El Born

A lively place with a reasonable atmosphere, although quite dark inside. Service was hard to come by and food was unfortunately extremely poor - stick to the tapas that circulate and avoid the menu.

Although the place was cozy, the food didn’t look good or even taste good. Risotto dish was not a risotto dish 🥲 we had very high expectations

Stick with the tapas, the other food we tried wasn’t great. We had tuna tartare and the ceviche which wasn’t tasting good even if it’s well presented. The taste was bitter and the tuna was somehow minced instead of chopped giving it a strange texture. Staff is friendly but service is average to mediocre. It’s not surprising sparkling wine will overflow and spill over if the bottle is shaken while it is being carried from the other bar across the street. We were not asked why we didn’t eat the food. Probably because they speak almost no English.

Great food, great service, great music! Really enjoyed every dish. The beef steak on skewer stood out for me. Really good restaurant

Looking for dinner at 11:30pm in most cities would've spelled disaster. But not in Rio! Sorry, no menu pics as the lighting was too dim and flash on laminated page protectors does not work! ATMOSPHERE: The intimate space looked like an eatery straight out of NYC. Outdoor seats, dimly lit interior, small bar, background music. Perfect. MENU: Mixed genre of apps, salads, meats, poultry, seafood, desserts. FOOD: Verdaguer The tiniest Le Creuset pot came out, filled to the brim with a searing hot stew of lentils, carrots and smoked sausage that stayed warm till the very end. A few slices of crostini accompanied. The smoky and savory flavors were outstanding! Montaner An omelette shaped like a pancake was stuffed with diced potatoes, cheese and other savory seasonings, with a small green salad to the side. Very tasty. Casa Batló A mound of couscous came topped with flavorful strips of caramelized and savory chicken, similar to a teriyaki chicken dish. Some parts of the chicken were a little tough but not enough to ruin the dish. SERVICE: Our server was friendly and food delivery was quick. TIP: Try to pay with cash. My credit card got compromised while in Rio and I'm not sure where it happened, so this tip appears on all my reviews where I paid with it. OVERALL: Open late until 2am, affordable, good food.

One of best cocktail bars in Copa. Excellent drinks and the menu is amazing. Best spots for dates. Super chill and low key

Delicious food, wonderful atmosphere. The salmon tapa especially was fantastic.

Absolutely fantastic service, food, and value. Had strawberry mojito and mango juice. Service was fast! The absolute best battered calamari/shrimp. This is as good as it gets! And the filet mignon with the broccoli sauce. Wow it’s perfection. I could eat here everyday. Every 15 minutes or so the waiters will bring small tapas plates. If you like what you see just grab it and add to the bill. Amazing restaurant highly recommended for an amazing meal and an even more amazing value for the quality of seafood and meat. 5 stars!

Dare I say it?... The pulpo was better here than Madrid (my top for several years). We came by our first night in rio because I love octopus and iberico ham. The service and food were on point!And the cocktails were out of this world. I had a tangerine cocktail with ginger foam and little red pepper balls. I don't know what magic happened during the creation of this drink, but it was amazing. We also had steak tartare, yum! Everything was great and we may even come back while we are still here.

We had a great time at this restaurant during my visit to Rio. Found it through doing some searches and was glad I did. It has a real local feel. Full bar with TVs, outside and inside seating. We ordered tapas to share as they didnt have the lamb I wanted. The sangrias were good as well as the tapas. Service was good as well.

Not bad, not great. More a place for a drink but bolinhos de bacalhau were good! Service was ok.

Great spot for a group dinner. All 8 of us enjoyed the food and atmosphere. They kept bringing out food and we kept eating it. Good spot

Nice spot for a night out - live bossa nova music on by here. Very solid having grilled octopus, squid ink rice & honeyed aubergine sticks, and this beer. Tip: servers offer tapas so save some room to pick from them also- all look good!

Cool spot for dinner in Rio near Copacabana beach. Tapas menu is bit confusing at first as the server brings out plates of food that is not mentioned in the menu but each plate/item is 9R. The filet mignon cubes and chicken bacon skewers were very good. Got the pork leg hot hole which was good as well, quite small though. Tapas were 50/50, liked some, didn't like the rest. Somewhat frustrating as we went early and took a while for the tapas to come out initially but as more people came, it was faster. Red wine sangria was good, was very light and refreshing, could barely taste the wine. Lots of fruits. There's about 4 glasses for each person. Overall, good place to visit and good ambiance. It is somewhat expensive and didn't really feel that full afterwards either (yes I'm aware it's a tapas place).

