Pedra do Sal

I stumbled upon Pedra do Sal by pure chance while looking for a bloco — and it turned out to be something even better. It’s clearly a long-standing local tradition, full of energy and soul, and it even caught the attention of friends who saw my Instagram stories. The combination of live samba, delicious street food, and a vibrant, welcoming crowd made for an unforgettable night in Rio. An absolute must-visit for anyone wanting to experience the city’s true spirit.

Great experience, went there on a Monday, it’s pretty crowded as people say, but not too bad in my opinion. Drinks and beers are cheap, the samba part (8-12PM), was missing the energy, but from 12PM they played more popular hits from around the world, and the energy picked up. Would recommend trying at least once!

A fun place for a chopi right before sunset, after a long day wandering around the city center.

It is a spot to visit, but be very aware about the drinks sellers at the upstairs spot, they will try to sell everything with prices too high and try to fool you with some tricky offers, don’t buy anything to the guys at there, they’re just scammers

An Amazing experience! A spot where samba truly comes to life! The energy is unmatched, with live music and dancing all around—especially on Mondays and Fridays when it gets packed. Great drinks and snacks, but be ready for the crowd. For a quieter experience, visit on a different day. English isn’t widely spoken, so a tour guide is helpful if no guide just dance it away . Keep it simple with a small bag!

Extremely crowded but totally local samba experience. The location is a 5-10min walk away from metro station though would recommend to walk in a group. The place fills up quickly from 8pm onwards to a point where it’s impossible to walk around / dance freely without going “skin to skin” with someone, especially near the performance area. Drinks and foods are dirt cheap here and fun times are definitely guaranteed, with a caveat of you being drunk enough to disregard the sweat, heat and potential piss on the streets. Overall it’s worth a visit for the experience but will not revisit due to the difficulty of navigating through crowds.

An amazing experience, respectful and fun people. Always felt safe

It's a pilgrimage. It's an experience, but not a great experience. Expected live samba and instead got 6 million drunk people packed like sardines into a street corner listening to recorded house music you couldn't hear. You are packed so tight you literally cannot move. It was during carnival and people go there to get wasted and hook up. Maybe that's what it's all about - the spectacle of the mass of people. Maybe it's different at other times of the year. Would not waste my time going there again. Find other samba bars in Lapa instead.

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.