The Favela Food Festival is a gastronomic event that has taken place in Maré since 2015, an initiative that values traditional cuisine, creativity, and fosters the economic potential of local gastronomy.

In addition to the gastronomic experience, the festival promotes reflections on the right to free circulation in the territories and on the exchange of experiences, and celebrates the identity, memory, and food culture of the favela.

In the three editions held, the selected establishments received, in the pre-festival period, professional consultancy offered by Redes da Maré on organization and food preservation standards, dish presentation, and customer service.

During the festival, Maré receives people from different parts of the city to get to know and taste the flavors of the territory. The dishes are voted by a jury of local personalities and guests, as well as the public.

SEE THE NOMINEES FOR THE FAVELA FOOD FESTIVAL 2024

Bar do Ceará (Av Bento Ribeiro Dantas (Rua do Meio), block 22 – Vila dos Pinheiros)

Mocotó ( (Mocotó, bacon, sausage, white beans, potato, carrot, and the house’s special seasonings)

If you want to have a culinary experience with a Northeastern flavor, you need to visit Bar do Ceará, in Vila dos Pinheiros, run for 22 years by the couple Maria do Socorro and Antônio. Recipes such as pea and vegetable soups, chicken giblets, and whole tilapia with fries are well known among regulars, but the flagship of the house is really the traditional Mocotó, prepared with bacon, sausage, white beans, potato, carrot, and the house’s special seasonings, which was the choice for the Festival.

 

Bar e Pensão Edson Potiguar (Rua Via C Onze, 41 – Vila dos Pinheiros)

Pork Sarapatel (Pork giblets, a touch of pork fat, and special seasonings. Accompanied by canjiquinha and coriander pesto sauce)

Edson is 52 years old, has lived in Maré for 33 years, and left Pedro Régis, in Paraíba, to make a living in Rio de Janeiro. In the 1980s, he opened his first little bar, where he sold drinks and some snacks. After 12 years living in a rented place, he managed to buy and renovate it to become Pensão Edson Potiguar. The menu is diverse, but Northeastern cuisine stands out, and the most loyal customers are rewarded with dishes that recall affectionate memories of their origins.

 

Cafeteria Grão do Chef (Av Bento Ribeiro Dantas, Block 19 – Vila dos Pinheiros)

Sr. Mortadela (Artisan bread toasted in olive oil, smoked mortadella, arugula, red onion, white sauce, and gratinated mozzarella)

That pleasant family moment around the table for an afternoon snack was the inspiration for this place in Vila do João. Recipes such as scrambled eggs with bacon and coconut tapioca, which were the joy of family gatherings, are now on the menu, which also includes a list of special coffees, pies, and sandwiches, such as bread with sausage, mozzarella cheese, red onion vinaigrette, mixed sausage, and house mayonnaise. Sr. Mortadela promises to celebrate the tradition of this family that has always come together, making this establishment a strong bet for the festival.

 

Cheffonas Gastrobar (Via C4, 91 – Vila dos Pinheiros)

Bay Tapas (Trio of snacks based on fish from Guanabara Bay)

Created by Rafaelle de Oliveira and Joice Gandra, Cheffonas Gastrobar is a space that offers safety and comfort to women, whether LGBTQIAP+ or not. With one year of activity in Vila dos Pinheiros, they created a welcoming environment in the former workshop of Joice’s grandfather. The menu highlights rib pastel, broths, and the famous “Australian Piglet.” With refined and very tasty dishes, Cheffonas Gastrobar is a gastronomic immersion of good and affordable food.

 

Doce Sabor (Rua João Severino, 17 (former rua L) – Nova Holanda)

Different Coxinha (Dough based on potato purée, milk and garlic, filled with chicken and turkey breast paste from the House. Served with artisanal mayonnaise sauce with a touch of cheese)

With one year of activity, the snack bar Doce Sabor represents the trajectory of Christiane da Silva Farias, who overcame challenges and found support in other women. Since she became a widow in 2001, Chris began selling empadas in Nova Holanda, inspired by the teachings of her aunt. After specializing in confectionery and gastronomy, she opened her business, which today offers a variety of savory snacks, homemade cakes and broths, with the coxinha being the big favorite. With a special touch in each recipe, Christiane enchants the community with her talent and charisma.

