Dida Bar e Restaurante reopens on Jan 16 at Rua do Lavradio, 192, bringing its Afro-Brazilian cuisine to the cultural heart of Lapa.
After 10 years in Praça da Bandeira, the restaurant starts a new chapter in Downtown Rio, an area known for live music, nightlife, and the kind of street energy that defines the city. The move places Dida even closer to Lapa’s constant flow of culture and people.
The new venue sits inside a three-story building from the late 19th century. Original features, including exposed stone walls, were kept to preserve the property’s historic character. The address also ties the restaurant to Rua do Lavradio, a major cultural hub recognized as intangible heritage by the State of Rio de Janeiro.
In 2025, as it marked a decade in business, Dida received a special honor from Rio’s City Council: the title of Gastronomic and Intangible Cultural Heritage of the City of Rio de Janeiro. The award reinforces the restaurant’s role in protecting traditions, flavors, and knowledge rooted in the city’s identity.
A kitchen built on memory
Founded in December 2015, Dida Bar became a go-to address for guests looking for a warm, story-driven experience shaped by ancestry and cultural identity. Its concept is to present Africa through food, pairing Afro-Brazilian and African references in both décor and menu.
The project is led by chef and entrepreneur Dida Nascimento. The restaurant remains a family-run operation, managed by Dida alongside her children Stephani, Matheus, and Kanu, keeping the business grounded in shared knowledge and collective work.
“Cooking has always been my way of telling stories. Every dish carries memory, ancestry, and affection. Being on Lavradio now, in a place that also holds history, strengthens this connection between past, present, and future,” says Dida Nascimento.
The menu: Africa at the table
The menu bridges African recipes and Afro-Brazilian classics, using spices and comfort-forward combinations. Highlights include the open feijoada croquette topped with crispy collard greens and pepper-jelly sauce, plus a mushroom empada with a delicate crust and a red-wine reduction filling.
Another standout is Maria Bonita, a bite that competed at Comida di Buteco 2019: a mini baião de dois with red beans, creamy cassava, and gratinéed coalho cheese, served with sweet biquinho pepper. Small plates also include Fuzuê da Dida, the traditional acarajé, and wine-braised gizzards with chips.
African mains take center stage with dishes such as Nigerian beans, Lüderitz shrimp and shellfish (a Namibian specialty), Nairobi shrimp inspired by Kenyan flavors, and Nigerian-style jollof rice served with grilled shrimp.
On the Afro-Brazilian side, the creamy shrimp bobó comes with rice and dendê farofa and is available in different sizes for sharing. The house baião de dois features sun-dried beef, coalho cheese, and fried cassava. Vegetarian choices include a vegan tocossado with cashew and mango and a creamy mushroom rice made with shiitake and button mushrooms.
Desserts keep the nostalgic tone: baked banana with coalho cheese, ice cream, and molasses; brownie with ice cream and chocolate sauce; and passion fruit mousse finished with ganache.
Signature cocktails and opening agenda
Dida’s cocktail list mirrors the kitchen’s aromatic identity. The Gin da Dida blends tangerine syrup with pineapple and spices, plus juniper, cucumber, rosemary, and smoked cinnamon. Onilê features aged cachaça, basil, Sicilian lemon, simple syrup, citrus foam, and honey. Bahia Mule mixes ginger beer, citrus foam, Netuno da Bahia, and lime.
Over the past decade, the venue also became a space for cultural resistance, hosting events, celebrations of African cuisines, and music programming that embraces samba, jazz, and Afro-Brazilian sounds. To mark the new opening, the restaurant will host three special days starting at 12 p.m.
Jan 16 (Friday): opening toast and a welcome night with music.
Jan 17 (Saturday): aligned with Feira do Lavradio, featuring Roda de Jongo and DJ Bieta.
Jan 18 (Sunday): the famed Feijoada da Dida with Samba do Nilsinho.
Service info
Dida Bar e Restaurante
Address: Rua do Lavradio, 192 – Lapa
Phone: (21) 97965-4883
Hours: Tuesday to Thursday: 12 p.m. to 12 a.m.
Friday and Saturday: 12 p.m. to 12 a.m.
Sunday: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Payment: credit and debit cards
Capacity: approximately 70 people
Instagram: @didabar.erestaurante
Photo: Rapha Phillips
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