Cathy C.
Yelp
Yelp Review 2025 #178:
After pre-gaming at another coffee shop nearby until Confeitaria Colombo was about to open for the day, I stood in a long line at 10:30am with locals and tourists. They open at 11am. I watched as the employees smoke cigarettes before going back inside.
They have several locations in Rio but this is the original. There's one in Copacabana, Ipanema, Centro. The hours for each location is different so be sure to check before going. This one is in between Centro and Lapa and has been open since 1894. And is the busiest and more crowded for that reason. The ornate interior design and furniture tell you how old this place is. They have a cinema where you can watch a 7-minute movie about the history of this place.
They have plenty of tables and chairs downstairs and upstairs and could fit over 200 people. They tried to fill the upstairs dining area first. You have to take this antique elevator to go up/ down which can only fit the operator and 3 other people. They have 2 elevators. They easily serve thousands of people a day which explains employees smoking cigarettes before the cafe even opens.
Each table has a QR code so you can see the menu. I came here already knowing what I want. And since I ordered ever so quickly, the server suggested I looked at the menu for items to bring home like boxes of chocolate, casadinhos (which Google Translate said it meant "married couple" and didn't really help me figure out what kind of food it was), coffee, jams, and teas. I later regretted not ordering more desserts to-go and gifts to bring home.
Pistachio Eclair:
Out of my 3 selections, this was my favorite. Pistachio glaze and crushed pistachios on top. The eclair is filled with pistachio cream in the middle. 5/5
Pastel de Nata:
There's a bragging contest amongst cafes as to whom serves the best pastel de nata. I prefer mine more brown on top with a buttery flaky crust and a warm custard in the middle. Confeitaria Colombo's version checks 2/3 of those boxes. 4/5
Chocolate Hazelnut Tartlet:
Brazilian chocolate just hits different. It sticks to your teeth and the roof of your mouth and I'm here for it! I first tried eating this with a fork and knife but it was pointless. Use your hands, it's fine! On top is a large piece of chocolate with the Confeiteria Colombo logo then sprayed with gold. It doesn't have a Nutella-esque flavor to it. The rich dark chocolate flavor is more pronounced. 4/5
There are so many other things I wish I could've tried like Chocolate Mille-Feuille, Dulce de Leche Mille-Feuille, Pudim, Passion Fruit Tartlet w/ Banana, and some of their savory dishes. I'd have to come back here the next time I'm in Rio.
The servers aren't the friendliest but they're not rude either. You can tell they're worn down by hours upon hours of serving thousands upon thousands of people that the enthusiasm doesn't reset every morning anymore.
The restroom is tiny and fixtures were old too. But it's clean.
For the history, the architecture and interior design, for the food especially the desserts - you should come here.