 

Empatias (Rua Nova Jerusalém (in front of 429) – Morro do Timbau)

Open Empada (Empada with filling of Minas cheese, bacon and garlic)

Leila Alves, raised in Maré, always dreamed of having her own business. After working in shoe stores, she began making empadas in a family bar, and the success was immediate. In 2020, after losing her job, she decided to invest in the dream with her son, Otamar. Thus, Empatias was born, which started in delivery and today has a container trailer. The menu offers more than 20 flavors of empadas, with emphasis on dried meat, Nutella and churros, always with welcoming service, in Morro do Timbau.

 

Espaço Fernanda Telles (Rua nova Jerusalém, 590 – Morro do Timbau)

Savory Sardine Pie(Sliced bread, artisanal sardine cooked under pressure, mayonnaise, mashed potato, corn, carrot, requeijão and potato sticks)

Fernanda Telles, a Black trans woman, has been running Espaço Fernanda Telles in Morro do Timbau for a year and a half. Overcoming family abandonment, she found in cooking a form of resistance. Today, her menu, which includes the famous carrot cake and savory pies, is a success among her customers. With gastronomy and confectionery courses, Fernanda continues the fight against prejudice, seeking to expand her business and offer opportunities to other trans women in the community.

 

Estilo BBQ House (Via A2, 53 – Vila dos Pinheiros)

Land and Sea Style (Brioche with sesame, beef burger, mozzarella, peppers, grilled shrimp, and pepper jam with pineapple)

Diego Santos de Mello has always been passionate about cooking, a talent inherited from his mother. After 15 years working in logistics, he decided to turn his passion into a business and created Estilo BBQ House. Inspired by outings with his wife and specialization courses, he began grilling artisanal burgers over charcoal, using the family’s grill. Today, with a shop in Vila dos Pinheiros, he wins customers with exclusive blends and welcoming service that makes all the difference. The flagship is the “Land and Sea Style”, a burger that includes shrimp.

 

Indecent’s Burguer (Corner of Rua G without number in Malha – Nova Holanda)

Devasso Smash Burger (02 blends (60g/each) of beef, Bimbo sesame bun, house mayonnaise, cheddar cheese and artisanal caramelized onion)

Childhood memories involving burgers with grandmother Geni’s homemade mayonnaise inspired Valéria and Christopher Tito to open a business during the pandemic. They started at a little stall in Nova Holanda, facing months of rain and cold while frying burgers. With the purchase of a trailer, they stood out with fun dish names like Devasso and Safadão. The secret, however, is grandmother’s mayonnaise, which cannot be missing from the menu. Mrs. Geni died on the day the store opened, but the tradition lives on, and Valéria celebrates the family’s resilience.

 

Pensão Petisco (Via C8, 95 – Vila dos Pinheiros)

Root Beans (Light-brown beans with pork rib, dried meat, sausage, okra, maxixe, jiló and pumpkin, accompanied by toasted French bread and house pepper)

Ana Celi’s seasoning is a true treasure in Vila dos Pinheiros. Pensão Petisco, which was born from the transformation of the old Bar do Beleza, reflects years of effort and resilience of the couple Ana and Waldemar. The recipes served rescue memories from childhood in Ceará, where Ana learned to cook helping her mother in the fields. She believes that the success of 28 years in Vila dos Pinheiros is due to the affection in the service and the quality of her seasoning. The highlight dish is “Feijão Raiz”.

 

Petronio Lanches (Via B1, shop 74 – Vila dos Pinheiros)

Dogão à mineira (Fresh Minas sausage, provolone bread, vinaigrette sauce, corn, peas, caramelized onion, artisanal mayonnaise and rose sauce, quail egg, grated cheese and bacon farofa. Accompanied by fried onion rings)

Petrônio Lanches, run by the couple Petrônio and Valéria, is the result of a history of partnership and learning. Petrônio learned the craft with his father, helping at the market stall. Years later, he set up his own açaí stand, which evolved into a hamburger and açaí snack bar. With Valéria’s arrival, the business got a new face, with improvements in service and in the menu. Simplicity, care for customers and fair prices are the differentials, which arrive at the festival with the special Dogão à mineira. Petrônio already plans to open another unit in Maré.

