Zuka

Gorgeous ambiance, open kitchen, and steep prices make Zuka an excellent fancy dinner spot. Those in search of a formidable dining experience will not be let down by this Leblon eatery. In fact, most nights you can see an equal mix of tourists and well-​heeled locals devouring the varied dishes.
Zuka is great for all food tastes; it caters to vegetarians with a handful of options, seafood lovers with an array of fresh fish and shellfish, and carnivores, offering a wide range of different cuts of meat.
I particularly recommend the ceviche and the garlic bread crusted shrimp served with lemon risotto (this one seems to be a favorite).
My favorite is to sit at the bar that faces the open kitchen to watch all the chefs in action. It’s really cool to watch how they put together plates and gave me some inspiration that I can bring to my own cooktop (like cutting green onion diagonally, who knew!).
Date night or casual night, Zuka wins.

E não é que o Zuka continua bombando. Há mais de uma década no Leblon contou em sua fase inicial com chef o Felipe Bronze. De lá pra cá muita coisa aconteceu naquele pedaço do Leblon. Muitos restaurantes abriram e outros fecharam. Mas o Zuka permanece nos presenteando com seu menu criativo, único e de personalidade forte. Um campeão.
Os grelhados são o carro chefe da casa atualmente sob o comando da Ludmilla, que com maestria cria incríveis inovações com mistura de sabores e cozidos ou grelhados à perfeição.
Sentar no balcão e ver a agilidade com que os grelhados e os pratos são montados com maestria na nossa frente é uma felicidade só. Difícil é decidir o que pedir. O Magret de Pato é divino, os cortes bovinos são espetaculares e os acompanhamentos de primeira. Hoje fui de Bife de Ancho com farofa de maracujá e tomates com manjericão. Decidi após vários minutos de observação a partir do meu ponto privilegiado.
Bem a sobremesa… a sobremesa…é também de difícil escolha. Fui de brigadeiro em copo que de tão divino também é servido no restaurante em frente: o Sushi Leblon onde sempre desfruto dessa guloseima.
Não foi surpresa encontrar ali alguns funcionários que conhecia desde o ano de inauguração. Não é incrível?

After a long awaited time and having reviewed several restaurants in the Rio area, my friends & I decided to dine at Zuka.
We arrived around 09:30 pm and the restaurant seemed to be a full house and were told there would be a 30 – 40 min wait. As soon as we asked the hostess that we would like to order a bottle of wine, within 3 – 5 minutes we were told there was a table cancellation (it’s odd because this restaurant doesn’t take reservations) and we were seated right away.
Shortly after, we were served the wine and I noted the vintage red 2012, but the wine list was showing that the vintage was 2009. We immediately approached the waiter and made him aware of the mistake. Then, the rude (what I think was the manager) and the hostess who served as his translator advised their wine vendor no longer supplied them with the 2009 vintage but with the 2012.
Their excuse was pretty interesting and placed the blame on the wine vendor like they were responsible for what the restaurant advertises on their menu. The restaurant never acknowledged the mistake but covered it up with this excuse.
The manager decided to take the bottle of wine back and we just ordered some other.
Food was pretty good as well as the service (except for the service who I believe was the manager).
After enjoying the dinner, we asked for the check and noticed there was a $ 15 R/​person couvert charge that it was not disclosed up front and more importantly is forbidden by the Brazilian law (for more info on this, check the link below). We opted for not questioning the charge since it is customary in some European countries but I researched after leaving the restaurant and found out that such charges are illegal in Brazil.
This place should be audited by the Brazilian Consumer Affairs.

Excelente. Pratos suculentos. Certamente voltarei!
Just AMAZING food and drink! I will be back!

After a big miss on Sushi we decided to go for something more Brazilian. The Filet and Risotto were cooked perfect and we saved just enough room for Brazilian Bananas Foster. Chef and Manager both outstanding. Obrigado!

Chef Ludmilla Soeiro is amazing she provides the best customer service and is only serving the highest quality food when ordering she is a very famous chef and is the only reason why we chose to go to Zuka very very highly recommended. We ordered the crispy gnocchi what the texture similar to tater tots and very tasty creamy cheese it was superb. The main dish we ordered was the ancho stake with all the mixed vegetables the taste was one of a kind and I highly recommend if you’re a meat lover the flavors are absolutely the best in Rio de Janeiro. My wife had the risotto and she loved it she got a nice wine that complement it perfect recommended by the waiter.
Although there may be a line when going here there’s a line for a reason and it’s because the food is so delicious I think what really topped off our dinner was meeting the head chef and being greeted with such a polite and personable experience I can’t say that I have ever had such a great dinner before anywhere therefore this should be a solid 10 gold stars.
Thank you Chef Ludmilla Soeiro you truly are great and I look forward to coming back.

