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GRADO, at the top
Grado is not merely the best Italian restaurant in Rio. It is one of the finest restaurants I have experienced—here or anywhere.
Nello and Lara have created something rare: a house where exceptional products (Nello is an outstanding buyer, rigorous in selecting suppliers), absolute technique, and real fire coexist without affectation. Wood-fired oven, parrilla, traditional stove, pots used at the right moment. What appears simple reveals itself as deeply sophisticated in texture, flavor, and balance.
The rustic bread, served upon arrival with a butter cream, already says everything: superlative.
The fiori di zucca—the best I have ever had—comes in an exquisitely delicate batter that respects the flower, generously enveloping the anchovy and mozzarella, delivering a perfect contrast: crisp and dry outside, moist within; vegetal sweetness in a joyful collision with the salinity of the fish.
The noble Hokkaido scallops, with generous caviar, hollandaise sauce, and green asparagus, set a new benchmark for what the word delicious truly means. A mortal sin not to try.
The vitello tonnato, sliced paper-thin, is crowned with an ethereal cloud of tuna mayonnaise—pure delicacy.
The lobster, cooked to the precise point, still translucent at the tips of its fibers, arrives with a warm potato salad that is simply addictive—ordered again, with guilt and pleasure.
The roast duck, glazed, on the bone, retaining its juices, with charred endives and corn cream, takes on the character of game. It distances itself from the domesticated magret and gains depth, strength, and truth.
Desserts confirm the heavens:
the cherry tart, unmatched;
the tiramisu, which I mischievously challenged with an extra splash of coffee—received with elegant murmurs of disapproval… rs.
I have been following Nello and Lara for many years—a trio that goes back a long way, with the delightful Lia, their daughter and the house’s muse—since well before the opening. I have closely watched the struggle, the steady evolution, the mastery, and the courage required to create something unique in Rio. In São Paulo, it would stand at the same level: the very top of the culinary scene.
Having tried and approved the entire menu (with preferences, of course), I find no flaw—neither in consistency, service, quality, nor taste. Today there are two houses, this one and Padella Trattoria on Conde de Irajá: welcoming spaces, dishes that are at once rustic and boldly creative.
The wine list is excellent, varied, and fairly priced—a rarity in a country burdened by high taxes that so often disrupt the harmony of a dinner when the bill arrives.
And a revealing detail, confirming Nello as the maestro of an exemplary team: when the trio travels for culinary study or leisure, the kitchen maintains exactly the same standard. I often joke with them: “I went yesterday. It was excellent. You’re no longer needed…” rs.
Add to this the objects, the glassware, and the décor—everything of exceptional taste and intelligence, carefully curated by Lara—creating the right atmosphere of a real, lived-in, genuine home.
Lara and Nello show Rio what high cuisine without nonsense, without mannerism, without theater truly is.
Real cooking.
At its highest level.
Bravo.
