Alfaia Restaurante — Restaurant in Região Geográfica Imediata do Rio de Janeiro

This was the highest rated restaurant near my hotel in Copacabana. Ive been a professional chef for the past twelve years in California, so I thought I would give it a try.

I ordered the sardine appetizer and bacalhau main at my server's recommendation. To be fair, it was the best sardine I've ever tasted. The bacalhau main was tasty but definitely not what I was expecting as far as quality for 100 heas. The fish was full of bones and the outside was fried and too tough to chew. I'm still picking pieces of bones and tough meat out of my mouth the next morning.

I didn't feel like wine so I ordered water, the server brought me the tiniest bottle of water which only filled my glass halfway. I noticed a sign on the wall that the restaurant provides filtered water to clients free of charge, so I asked for more water and pointed to the sign. The server stared at the sign and came back with a carafe of warm tap water.

When I got the check, the server reminded me that service was not included and literally hovered over me to see how much I was tipping. Incredibly rude considering this is a fine dining restaurant.

Save your money and go somewhere else. I had an amazing dinner at...

The waiters werr very polite and nicebut unfortunately the food didn't live up to the expectations and the high reviews that this place has gathered.

I asked for recommendations and ordered a fish dish called Gomes - it was very salty and we could not eat after a few bites. The fish in this dish was cod which had a rubbery texture - a classic mistake when cod is overcooked and loses its natural moisture - something we didn't expect from such a fine dining place with high price tag for every item. We also ordered octopus which we felt was overcooked and chewy. The fish macheca (bass curry) was tangy & perhaps the best of the lot that we ordered but didn't meet our expectations. Quite disappointed at the quality and taste of the food for the price we paid. All of this came out to R$ 434 after they...

I don’t understand why this place has the rave reviews it does. I thinks it’s because the wait staff speak English and are really attentive and friendly. But honestly it is an utter tourist trap and the food is not inventive and mediocre at best. I had a half portion of octopus “house style” which means on a pile of onions with some olives for garnish. That plus a glass of wine was close to R$180.

If you want Portuguese with great wine selections there are better options like Mercearia da Praça. For the same price I had a 3 course meal and drink at Zuka and also Iraja Gastro. Those places a different caliber with mind blowing entrees. Alafia was the least memorable meal...