DO NOT GO HERE!!! The hostess was so outrageously rude. Originally she told us 30 minute wait. They do not take reservations. We got here on a Monday night at 10:25pm. At 30 minutes after getting a drink at Oscar’s down the street (which was great) we came back and the large woman at the door told us to go outside. We asked if we can get a drink while we wait outside and she said yes, although the drink never came.
At 45 minutes we went back inside to inquire as to the time remaining. She said I do not have an answer and I can’t tell you and I won’t tell you. At one hour we asked again and then she got upset. Another group of three left because she was so rude. She said the food is so good and this is why you are here and if you want you can wait and if not you can go somewhere else.
I have to believe this is not typical but this was absolutely awful. It goes without saying we will never go back. We ended up going to Quadrucci next door and they had room to seat is right away at the bar at 11:45.
This large woman at Zuka said she has been working there for fourteen years and if we don’t like it then too bad. She was awful. She wanted to argue with me. She was spewing at me and I said four times «do you feel better now? Then I motioned that I was zipping my lip because it was clear that she really wanted to argue with me. Needless to say it was awful and me and my beautiful girlfriend deserve much much better. This woman should be fired.
We just got a table while sitting at the bar five minutes at Quadrucci and are getting treated like customers which is nice.
Zuka should go out of business as a result of this hostess.

By far the best restaurant I visited in Brazil. Outstanding service. Each food dish was full of flavor and personality. The wine list was exceptional also. A must visit.

Excellent find recommended by a friend in NYC. Rivals my favorite places back home in Los Angeles. A MUST while in RJ.

Wow! This food (and drink) was spectacularly good! We ordered the heart of palms («pupunha») with cheese and truffle oil appetizer, gazpacho, and ceviche de peixe branca. I only wish we had more time and appetite to further explore the menu (we will be back!). Yes, the wines are a little pricey, so, while I’m sure they are great, we went for the caipirinhas (maracujá) which not only were extremely tasty, but packed enough punch for one each to do the trick!
I wondered why I hadn’t come here sooner and look forward to coming back soon!!!
Recommended!

Delicious food experience! try to get a place at the bar and watch the chef organizing his team!

Stayed nearby on my visit to Rio de Janeiro and my friends and I googled a Leblon restaurant for a nice dinner. We ended up here and I had the literal best meal I have eaten in years. The filet mignon with gorgonzola stuffed potatoes and carmelized onions was EVERYTHING. Trendy décor and buzzing ambiance. The wait staff was excellent. Really enjoyed everything!

Welcoming place. Excellent food. Ceviche, tuna, wine suggestions all good. The cachasa tasting perfect. And the chef has a russian name :))))

Leblon at its best, stylish and a bit loud.
Very nice food and good staf.
The starters are the best, try the foi gras or even better the tuna with egg yolk. The wine list is not bad also.
Conclusion: when you’re in Leblon have diner or lunch at Zuka.

I came here for lunch; it was busy but I was able to get a seat right away. The servers are attentive, but since my Portuguese is limited, it was a bit had to communicate.
The food is okay — not great. I ordered their set menu for lunch. Roasted vegetables for starters (which was very good), roasted chicken (a very dry one), and some custard for dessert.
Overall experience was average. Will I recommend it? No. There are other better places to eat in the area.

This restaurant was recommended by a friend who comes to Rio regularly!
He knows his stuff, so he had us sit at the counter so we could watch the chef and his team work!
This may not work in a restaurant with your angry lead chef but it was an absolute pleasure watching this team work together… smiles good humor just a lot of fun to see.
Like many of the restaurants that I found in Rio it has an interesting blend of flavors and well-​designed plates.
I started off with the Gespacho and lime sorbet. What a fun way to start your dinner.
Then I have the Fresh Calimar over risotto and that was amazing
The dessert was a banana grilled in its skin put on a bed of molasses with ice cream. I never thought that I would have but I ate it skin and all it was amazing.
That in the local Brazilian drinks were fantastic.

