by the glass each week, all from small producers and rotating constantly. Sommelier Bernardo Goes, who has worked on more than ten projects with Brazilian winemakers and travels to visit growers abroad, draws them from Brazil, Latin America, Europe and South Africa. Recent glasses have included Beaujolais Blanc from Domaine Joubert, an orange Gewürztraminer from Alsace's Leo Dirringer and Voodoo Juice from Rio Grande do Sul, with pét-nat, Jura, Loire and Rhône bottles among the regulars. Shared small plates and a good soundtrack complete a relaxed, unfussy evening for anyone keen on low-intervention wine.
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Rufino Terraza
Restaurant · R. Tubira, 43 - Leblon, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22441-070
Rufino Terraza sits on the rooftop above Rufino in Leblon, a fourteen-seat counter devoted to fire, prime cuts and the precision of Argentine cooking. The tasting menu runs through premium beef and native ingredients, with Classic and Premium five-course wine pairings alongside. The list is entirely Argentine and reads like a map of the country from north to south, setting celebrated names beside small artisanal producers and ancestral, low-intervention methods beside exacting modern winemaking. Ivo Arias leads the selection, with Luan Carvalho running service each night. By the glass, look for Matías Riccitelli's Extreme Vineyards Malbec from Gualtallary in the Uco Valley, Bodega Chacra's Mainqué Chardonnay from Río Negro and the wind-blown whites of Otronia in Chubut, Patagonia. Rare vintages and Champagne round out a list built for exploring Argentina glass by glass.
View Full DetailsFrequently Asked Questions
What are the best wine bars in Rio de Janeiro?
The Coravin Guide lists 13 venues in Rio de Janeiro. Emile, LILIA Restaurante Sede, Oteque and Umai are rated Excellent (20 to 40 wines by the glass); 9 venues, among them Aprazível, LIBÔ COMIDA E VINHO, La Spiaggia Cucina Mediterranea and Le Blond, are Greg’s Hidden Gems, a small by-the-glass list chosen for inspiration rather than scale.
Which wine bar in Rio de Janeiro has the deepest by-the-glass list?
Emile pours 20 wines by the glass, the deepest list in this guide, followed by LILIA Restaurante Sede (20), Umai (20) and Virtuoso Vinho (10).
Which neighbourhoods in Rio de Janeiro have the best wine bars?
The venues on this page cluster in Rio de Janeiro - RJ (Emile, Oteque and Umai) and Lapa (LILIA Restaurante Sede). Use the map above to plan an evening by area.
Where can I drink natural and organic wine by the glass in Rio de Janeiro?
Emile, LILIA Restaurante Sede, Oteque and Aprazível are among the 8 venues here that give natural, organic or biodynamic bottles a place on their by-the-glass lists.
Which Rio de Janeiro wine bars pour Champagne by the glass?
Oteque, Aprazível, Oro Restaurante and Restaurante Beatriz, Vila Santa Teresa are among the 5 venues here that keep Champagne or serious sparkling wine open by the glass.
Which wine bars in Rio de Janeiro have a terrace or outdoor seating?
Aprazível and Rufino Terraza offer a terrace, courtyard or waterfront setting alongside their by-the-glass lists.
Which Rio de Janeiro wine bars have a sommelier on the floor?
Emile, Oteque, Umai and Aprazível are among the 9 venues here that have a named sommelier or wine team guiding the pours.
Which hotel bars and restaurants in Rio de Janeiro are in the guide?
Emile and Restaurante Beatriz, Vila Santa Teresa sit inside hotels and are listed here on the strength of their by-the-glass programmes.
How We Select Venues
The Coravin Guide selects venues based on the quality and ambition and depth of their wine-by-the-glass programme.
Each venue is rated on how many wines it keeps open by the glass: Exceptional for more than 60, Outstanding for 41 to 60, Excellent for 20 to 40, and Greg’s Hidden Gems for small lists chosen for inspiration rather than scale. In Rio de Janeiro that gives four Excellent and nine Hidden Gems. The deepest list is at Emile, with 20 wines open at any one time.
No venue pays to be included. Ratings reflect the overall standard of the wine-by-the-glass experience, not the broader dining or hospitality offering.
Wine by the glass turns a single evening into a tasting flight, and the wine bars in Rio de Janeiro above show how far a thoughtful by-the-glass programme can travel — from grower Champagne to bio-dynamic reds. Use the map to plan a crawl by neighbourhood, and open each venue for opening hours, the current pour list, and booking details.