Rio’s Baduk restaurant marks two years with a new weekend brunch, the Salatim shared table experience, and fresh additions to its Middle Eastern menu.
Baduk, the Middle Eastern restaurant in Leblon, is celebrating its second anniversary with a wave of additions that deepen the dining experience. Partners Daniela Branco, Erik Nako, Cristiano Lanna, and Andre Korenblum mark the milestone with the launch of a weekend brunch, a new shared-table concept called Salatim, and permanent additions to the menu. The restaurant draws from the flavors of Turkey, Israel, Iraq, Iran, and Palestine, with influences from the Mediterranean and North Africa.
Weekend brunch with Middle Eastern flavors
Every Saturday and Sunday, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Baduk serves a Middle Eastern-inspired brunch. The all-you-can-eat buffet is priced at R$68 per person and features zaatar toasts, pita bread, spreads including muhammara and hommus tahini, Mediterranean granola, mixed pickles, roasted olives, cheeses, and an Israeli salad with mango, cucumber, sumac onion, tomatoes, and fresh herbs.
Drinks are charged separately. Cardamom filter coffee with free refills costs R$14. The standout coffee option is the Latte Orientale (R$21), made with espresso, steamed milk, black tea, ginger, cinnamon, and spices. For those seeking a cocktail, the Narciso (R$34) — sparkling wine, cashew, apricot, triple sec, and spice bitters — and the Bloody Mirian (R$34) — tomato juice with Israeli seasoning, vodka, Sicilian lemon, and pomegranate molasses — make strong cases for a proper brunch drink.
The egg section ranges from the comforting Creamy Scrambled Eggs (R$24) with olive oil and zaatar to the indulgent Shrimp Shakshuka (R$58), two poached free-range eggs with sautéed shrimp in spiced tomato sauce. The à la carte menu also includes a Jerusalem bagel (R$11) and a selection of warm mezzes.
New additions to the permanent menu
The anniversary also brings lasting changes to the menu. Among the cold mezzes, Baduk will now rotate a different hummus flavor each week. Two new snacks stand out. The Crispy Halloumi and Dates (R$32) brings together the beloved cheese of the Eastern Mediterranean — popular in Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon, and Turkey — with the sweet contrast of dates, a staple across the Middle East and North Africa. The Salmon Gefilte Fish in Tempura (R$36) reimagines the classic Ashkenazi Jewish dish as a crispy, golden bite.
Salatim: the art of the shared table
Every evening from 6 p.m., Baduk serves the Salatim — a word meaning “little salads” in Arabic and Hebrew. Priced at R$68 per person for groups of at least two, the experience brings a rotating spread of salads, cold and warm mezzes to the center of the table, served alongside zaatar toasts and pita.
“The idea behind Salatim is to create connection between guests through shared food, in a dynamic that happens entirely around the table. It’s about experiencing together. In this menu, I created different salad options for each day, along with cold and warm mezzes that arrive at the table in small portions, building a generous spread — very typical of the Middle East. No formality. Just order, taste, pass it on, repeat. Salatim is a feast meant to be eaten slowly, with curiosity and people around you.” — Erik Nako, chef and partner at Baduk
Chef Erik Nako presents two different salads each day, always keeping the tahini coleslaw and fattoush or tabbouleh as anchors. Rotating options include spicy zhoug penne with zucchini, watermelon tzatziki with hazelnuts, roasted beets with fennel and spinach, lentil masabacha, and grilled plantain with coconut milk vinaigrette. Warm mezzes — such as falafel, cauliflower tempura, halloumi with dates and pomegranate, and sigara börek — are ordered separately at the table.
Event Info
- Restaurant: Baduk
- Instagram: @badukrio
- Address: Rua Rainha Guilhermina, 95, Leblon, Rio de Janeiro
- Phone: (21) 3592-0881
- Capacity: 36 indoor seats + 20 outdoor seats
- Hours: Monday to Friday, noon to 11 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Brunch: Saturdays and Sundays, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. — buffet R$68 per person
- Salatim: daily from 6 p.m. — R$68 per person (minimum two people)
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