Pedra do Sal

Monday is supposed to be the best day to come here and it definitely shows! It was so crowded that you could hardly move around or even just have to stand in one place. However, we managed to find a good spot and really partied. The atmosphere was amazing. Everyone danced, drank and simply had fun. Caipirinhas for only R$ 10-15 made the evening even better. In my opinion, you have to experience it once when you are in Rio!

This is where samba was practically born. On Mondays and Fridays especially there will be a huge crowd and live music. Dancing everywhere. It’s incredible! A place with good drinks and snacks and the atmosphere is electric. Just know that it is very crowded and you get pushed around a lot so make sure you arrive on a day that is not Monday for example (unless you love the crowd like I do). As usual almost nobody speaks English so I recommend coming with a tour guide. Don’t bring a huge back, wear your stuff in a small bag

Went there on a Monday night, it was SO packed that it was almost un- enjoyable. The culture of it seems to be lost with people wanting to get drunk and be seen there. Not much signing or dancing…. If you are solo and a foreigner I suggest going with a guide. Also means you learn some of its important history and not just for instagram likes. I was happy to go anyway and would return maybe on a weekend day.

If you’re looking to feel like you’ve discovered the real Rio de Janeiro or to get that “favela vibe” for your followers, this is your place. I have nothing against cultural manifestations—I’m glad the economy grows through countless influencers and TikTokers playing the new Magellans. However, the place offers nothing more than low-quality beers and caipirinhas, accompanied by music that, while surely beautiful, sounds terrible due to the sheer number of people making stories or going live. The noise is so overwhelming that you can’t hear anything unless you’re very close to the band. No one sings, and few people dance, leading me to conclude that the place is full of tourists who think they’re influencers. If you’re seeking an authentic experience, this isn’t it. Any restaurant with a nice live band has more soul. If you’re just curious, grab two drinks and go. There’s nothing else to see. But if you want to upload a story to your social media, then this is the perfect spot.

This place is the ultra rare 6 out of 5 stars! It might be "festive perfection". If you like Lapa, you will absolutely LOVE this place!!! A super safe street party 5 nights a week... tons of different atmospheres to choose from... with varied music. It's about 20% gay, so it keeps the intolerant, aggressive types out. The drink shacks are in the dozens, super cheap, huge strong as you wish, and incredibly well made. There's meat sticks & every other kind of food. You can go to the super crowded zones & dance or stay in any of the varied outskirt areas to chat, flirt, hang out, take photos, etc. Tons of gorgeous artsy girls, street art, and a really joyous feeling! Take an uber as it's tricky to get to and surrounded by more questionable areas perhaps. Go! You will never forget it!

Not for everyone! The Uber alerted us before going but we still wanted to have a look with our own eyes. Bad crowd, sweaty, no one dancing cause all people are attached and cannot move. At one moment there was panic and people pushed and created a cascade of escape, with everyone running vs the extreme points Overall very bad experience !!!!

If someone is travelling in Rio and wants to have a real Brazilian experience, that’s the place!

Don’t go on a Monday, it’s way overcrowded and filled with robbers. We had our iPhone robed (from our pocket), and some friends of ours, locals from Rio, had the same happen to them the following weeks as well. Phone ended on a prison and it was a nightmare. I was really looking forward to going there. A much better place for Samba is Fundição Progresso in Lapa.

Great area full of rich Afro-Brazilian history! The block party would be an amazing thing to experience. Take a walking tour and learn more about the area.

This place was recommended to us by our Uber driver. This was a very lively area with bars, restaurants and free samba outdoors during the evening. I had never heard of this place so I did not know what to expect. I only knew they had good samba on Monday nights. So, we got there about 9pm. Went to a bar, had some food and drink. The bar we were at was having a book signing and lecture by an author. Very eclectic crowd. Once we departed, we went on to find the outdoor music. It was crowded, but not overwhelming. There were mini-food stands with all sorts of drinks, beer, and hot food made to order, like hot dogs, sausage, etc. I was told the people behind the drink stands did not appreciate me taking pictures because I didn't buy anything from them....oops. As we walked further we noticed 2 very steep hills and they were both packed with people standing, sitting, squeezing in where ever they could fit. We grabbed a few beers, found a good spot to stand and see the music and started having conversations with people around us. At the center, we noticed the live samba, or pagode. There were about 5 or 6 musicians in total, sitting in a circle, with a space for donations in the middle. It was so cool because everyone was singing along. It was so chill, laid back and peaceful. Using the bathroom was a bit of a production. You could either use the 1 Port-a-john, or you could buy a beer from the bar nearby, wait on the line that people tried to squeeze to the front of, and use one of the two bathrooms they had up two flights of stairs. So, just be prepared for that. Or use the bathroom at one of the bars/restaurants nearby. I am sure there were other bathrooms nearby, but it was my first time there and it was sort of confusing to figure out.

So much history, soul, and life was given to me in Pedra do Sal. It's a historic Afro Brazilian neighborhood in Río de Janeiro. While gentrification has tried to erase its history the community still comes together regardless. The nightlife street parties are even breathtaking. I highly recommend getting a tour here during the day to take in the history of the area, then while you're at it, backtrack at night and enjoy the living and everything that this neighborhood has to offer. You won't be disappointed!

Pedra do Sal was recommended to us by a friend who lived in Rio for some time and it was definitely worth the experience. We were hesitant at first upon hearing that it took place in a not so great area - nearby a favela. But extremely glad we did not end up bailing on our plans. During the cab ride over, we noticed that we were heading into a more desolate part of town. However, a block away, you start hearing the music and the liveliness of the crowd! The square was packed with people - on the stairs, on the sidewalks, on the streets - including street and roaming vendors. This was the weekly Monday night party and was a great opportunity for us to experience the local Brazilian way of life. Live samba filled the air, along with the chatter and laughter of those in attendance. We made some friends who introduced us to sacole - easiest way to explain it is an alcoholic popsicle. And boy, can everyone party!

I was here for their weekly Monday night samba that features live samba music from local musicians. It's basically a huge street party with stands that sell caipirinhas (featured local drink with fruit and 151), food, and trinkets. Definitely a cool place to go for Monday night festivities as a lot of locals and visitors come to just chill, drink, and dance the night away. Starts at 730 and goes until midnight.

I always recommend Pedra do Sal to everybody visiting Rio because it is the perfect place in Centro to experience the typical nightlife Carioca style. Usually the best nights are Mondays and Fridays, both nights can be pretty crowded. The nights are open air and you can always expect a group playing live samba. It is never a directed show, but always a spontaneous happening. Sometimes there are special events such as Baile Black Bom which is always on a Saturday. Everyone, living in or visiting Rio, should at least go to Pedra do Sal once.

At the centre of a region known during the colonial era as Little Africa, the huge, smooth rock descending down to Largo João da Baiana is known as Pedra do Sal, or Rock of Salt. The square was a slave market as well as a cultural focal point for the thousands working on or coming off the slave ships at the nearby port, becoming a home to the sounds of chorinho and samba as the slaves sang songs about home. Today the rock is more likely to be filled with tottering dancers trying not to fall foul of the slope (further enhanced by spilled drinks) in a weekly celebration of music courtesy of local sambistas and Rio's drinking classes. Every Monday and Friday a roda de samba sets up around a table to sing classics to the assembled throng, giving way to one of the most traditional and authentic nights out in Rio de janeiro. Bars are to be found dotted around the square, but the street vendors are out in force making for a cheap night of fine music and strong caipirinhas.