Confeitaria Colombo

Take a look at the beautiful coffeehouse on your right. It’s the Colombo confectionery, a local landmark. Once inside, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to the Paris of the Belle Époque! The café was founded in 1894 by Portuguese immigrants and quickly became a hotspot for the city’s intellectual elite. Many writers and poets even described it as a branch of the Brazilian Academy of Letters. In the early 1900s, the café was renovated to embrace the Art Nouveau style that was sweeping across Europe, with its curves and arabesques. The lounges were adorned with large crystal mirrors from Antwerp, Belgium, and beautiful woodwork. Riding high on its popularity, the café was expanded in 1922 with the construction of a tea room on the upper floor, and an annex in Copacabana in 1944. Today, the Confeitaria Colombo stands as an integral part of the city’s cultural and artistic heritage. Feel free to grab a seat and check out its ornate decor, but be warned: prices here are higher than elsewhere, and it can get crowded with tourists. That being said, it’s still a great place to enjoy one of Brazil’s famous sugary creations.