Pelo preço médio dos pratos, não dá para perdoar o couvert que foi colocado em nossa mesa: pizza branca (ou algo semelhante) com-​ple-​ta-​men-​te queimada. Não era um ou outro pedaço, eram todos os biscoitos da cestinha. Acho que separaram para jogar fora e um garçom desatento levou para a mesa. Só pode ter sido isso, pois ninguém em sã consciência teria coragem de apresentar aquele lixo para um cliente, especialmente em um restaurante que não é para todos os bolsos. Pedimos para trocar e obtivemos o que deveria ter sido a primeira impressão. Só que as pastinhas também não ajudaram muito. A de atum estava sem graça e a de tomate parecia ter sido preparada no dia anterior ou antes disso. Nota zero para o couvert, ressaltando que ainda tinha um caldinho de vitela que nem provei (porque não como — ou bebo — vitela). Caipirinha de tangerina medíocre. Apesar de tudo isso, a massa com tiras de mignon que pedi como prato principal estava perfeita, muito saborosa. Por causa disso, acho que um dia ainda voltarei lá para tentar desfazer a impressão de desrespeito que tive ao ser recebida com aquele couvert carbonizado.

The risotto with calamari I had for lunch here was delicious, and it was a nice change from the (admittedly tasty) fried food that dominates the neighborhood otherwise. Service was good as well.

This is one of the more popular spots in a strip of restaurants located on Dias Ferreira Street in Leblon, as it should be. The food offered at this cozy spot (tight tables — so no privacy) is quite inventive with lots of flavor. The menu at Zuka offers up a diverse and creative dining experience, very different from the menu at Brigitte´s — its sister restaurant next door. Ask for the couvert, it comes with a traditional cookie crisp called «biscoito de polvilho.» A word of advice, avoid being seated at the tiny back room area … the air con back there is hell!

Crème brulle de doce de leite muuuuuuito delicioso!

This is place for fancy night out or a big wallet. The prices are typical of Leblon but you do receive excellent quality food.
I came here for lunch and tried the special of the day, a grilled salmon in a bed of teriyaki flavored barley with red onions and a yogurt sauce. The flavors were great and maybe could have been even better with grilled not raw onions.
The pesto calamari was absolutely delicious. The pesto was hearty and flavorful and the calamari was of good quality.
I also tried their fruity drink, a blended suco of sorts which had an excellent sunrise coloration and came in a big wine glass.
The local red wine was forgettable, stick with the Argentinean or Chilean wines.
For dessert, a mix of diced kiwi and strawberries and toasted marshmallow was unique but not as creative as I hoped.
Overall, service was mediocre. We sat by the table on the opposite side of the glass entryway. One of the staff kept checking herself in the mirrored glass but it looked like she was looking at us making faces. Four stars for the quality of food, but as expected for the price.

Zuka was on our list of restaurants to try while in Rio. We couldn’t get a reservation On sat night, but they recommended we come by at 10 for he shortest wait. Even though we still had to wait an hour it was well worth it. They had chairs on the street and served us wine while we watched the night life.
The salad with warm goat cheese, then entrees of flank steak (special), seafood risotto (also a special) and the octopus were all excellent. We topped off with brigadero (sp?) for desert. Really great meal. Even better than Artigiano which I also rated a 5.

Excellent food (like most restaurants in the Dias Ferreira street), but a bit pricey (say, for a picaña, a glass of wine and a desert you can expect to pay about 50 euros (140 – 150 reais). Not outragous though. There is also an open kitchen and you can sit at the bar and watch them make food which is neat. The only downside is that it’s quite crowded and can be very noisy, at least when I was there, which makes the atmosphere a bit canteen-​like. Still, recommended.

Extraordinaire ! Super resto, un des meilleurs de notre marathon. On avait fait quelqus recherches avant d’y aller et on salivait depuis quelques jours sur le foie gras poêlé à l’orange et au Grand Marnier (en pure charentaise isolée au Brésil depuis trois mois, je né rêvais que de ça !). On n’a pas été déçues !
Un peu cher certes mais ça vaut le coup. On a eu un vrai coup de cœur pour l’entrée de foie gras poêlée accompagné d’une mousse de marshmallow, original et subtil mélange de saveurs. Le foie gras en plat est aussi délicieux mais pas très copieux et on né sent pas le Grand Marnier. Le bœuf au risotto de chèvre et pesto à l’ail est un délice. Le pesto est très aillé et s’équilibre parfaitement avec le risotto crémeux. Une vraie réussite. Les desserts sont aussi très bons mais un poil trop sucrés.
Le cadre est très sympa, tout en bois. Il y a même un arbre près de l’entrée à l’intérieur du resto. On peut s’installer au bar avec vue sur les cuisines, ce qui nous fait toujours très plaisir.
Seul bémol: les serveurs sont habillés en commis de cuisine ce qui né va pas très bien avec le décor.