San — Restaurant in Região Geográfica Imediata do Rio de Janeiro

We arrived at the restaurant around 10:45 PM and were seated at an outdoor table, which seems to be quite typical in Rio due to the warm and pleasant evening temperatures—perfect for al fresco dining. While the setting was nice, we were approached by a street vendor during our meal, which felt a bit out of place for a fine dining experience. The server didn’t intervene, which surprised us. Perhaps this is a common occurrence in Rio, but it slightly detracted from the otherwise refined atmosphere.

That said, the food was absolutely exceptional. As someone who has lived in Japan and is currently based in Vancouver—a city renowned for its Japanese cuisine—I tend to have very high standards when it comes to food, especially Japanese dishes. I’m a bit of a foodie, so my expectations were high going in, and I’m happy to say the meal completely lived up to them.

In terms of price, the menu leaned toward the higher end by Rio standards, but for someone from Vancouver who’s used to paying for quality, it felt quite reasonable for the caliber of food and presentation we received.

Service was also solid. While our Portuguese was pretty minimal, the servers made a sincere effort to communicate in English, which made the experience smoother and more comfortable.

Unfortunately, the night took a very dark turn. Just a block away from the restaurant, while we were waiting for our Uber, both of us were robbed at gunpoint. It was a terrifying experience that left us extremely shaken. To be clear, we don’t hold the restaurant accountable—this is simply a reality of being in Rio, and unfortunately, things like this can happen. Still, it was a harsh reminder of the safety concerns in the area. We tried reaching out to the police afterward, but the response was minimal and not particularly helpful.

All in all, while the dining experience itself was memorable and the food outstanding, the events that followed definitely left a lasting impression—just not the kind you hope for when...

the food was mostly impressive, but the experience was mediocre. it’s a shame, because the sushi truly was among the best i’ve ever had, but i couldn’t justify going back to this restaurant. it was a very busy night, so i don’t necessarily blame the staff, they were friendly and very accommodating to my terrible portuguese, but it took so long for each dish to come out that our party genuinely felt like we were just forgotten about multiple times during the meal. i ordered an appetizer, the buta bun, at about 7:45, but i don’t think i received it until 45 minutes to an hour later, and i really didn’t like it. tasted undercooked and it barely had any meat relative to the bun. a similar thing happened with the gyoza at the end of the meal. absurd wait, for food that was, in my opinion, far below the standards of what you’d expect from an establishment like this. probably worse than a lot of frozen gyoza i’ve made at home. like i said though, the sushi was good, very good. if you don’t mind potentially waiting two and a half hours like we did, i do recommend trying the mackerel uramaki. in terms of drinks, i didn’t enjoy my aperol spritz very much, but my zen garden cocktail was alright. i also got the sweet bonsai for the novelty, but it was just ok, i’d recommend skipping it and going to the gelato place down the street for dessert. overall, i don’t feel like i got my moneys worth here (and for rio, it cost a LOT of money). if you go, stay away from the hot food, try some sushi, and then go eat somewhere else, because you’ll most likely still be hungry when you leave. it is a very pretty restaurant though, the...

I really had high expectations based on the reviews and local recommendations, and the fact that it is a 1 star Michelin.

It was ok, Toro was fantastic, but the overall experience leaves alot to be desired.

Pro: atmosphere: it's definitely a beautiful restaurant, especially if you get to sit at the big tables, decoration is fantastic

Toro tuna was really good. I just didn't like the selection of certain pieces

very affordable

Con: attention to details: if you sit at the bar yoy notice alot of little things that doesn't scream professionalism from a 1 star Michelin. The way they bring items to prepare certain dishes, small bug on counter (its rio and its ok I get it), chipped bowl and plate

‐ service: while service directed at me was good, but if you just hang around afterward and talk to your colleagues, be on your phone, and see other staff just shoot the shit, it ruins the experience

I didn't rate it as low as I wanted, because the quality of the establishment definitely can do better. I would have rated this experience a 2/5 but it wouldn't be fair to the owner who can fix alot of the...