Eat Rio Food Tours — Local services in Região Geográfica Imediata do Rio de Janeiro

We had an amazing time doing this food tour with Gabriel - he was informative and knowledgeable, especially about chocolate, but also created a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. It was like exploring with a friend rather than feeling like an overly scripted organised tour, which was perfect for us and is clearly what Eat Rio strive for. At the same time it was a very easy, professional experience from the point of view of a participant - everything is paid for and getting from one stop on the tour to another is ably handled by your guide. There is a really good mix of things on offer - from unique Brazilian fruit I wouldn't have been brave enough to try without Gabriel's guidance, to street food, to Portuguese-influenced delicacies and classic Brazilian food, to the best caipirinhas we have had and what I guess we have to call bar snacks - though they were so much more than that! We left feeling full of delicious food as well as inspired - but also not uncomfortably full, which is a plus.

I'd really recommend doing this on your first or second day in Rio, you get so much inspiration and many recommendations - if we had done it on our last day, like some people in our group were, we'd have been kicking ourselves at not being able to go back or try other recommended places. Beyond recommendations in Rio, as we were travelling on to Paraty and then Sao Paulo both Gabriel and then Tom (via email) gave really helpful recommendations that we can't wait to try out while we're there.

Overall really great tour with tasty food and really lovely, helpful people; if you're thinking about doing it just book it now, you...

Normally, if you asked me about a 7.5 hour food tour, I'd clutch my stomach and groan. Who needs to be talked at while you eat and drink for 7.5 hours? Depends on who's doing the talking and menu selection!

If it's Tom from Eat Rio, then the answer is ALL OF US. This is a tour for everyone! We started off in an open air market, meeting local fruit/veg/sugar cane juice/tapioca snack purveyors, and trying a fantastic array of exotic juices. Your Instagram feed has never been so happy.

Next up, we met at a lovely local favorite of a restaurant, and tried delicious Brazilian snacks and a local beer. We walked off our fried treats and visited Cafe Belmonte for the best caiprinhas in town -- honestly, I think walking around the city was my favorite part. It was so nice to get the lay of the land.

After the caipis, we had more wholesome juices, at a local juice bar, an exotic experience at an Amazonian restaurant, and some truly unique liquor/fruit tastings under a canopy of monkeys. We finished off with a multi-course meal at a local restaurant.

By the end, we were full, (but still mobile), and learned so much about the city, its food, and how to order. Time with Tom set us all up for success at...

This tour had to be the BEST tour we took during our stay in Rio. The entire experience blew me away by how authentic everything was. My boyfriend and I were visiting Rio right before the Carnivale from USA. We had never traveled to South America and weren’t really sure what to expect when it came to the food. Our first full day in Rio we booked the tour that way it could help us with what to eat during our time here.

Our tour guide was V and he was amazing!!! We started off in the market and got to sample some fruits. It was so crazy because they had some fruits I had never heard of and others that I knew but they were way bigger than what I was used too.

The entire tour took about 5 hours but it seemed like it flew by. Everything was so well organized. All the food options balanced each other out which allowed us to eat without getting full.

V was super great at explaining everything to us and giving us a lot of background information about the Santa Theresa steps (we stopped to see), the history of Rio, where the all the foods come from and how that all of that encompasses the culture of Rio.

If you are wondering what is a good way to start of your vacation in Rio, this...