 

Quero Pizza Forneria (Rua Guanabara, 01 – Parque União)

Medium crust pizza, house sauce, coalho cheese, dried meat, mozzarella, cream cheese and parsley. With crust stuffed bread roll with dried meat and catupiry)

Graduated in Cultural Production, Michelle Caitano began her trajectory in Flavors of Maré, a gastronomy project of Redes da Maré aimed at women. This experience taught her about management and relationship with customers, skills she applied at Quero Pizza Forneria. Inspiration came from her father, Melquias, an entrepreneur from Maré who encouraged her to open a wood-fired pizzeria in Parque União. The highlight of the establishment is the “Dried meat pizza with coalho cheese and stuffed crust”.

 

Sabor do Nordeste (Rua da Gratidão, 276 – Vila do João)

Cuscuz stuffed with chicken and okra (Accompanied by pieces of Cross chicken and grilled okras)

Sabor do Nordeste arose from the union of friends Meiriane and Ana Lúcia, who met working in a cafeteria in Maré. Meiri, from Maranhão, was seeking new opportunities in Rio de Janeiro, while Ana, from Ceará, already had experience managing guesthouses. Together, they opened a business in Vila do João, offering breakfast and lunch focusing on Northeastern cuisine. The highlight is the “Cuscuz with Cross Chicken and Okra”. The menu also includes dishes such as ribs with watercress and fish with baião.

 

Sushi in Rio (Rua educação, 340 – Vila do João )

Northeastern Yakisoba (Ghee butter, house-cured sun-dried beef, fried cassava, coalho cheese, carrot, scallion, soy sauce with a touch of sesame oil)

Lovers of Northeastern flavors will love the yakisoba version created by the Cearense brothers Guilherme and Yuri Galdino. Brought to Morro do Timbau by their sister, who worked in an Asian cuisine restaurant, they joined her to open a hot Philadelphia stall in Vila do João. With dedication, they evolved into a food truck and then into a two-story restaurant that houses 140 people, Sushi in Rio. The menu offers oriental delicacies and Northeastern dishes, such as Baião de Dois.

 

Sushi Maré (Rua Roberto da Silveira, 27 – Parque União )

Hot arretado (Shrimp Hot Philadelphia with cream cheese and house coalho cheese cream gratinated at the table)

With a passion for Japanese cuisine, Raimundo de Azevedo Maia and his children joined to create the first Japanese restaurant in Maré, transforming local gastronomy over almost 10 years of existence. Raimundo has more than 30 years of experience in oriental cuisine, also specializing in Argentine and French cuisine. The Cearense left his mark in several Carioca houses, such as the award-winning Mitsuba. The restaurant’s bet is Hot Arretado and the space is led by his son, Pedro, who grew up accompanying his father in his “kitchens”.

 

Tempero da Lili (Av. Guilherme Maxwell, 84 – Morro do Timbau)

Lili by the Sea (Rice cake with white fish, coriander, and filled with plantain, served with lemon siciliano jam)

Tempero da Lili is a restaurant located in Morro do Timbau, whose main objective is to offer differentiated and healthy dishes at fair prices for the community. If you want to experience a cuisine full of affection and tradition, you need to know this place, a story of perseverance and flavor that began almost 10 years ago. Lili, as she is affectionately called, entered the world of gastronomy out of necessity, like many favela entrepreneurs.

 

SELECTED DISHES FOR THE FAVELA FOOD FESTIVAL 2024

GET TO KNOW THE BUSINESSES OF THE 2024 EDITION

GUIDED VISIT

THE FESTIVAL ALSO ORGANIZES GUIDED WALKING ITINERARIES AND VAN CARAVANS TO WELCOME PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY. VISITORS WILL WALK THROUGH THE FESTIVAL POINTS AND LEARN STORIES ABOUT MARÉ, AS WELL AS BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE RIGHT TO FREE MOVEMENT IN THE TERRITORIES, THE EXCHANGE OF EXPERIENCES AND THE POSSIBILITY OF HIGHLIGHTING THE POSITIVE DOINGS THAT EXIST IN THE FAVELA.

