Paraty is a good town for eating, and a great one for drinking, if you like cane spirit. The cooking draws on the sea, the mountains and several cultures, and the drinking centres on cachaca, the spirit distilled from fresh sugar cane juice. Understanding both makes your visit richer.
The sea and the table
Fresh fish, shrimp and squid are staples, grilled, fried or cooked in stews. The best restaurants buy from the boats that come in each morning, so ask what is fresh. A fish moqueca, a stew with coconut milk and peppers, is common along the coast, and many restaurants offer a mixed seafood platter for sharing. Order a salad or rice, beans and farofa, toasted cassava flour, as sides.
Azul-marinho
The dish most associated with the area is azul-marinho, a stew of fish cooked with green bananas, whose tannins turn the sauce a dark, bluish colour that gives the dish its name. It is served with rice and farofa, and it is hearty and surprisingly delicate. Try it once. A cooking class or food tour is a good place to learn how it is made.
Caicara flavours
The caicara tradition of the coast uses ingredients such as cassava, bananas, palm hearts, local herbs and fish. Cassava appears as flour, tapioca and fried pieces, bananas as savoury and sweet dishes, and palm hearts in salads and pies. Home cooking is simple and seasonal. A class in a local home, such as the caicara cooking class on this page, is a rewarding way to taste it and to meet a host.
Snacks and sweets
Look for pasteis, fried pastries with fish, cheese or meat fillings; coxinhas, fried chicken croquettes; and pao de queijo, cheese bread, for a quick bite. Sweets include banana-based desserts, coconut candies, brigadeiros and tropical fruit ice creams. Fresh juices, such as passion fruit, cashew fruit and acai, are everywhere.
What is cachaca?
Cachaca is a Brazilian spirit made from fermented fresh sugar cane juice, unlike rum, which is often made from molasses. It can be bottled white, soon after distillation, or aged in wooden barrels, where it gains colour, spice and smoothness. Paraty has been associated with cachaca since colonial times, when many small mills, engenhos, produced it, and some estates still use copper stills and traditional methods.
Tasting well
Start with white cachaca to understand the base, then move on to aged styles. Sip slowly, smell first and notice the difference between a rough, harsh spirit and a smooth one. Many distilleries also sell infused cachaca flavoured with cinnamon, cloves, honey, ginger or fruit. Drink water between samples, eat first and never drive after a tasting. A jeep tour with a distillery visit is the easiest way to taste in a setting where the spirit is made.
Caipirinhas
The national cocktail is the caipirinha, made with cachaca, lime, sugar and ice. Good bars use fresh limes and decent cachaca, and variations include passion fruit, strawberry or ginger. Order one at sunset on the waterfront. If you prefer a quieter drink, try a cachaca neat with a slice of orange.
Where and when to eat
Lunch is the main meal for many locals, with dinner starting around eight. The center has a mix of casual spots and polished restaurants, while Pontal and Caboré have everyday places that are often cheaper. Weekends and holidays are busy, so book ahead for popular tables. Ask your host about their favourites.
Dietary notes
Seafood dominates, so vegetarians and people with shellfish allergies should ask carefully. Many restaurants can prepare vegetable dishes with notice, and salads, rice, beans and cassava are widely available. Tell your tour operator about restrictions before a food tour or class.
Markets and bakeries
Beyond restaurants, pop into bakeries for fresh bread, cakes and savoury pastries, and look for small shops that sell local preserves, banana sweets and packaged cachaca. A morning visit gives you the best choice, and shop owners are often glad to explain what is local and what is not. Buying directly from small producers helps the local economy.
Drinks beyond cachaca
Fresh tropical juices, coconut water, craft beer and Brazilian coffee all appear on menus. Ask for a cafezinho after a meal, a small sweet black coffee. Guarana soda is a popular soft drink, and some restaurants serve infused cachaca in tasting flights. Always drink water alongside spirits in the heat.
Eating with the seasons
Menus change with the catch and the harvest. In the warmer months, fresh shrimp and tropical fruits dominate, while cooler months bring hearty stews. Ask your server what is best that day, and be adventurous with local dishes that you do not recognise.
