Maria e o Boi — Restaurant in Região Geográfica Imediata do Rio de Janeiro

This was my favorite dining experience in Rio! We stumbled on this restaurant when we were walking along the lagoon and it suddenly seemed like it was going to storm and we started looking for refuge. We were quickly seated outside but under cover of the awning and it didn't rain anyway. The caipirinhas were the best I had because they were sweetened just right - if you like the beach/street over sweetened drinks it might not be for you, but it was right for us. We don't know Portuguese but they provided a QR code to see an English menu. We ordered two items that had brisket because we love BBQ brisket in the US. Both dishes were very good but I would compare the meat more to a pot roast in the US. But again, they were very good, the drinks were awesome and the service was good even though they had just gotten very busy with people leaving the beach due to the weather. Other patrons around us had delicious looking steaks so we decided to go back for dinner the next day. I prepared by screenshotting pictures from Google reviews of dishes we would like to try. It was fairly early for dinner and it was raining so they were pretty empty. Our waiter took time to look at my Google translation and pictures and let us know the appetizers were available but the exact cuts of meat were not. I said anything similar would be ok and he made a choice for us. He recommended a wine which turned out to be excellent for a good price. The appetizers were wonderful and the steak was delicious and cooked perfectly. We took the waiter's advice on dessert and coffee to complete the experience. The entire experience - food, service, atmosphere were all excellent and it was one of the best dining experiences of my life. My regret is that I am terrible with names and can't thank the...

Excellent experience and a new favorite. The menu seems simple but when you taste the food, you will see why I appreciated this restaurant’s Brazilian influence on French food. For our meal we had, arroz de couve, farofa crocante com banana, amendogreens, and pure quejudo for sides. The farofa is amazing. I liked the creamy mashed potatoes (pure). I find it difficult to get good greens in Brasil. The amendogreens hit the spot for something green to go with the meal!!! I want to try something different next time but it would be difficult to not order these again. We split 2 main dishes, Galeto and peixe mistura (lobster, shrimp, octopus, squid, seared tuna). Perfectly prepared! The chicken was succulent. I love fish and the mix was great, I also liked the hint of lime on the tuna. Drinks we had the Hemingway and ipanema fizz, I don’t remember the other few we had. :) All-in-all, I want to go back and I HIGHLY recommend going here over...

Unfortunately, something went very wrong here. For a Michelin Gourmand rated restaurant, I expected much more. The atmosphere was lifeless compared to other nearby spots, and the service was truly disappointing. The manager was overly harsh on the waitstaff, creating an uncomfortable scene. On top of that, he handed me the wine glass instead of placing it on the table, which felt unprofessional. The wine service was mediocre, and as for the food, it echoed some of the negative reviews I had read (a bit too late). While the tartar was decent (although the soft bread didn’t pair well with it), the other dishes were incredibly dry. Sorry, Maria e o Boi, but the experience felt like a letdown. It’s time to get your act together— this feels like a scam, which is sad for a place with...