BOTH ROUTES ARE LED BY A MARÉ RESIDENT, WHO PRESENTS MARÉ’S MEMORY, IDENTITY AND CULTURE AND PASS THROUGH AROUND FIVE ESTABLISHMENTS THAT ARE IN THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT.

WALKING ROUTE: ALWAYS ON SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS, AT 12 PM, LEAVING FROM TWO DIFFERENT POINTS IN MARÉ: PRAÇA DO PARQUE UNIÃO AND AT THE VILA DO JOÃO BUS STOP (CORNER WITH AV. BRASIL).

vans (UP TO 15 PEOPLE): ON SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS, AT 11 AM, WITH DEPARTURE POINT TO BE AGREED. FOR RESERVATIONS AND TO JOIN THE CARAVAN, JUST SEND A WHATSAPP TO (21) 97159-7725.

2ND EDITION OF FAVELA FOOD – 2023

Between May and June 2023, 110 bars and restaurants registered for the festival’s selection process:

 

Texto alternativo:Infographic that compares the types of enterprises registered: 70.9% operate with bar food and 29.1% with street food

 

Texto alternativo: Infographic that compares the birthplace of the people registered in the festival, in which 46.4% are from Rio de Janeiro and 30.9% are from Ceará, which shows the great strength of the Northeast in Maré, according to the Maré Census (2019). Understand here. aqui.

 

Texto alternativo:Infographic that shows the number of enterprises registered from each of the 15 favelas of Maré. Those from Vila do João (21.5%) and Conjunto Pinheiros (16.8%) stood out.

 

Texto alternativo:Infographic that presents the gender profile of the registrants: in this edition, the number of women and men entrepreneurs was equal (49.1% each) and the majority are between 30 and 49 years old.

SEE THE SELECTED FOR THE FAVELA FOOD FESTIVAL 2023

Bar e Pensão Edson Potiguar (Via C11, nº 41 – Conjunto Pinheiro)

Ox tongue with cassava purée

Edson is 52 years old, resident of Maré for 33 years, left Pedro Régis, in Paraíba to make a living in Rio de Janeiro. In the 1980s, he opened his first little bar, where he sold drinks and some snacks. After 12 years living in a rented place, he managed to buy and renovate it to become Pensão Edson Potiguar. The menu is diverse, but Northeastern cuisine stands out and the most loyal customers are graced with dishes that recall affective memories of their origins.

 

Cafeteria R&B (Via A1, nº 71 – Vila do Pinheiro)

Sausage Rissole

Rejane is 47 years old, married, mother of 4 children and resident of Vila dos Pinheiros for 27 years. To help with family income, the idea of opening her own business arose and she decided to sell savory snacks to help her husband raise the children. Making snacks manually, Rejane acquired her audience spontaneously, and soon began receiving orders for parties, weddings and buffets. Today, owner of Cafeteria R&B, Rejane is a reference on Via A1 where her audience approves the delicious dishes daily.

 

Trailer da Morena (Main of Vila do João – Vila do João)

Ribs with angu

Vanusa, 48, owner of Trailer da Morena, started her business 20 years ago with the goal of having income to raise her five children and educate them. Today, she has a menu of broths, savory snacks and executive dishes. The flagship is the angu broth with ribs, the favorite of her clientele for having the flavor of Northeastern gastronomy mixed with touches of contemporary ingredients. The dish is a family heritage of Vanusa and she carries it with a great memory to honor them.

 

Robson Quentinhas (15 de Janeiro, nº 17 – Nova Holanda)

Hidden baroa potato with oxtail

Robson is 34 years old and with his wife’s encouragement, decided to open his business and started selling take-away meals in the region to add to the income and also to have autonomy. Sales with few units started inside the house for friends and family, but the place needed to be a proper space because sales only increased. Today, Robson Quentinhas has its fixed kitchen in Nova Holanda and delivers to several neighborhoods of the city, having a diverse Carioca menu at a very affordable price.

