Restaurants

On a Friday night, Rodizio Rico is the culinary equivalent of the Rio carnival. Heaving bodies clog the entrance, hungry diners chill over Brahma beers at the bar, gangs samba up to the buffet to grab some rice, beans and farofa (manioc flour), and the meat waiters dash about serving cuts from their swords. It’s surprisingly fun; the staff keep coming with newly grilled bites, and even find time to chat. The buffet is easy to overdo. As well as the aforementioned staples, there are salads, pickles and croquettes filled with imprecise vegetable matter. Better to wait for the delicious prime ribeye, chicken hearts, sweet and spicy sausage and the roast lamb. Desserts are sugary and superfluous. At a fixed, eat-all-you-can £20.50 it’s no bargain, but for a lively feast Rodizio Rico is hard to beat.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009