Fortaleza Restaurants and Dining

(Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil)



Fortaleza is a city with many excellent restaurants, cafes, eateries and street vendors, meaning that you certainly won't go hungry, wherever you are based. Famous for its nightlife, dining out is a great way to start an evening out in Fortaleza and most tourists tend to make a beeline for the wealth of restaurants and bars based around the Praia de Iracema area (often occupying restored colonial buildings), before moving to a club.

Seafood is an important part of the local cuisine in Fortaleza and many restaurants feature fish served in a traditional Portuguese / Mediterranean style, with copious olive oil and pasta salads.


Grilled sea bream (pargo assado) is a particularly popular dish throughout the state of Ceará, served at many 'barracas' (huts / kiosks) lining the Praia do Futuro, where al fresco dining comes in the form of tables on the beach, shaded from the sun with large parasols. Also popular in Fortaleza is 'feijoada' - a stew of beef, pork and black beans, and 'tapioca' - a pasta made with 'mandioca' root and stuffed with cheese.

Where to Eat

As well as beachfront restaurants, Fortaleza is home to a concentration of refurbished old warehouses, which stand in central areas and now function as trendy dining establishments. Locals tend to favour the eateries and bars located around the Centro Dragao do Mar area, while barracas are never far from hand on the Praia de Meireles, selling iced beer, chilled coconuts, ice cream and snacks, such as dressed crab, lobster, oysters and churrasco (barbecued meat skewers).

Another popular area for diners is Varjota, which lies inland from Mucuripe and comes with a host of eateries, especially between the Rua Frei Mansueto and the Avenida Beira Mar.

When ordering your food, do note than many restaurants in Fortaleza serve dishes designed for two people to share. This is not always clear on the dining menus, so be sure to ask if you are unsure.