 

Churrasquinho do Jorge (Rua Ari Leão, nº 7 – Parque União)

Mixed barbecue skewers

Jorge is 43 years old and began his journey selling skewers 16 years ago. It all started as a joke and soon he was winning many customers in the region and the business became something serious for him and his family. Currently, Churrasquinho do Jorge offers more than 10 varied barbecue skewers and is successful among more than 250 fixed customers local and outside Maré. The place does not have delivery at the moment, but it is one of the plans for the future.

 

Bar e Choperia Esperança (Rua Esperança, nº 12 – Parque União)

Coxinha Arretada

Born in Ceará, Rondinele arrived in Rio in 1993, at 12 years old, started his trajectory at Bar do Sorriso, in Parque União, for 13 years, and in 2003, began selling Mocotó broth. In 2008, Bar Esperança was inaugurated and, until today, it is one of the references in local popular cuisine. With humanized service, it prioritizes the customer’s well-being, making the best experience for all who go to consume the most varied dishes. The motto is: “Where there is hope, there is everything,” and they make their brand count.

 

Boteco Tô Chegando (Av. Bento Ribeiro Dantas, Block 17 – Conjunto Pinheiro)

Chicken Gurjão

The partners Edinalva, from Paraíba, and Edissandra, from Rio, both 46 years old, are the idealizers of this place that has welcomed the LGBTQIA+ public for 3 years. Boteco Tô Chegando is a true family. There are marriage proposals, baby showers, karaoke, bingo, themed meetings, etc. The flagship is the chicken gurjão and the fish bites that are accompanied by a special house sauce, but there are other options, such as pea soup, Mexican beans, sun-dried meat with cassava, baião de dois and mocotó soup.

 

Garota da Teixeira (Rua Teixeira Ribeiro, nº 711 – Parque Maré)

Stuffed Salmon

With a popular and very diversified cuisine, the Garota da Teixeira self- service, created 12 years ago by Antonio, has a respectable menu that includes three different types of rice and options that vary between seafood, Northeastern foods and barbecue, daily. The leader of this team, cook Rosilene, is mainly responsible for the good taste that pleases her customers for so many years and makes this place visited every day.

 

Pensão Petisco (Via C8, nº 95 – Conjunto Pinheiro)

Oxtail with cuscuz

With the essence of Northeastern cuisine, Pensão Petisco is an oasis of popular gastronomy led by Ana Célia, 65, owner of the establishment. Always with a smile on her face and kindness, Ana receives all customers with much politeness and insists on presenting the restaurant with all patience and cordiality. Pensão Petisco has diverse dishes, but the regional seasoning from the Northeast makes all the difference. The flagship is the oxtail accompanied by watercress, potato and cuscuz.

 

Frango Assado da Vila (Rua da Adoração, nº 392 – Vila do João)

Roast Chicken

For 12 years, Mrs. Ana Maria’s son left Miguel Couto, at Baixada Fluminense, with persistence, a loan of one thousand reais and the desire to change the family’s reality. Arriving in Maré, they started selling 60 chickens a day, and soon the next weekend they were 400. The success does not come only from the delicious roast chicken: Mrs. Ana adds the famous beaten seasoning, homemade farofa, cassava, potato and calabrese sausage that makes a true gastronomic delight.

 

Burgueria DN (Rua Santa Rita - Rua B, nº 12 – Nova Holanda)

Hot dog with artisanal sausage, dried meat and coalho cheese

Nathalia Ferreira, 34, from Maré, is the leader of Burgueria DN, a family and cozy place. In 2020, Nathalia needed resources to support the household and opened the hamburger place at home. The business grew and she needed a larger space to handle the demand. Today, with a team of five people, Hamburgueria DN is a reference in Maré. The customers’ darling is the Limousine, a hot dog with sausage, dried meat and cheese. The sweet and slightly spicy sauce harmonizes the flavors and awakens the palate.

 

Japa Food (Av. Guilherme Maxwell, nº 84 – Morro do Timbau)

Hot Philadelphia stuffed with salmon and cream cheese.