Looking for dinner at 11:30pm in most cities would've spelled disaster. But not in Rio! Thanks to Yelp, its filters and reviewers, we totally scored. Sorry, no menu pics as the lighting was too dim and flash on laminated page protectors does not work! ATMOSPHERE: The intimate space looked like an eatery straight out of NYC. Outdoor seats, dimly lit interior, small bar, background music. Perfect. MENU: Mixed genre of apps, salads, meats, poultry, seafood, desserts. FOOD: Verdaguer - $9. The tiniest Le Creuset pot came out, filled to the brim with a searing hot stew of lentils, carrots and smoked sausage that stayed warm till the very end. A few slices of crostini accompanied. The smoky and savory flavors were outstanding! Montaner - $8. An omelette shaped like a pancake was stuffed with diced potatoes, cheese and other savory seasonings, with a small green salad to the side. Very tasty. Casa Batló - $14. A mound of couscous came topped with flavorful strips of caramelized and savory chicken, similar to a teriyaki chicken dish. Some parts of the chicken were a little tough but not enough to ruin the dish. SERVICE: Our server was friendly and food delivery was quick. TIP: Try to pay with cash. My credit card got compromised while in Rio and I'm not sure where it happened, so this tip appears on all my reviews where I paid with it. OVERALL: Open late until 2am, affordable, good food.

Based on reviews, we decided to go to El Born for a light dinner. We started with the strawberry caipirinhas which were average. We told the waiter we would have tapas. The first tapas came before we ordered our drinks. Then, we waited. It was early when we arrived (1800), so we were patient. We left at 1930, having been served five tapas (the shrimp that came upon arrival, octopus, ham and cheese on bread, sausage on bread, and a risotto with shrimp). The two selections on a slice of French bread were nothing special. At least octopus isn't something I have in my pantry at home. We left to get gelato. If you want tapas, this might be a good place later at night. If you want to be sure you get fed, be sure to order a couple of appetizers in case they don't feel like serving you.

Really great tapas! We just let them keep coming to our table and choosing what we'd like, and they would charge for each dish. They were all delicious! They started with a ceviche that had a coconut and lime marinade, plus a shrimp ceviche that was slightly spicy and then a calamari and pepper ceviche that was tangy and refreshing. They brought out hot fried balls of different kinds- shrimp wrapped in potato, pork and greens wrapped in black beans and a slightly spicy beef ball with a great spicy tomato sauce. Everything was so well prepared and of the highest quality. They even made my husband a Porto Tonico as we had them in Portugal- only the one here may be a little better!

My group went to El Born as a pre-game spot where we could also get some food. I ordered the maracuja (passionfruit) caipirinha (x3) which was incredibly delicious, as well as the eggplant with goat cheese on top. The eggplant was nicely grilled and the goat cheese had a crispy top that was delicious. The waiters were attentive and patient with the members of my group who didn't speak Portuguese. The menu was extensive with options for meat and non-meat eaters alike.

This was my fist dinner in Brazil and it was unforgettable. I went there around happy hour and the bar manager spoke a bit of english. He was super friendly and his mixology talents where very good. All the bartenders where very friendly and we shared stories about bars in Brazil and US. Great conversations considering the language barrier. I ordered some drinks, appetizers, drinks, food, and more drinks and everything was delicious! Caipirinha me please! So delicious. After trying the food here I now get it Brazil. I now get why everyone is so friendly. It's the great food, liquor, music, and the women. Great mixologist skils, nice vibe, and great food! What else can you ask for? Next time I'm in Rio I will defintely return here.

We stumbled in here on New Years when Copa was crazy. We'd been in rio for 7 days and this was a little more expensive than normal tapas but way better in quality. We would recommend everything, but the steak and mushrooms skewer (sounds basic but it's really good) and the frozen acai which uses a local version of whisky as the base were our standouts

Something that is part of everybody's individual evaluation of a place is value. Obviously, everybody has a different differential. I knew before coming here that El Born was expensive, and that it's not exactly typical of Copacabana or Rio in general - more expensive, more "chic" etc. However, even if money were not an issue (right?! I wish!), this place would be STILL just okay. El Born is a Spanish-themed bar, taking its name from a neighborhood in Barcelona, and it's beautifully decorated, with paletas de jamón hanging from the bar and beautiful lights and furniture. It's on the smaller side, but has ample seating and tables outside as well. I went with a group of 6 people, and we ordered a bottle of tinto from Rioja, some capivodkas, and a smattering of tapas. Everything was just fine. The wine was decent, as Spanish wine from Rioja is, the capivodka de kiwi a typical caipivodka, and the tapas tasty. I loved that the waiters circulated around the bar with trays of tapas - it reminded me of how waiters circulate from table to table in dim sum restaurants, offering you their wares. Only these were definitely not dim sum prices. We paid an absurd amount for a bottle of wine, two cocktails, and a handful of tapas. It was easily the most that I've ever paid in Rio for so little. The quality was fine, but in a city where value - which I define as getting more, if not exactly what you deserve, for what you pay - is extremely difficult to find, this bar does not make it any easier. Check out El Born if you're looking for a chic bar in Copacabana, if you're feeling extreme saudades da Espanha, but otherwise, be warned that this place is not worth the price. I'm looking forward to discovering more places in Rio that are beautiful, serve quality product, and NOT absurdly expensive. A challenge I am happy to take up. Cheap does not necessarily equal value. But neither does expensive. Olé, El Born!

