Warren H.
Yelp
So much of what happens at Aprazivel should be textbook of what a restaurant should be anywhere in the world. A proud menu that features both the chef/owner's vision, as well as a deep knowledge of traditional dishes that delight both local and international palates could be made into a blueprint for a successful, sustainable restaurant. Add those components to a privileged setting high up on the hills of Santa Teresa, and you've got a winning formula.
Starting with the cocktails, there were a ton of options just for a caipirinha beyond the usual lime and strawberry. I drank a cashew one which might surprise many people from outside the tropics to learn that cashews actually come from a fruit that looks like a long apple but has the flesh of a plum. It makes one hell of a fruit-based drink.
To get things going, we started things off with an assortment of sausage and cheese empanadas made in the Minas Gerais tradition. Each type came in a different shape to so you could tell them apart, but the dough was so thin and delicate you could see the ingredients right through the delicious, brittle crust.
For the main event, I went for a "Carioca" rice with shrimp. In the future, I'm going to steal unapologetically this concept of presenting jumbo shrimp within the rice and then crown it with gorgeous, fat langoustine on top. It was savory and balanced by the chlorophyllic presence of broccoli. My dining companion opted by a modernized version of moqueca de peixe that was presented in all its unctuous, seafood-y, dende goodness.
For a sweet note, we had an assortment of doces mineiros where each element -- candied orange slivers, doce de leite and guava membrillo -- paired with a young parmesan-like cheese. As a contrast, we also had a tapioca couscous that was sweetened with shredded coconut.
The setting was unforgettable, and the attentive service and inspired food made for an amazing afternoon high above the bustle of Rio's city life.