Elaine Cristina, 38, and Anderson Lima, 40, are the couple owners of one of the most trendy Japanese food restaurants in Maré. Currently, with a newly opened new space, Japa Food makes the gastronomic experience even more special. Starting at home and with the help of their children, the couple started the business 6 years ago when they decided to be independent and sought something they wanted to call their own. With success growing throughout Maré, the idea of expanding it was natural. Japa Food receives its customers from Tuesday to Sunday offering the best of Japanese cuisine.

 

Bar Amparo (Rua Luiz Ferreira, s/nº – Baixa do Sapateiro)

Feijoada

Bar Amparo is a true family. Either by history, or by providing incredible moments experienced by loyal customers who do not give up Maria Amparo’s famous feijoada, the owner. Of Pernambucan origin, coming from a family of 16 siblings, Amparo accompanied her mother in the kitchen producing daily meals. Awakening the gift for gastronomy, Amparo began her activities making take-away meals at home and, in 2003, inaugurated her trailer with capacity for 75 people, with equipped kitchen and two bathrooms. There are more than 250 meals weekly and many off-site orders for buffets.

 

Amarelinho 24h (Av. Guilherme Frota, 374 – Morro do Timbau)

Mocotó broth

Amarelinho 24h is the place of the best conversations and dishes offered by owner Maria de Fátima. For those who like a good chat accompanied by homemade food, it is the ideal place. The Pernambucan, with a unique charisma, is passionate about customers and always receives them with a beautiful smile on her face leaving the experience incredible. The most ordered dish at the place is the famous mocotó. The secret, according to her, is the bottom of the pot concentrated with the main ingredients that make the dish even more flavorful.

 

Carne de Sol do Capitão (Rua 1, Praça do Fogo Cruzado – Conjunto Bento Ribeiro Dantas)

Sun-dried beef with boiled cassava and baião de dois

Son of Northeasterners and born in Baixa do Sapateiro, Francisco Marcelo, 51, is a geographer by training, master in charm and the owner of Carne de Sol do Capitão. It is not very difficult to be won over by the incredible sun-dried beef served at the place, the establishment’s main dish that has served Maré residents since 2017. With a diversified menu that goes from burgers to set dishes, today the Capitão is in two addresses in Maré, one of them to serve customers and the other only for delivery. The Capitão has also sponsored fighters and partners with theater groups from Maré.

 

Ki Empada Boa (Rua Teixeira Ribeiro, nº 752 – Nova Holanda)

Chicken Empada with Cream Cheese

The couple Filipe Mariano, 24, and Vera Lúcia Lopes, 26, are making a huge success in Nova Holanda. This is due to the simple fact of opening their business and showing that simplicity wins anyone: it is Ki Empada Boa. Filipe inherited the gift of making savory snacks from his father, José, who since he was little had the help of his children in production for family income. When Filipe met Vera, the ties tightened and they decided to start selling empadas. They started selling on the main streets of Nova Holanda, and today they have their fixed place where they can receive their customers and also carry out production.

 

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MEDIA

About the 1st edition of Favela Food (From September 17 to October 17, 2015)

First gastronomic event held in Maré

Already in its premiere, the Favela Food Festival received more than 4 thousand people from different parts of the city, who accessed one or more participating establishments of the event. The organization offered free transportation on weekends for visitors who do not live in Maré.

Redes da Maré, through the Flavors of Maré gastronomy project, was the idealizer and organizer of the event - 16 establishments, among more than 100 registered, were selected and presented adish that represented Maré’s culture and gastronomy..

All participants received, in the pre-festival period, professional gastronomic consultancy offered by the organization, covering items such as rules of organization and food preservation, development and presentation of the dishes and customer service.

The restaurants competed in two categories: “Best Bar Food” and “Best Street Food”. The top three winners of each category were selected by the public and by a special jury for a prize between R$ 800 and R$ 3,000:

“Best Bar Food”

1st Sonia’s Gourmet

2nd Pensão da Marilda

3rd Bar da Buchada

“Best Street Food”

1st Frango Assado da Vila

2nd Empadinha da Leandra

3rd Rei das Cabritas

ORGANIZATION: REDES DA MARÉ