Best mixed drinks I've had in Rio! Miss a good Bloody Mary? Find it here! They make it fresh and it's nice and spicy!

We came here for the sangrias, which is apparently their main draw. Tried both the white and red (disclaimer: sangrias are not my thing). The white was good, but weak. The red was definitely much better. Both come with lots of fruit, and the jugs are pretty big. There were four of us, and we each got about a glass and a half. One jug would be plenty for two people, and you'd probably get a little tipsy. Beer doesn't appear on the menu, but they have a separate beer menu - just ask for it. The atmosphere is really neat, the walls are lined with dark wood and it's lit in reddish orange light. If you like sangrias, this is your place.

Amazing place to eat im very picky for food highly recommend this place las tapas which is appetizers are the best the steak filet mignon unbelievable I give this place 5 star the sangria the place everything is really good !!!

It's a tapas style gastropub and was amazing! You can either order off the menu or get surprise tapas to choose from as they come around to serve (costs 9 real per appetizer). It was excellent food, drinks and service. Plus they had an English menu and enough options for vegetarians!! Awesome drinks and awesome food. Highly recommend !

This is a great place for drinks. Sit at the bar if you can so you can watch the bartenders. Back a year later and this is still my favorites. Eat tapas here or have a meal across the street at Boteco Belmonte

I think I had one of my best experiences in Rio here. Service was amazing. They had english speaking people and menus. They recommended a few drinks and they were all awesome. Best thing are the tapas rodizio where they serve fresh tapas and mark how many you take on a paper. Delicious is an understatement. Great atmosphere and vibe too. Absolutely recommend it

I wasn't in the mood for a full meal, but had read a lot about this place and thought tapas would be perfect because I could just stop whenever i wanted. I wasn't disappointed. The staff walks around with fresh tapas every five minutes or so and you can just select the ones that sound good to you...in addition to a full menu. The wine and tapas hit the spot and I will be back again!

Solo traveler. Really great service. Helpful waiters and gracious with my inability to speak Portuguese. The food is delicious, you can let them bring you some tapas or order items. Atmosphere is hip and cool. Great place!

Nice tapas restaurant in Coppacabana! We were not really hungry but still wanted to spend a nice evening and this place was a perfect fit. Tapas on the menu are a bit expensive but there is a good alternative which consists of picking up smaller ones for 9 real. We ordered nice wine and then waited for the waiters to come by with different options. You can decide whether you take them or not. Every time you pick something, they note it on a small paper and at the end you add them all. It was a bit too crowded that night, the Brazilian bronze medalist for judo was there celebrating. We sat outside but felt a bit aside, no big deal. Food was good and we had fun in this lively street.

Very nice Tapas Bar. Fresh food, good selection and great drinks in a friendly atmosphere.

Sensational place just off the main drag with lots of fun places around! The ambiance here was perfect! First we bellied up to the bar to enjoy the beautiful aromas of all the fresh ingredients being muddled and prepared with the cocktails! Then we enjoyed a seat in the restaurant where we indulged in many tapas, a cheese board and meat board. Truly a wonderful place we'd love to get back to!

Estive no El Born em outubro de 2014 e o fato de eu me lembrar perfeitamente do que comi e bebi já é um bom sinal. Localizado na rua Bolivar, considerada o polo gastronomico de Copacabana, o ambiente de cara se destaca e te convida. Um bar de tapas com ambiente descontraido e gente alegre, perfeita mistura de Barcelona e Rio de Janeiro. O forte da casa é a sangria, imperdivel. Eramos 4 e pedimos a sangria de Cava. Chegamos sem reserva e decidimos esperar no bar ate que vagasse uma mesa, o que nos deu a oportunidade de acompanhar sua elaborada realização e confirma a qualidade a quantidade da cava utilizada, alem de outras maravilhosas alquimias. Concordo que nao é barato, mas acreditem, vale cada centavo dos 75 reais que eles cobram. Ja os drinks sao caros (23 reais por uma caipira de Absolute). Custo-beneficio é uma avaliação muito pessoal e a minha certamente inclui a minha capacidade de reproduzir o prato ou bebida em questao :-). Faço uma excelente caipirinha, mas mesmo que eu me esforçasse muito nao conseguiria superar o sabor e a qualidade da sangria aqui produzida. Nao jantamos, mas nao resistimos aos petiscos (tapas) que os garçons passam oferecendo (preços medios de 10 a 15 reais, porcoes individuais). Recomendo as gambetas picantes e os discos de beringela. Menu criativo e diferente, que pode custar no bolso, dependendo da gula,

Delicious potatoes with shrimp in a cream sauce. Fresh ceviche. Tender filet. Great cheese board selection with honey. Very good drinks. Love the decorations, atmosphere and service!

Great food (you can do like a "tapas rodizio" and / or order from the menu) and the strawberry caipirinha is amazing!!! Very nice waiters and lovely atmosphere. Not cheap, but worth it!

English Menus, great service, delicious food and drinks (sangria). A must try in Copa.