• Where the Cariocas eat: Sindicato do Chopp

"We had great pizza last night from a place that Carioca's go to."  This was my friend's description to me before dinner at Sindicato do Chopp.  It somehow had me convinced that I needed to try it.  The others had gone and eaten palm heart pizza.  I urged her to show me where it was.

Cariocas is the name for people who live in Rio.  I am yet to find someone who knows why given the name is nothing like that of the city.

I have never seen a city with so many good looking people.  Everyone is beautiful.  Or maybe just 90% or the population here.  They are not scared to flaunt their beautiful bodies strutting around the streets of Ipanema shirtless for men or in bikinis for women.  Yes the stereotypes are true, but I had not imagined that Rio would be as perfect for a traveller as it is.

So if the beautiful people of Rio are eating somewhere, surely it has to be good.  Top points go to service, atmosphere with street parties passing by and a general happiness of all during carnival, but whilst the food was decent, the conclusion could only be that the food in Rio is of a low standard.

To start we ordered the Portugese fries which were more like thin potato chips served warm and eaten with tomato sauce.


I had a palmito (palm heart) pizza.  It arrived with a thin base, cheesy, and with slices of the artechoke-like palm hearts on top.


The next time we went we ordered a mushroom pizza and a salad with lettuce tomato and onion.  The pizza was similar to the last one with a scattering of mushrooms replacing the palm hearts.  The salad was super simple and as we sat right under the aircon, the lettuce leaves would comically fly away each time we tried to serve ourselves.


Washed down with a few beers, a meal can be an enjoyable way to soak up the life in this crazy city.


Sindicato do Chopp

Rua Farme de Amoedo 83/85
Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
(21)2522 1197

http://www.sindicatodochopprj.com.br/