Panadero Rio: Cloth-Filter Coffee in Copacabana
We took the overnight bus from Sรฃo Paulo and arrived in Rio de Janeiro at first light. With our backpacks still beside us and some time to wait before checking into our Airbnb, we wanted a table, a good coffee and something for breakfast. We found them at Panadero in Copacabana. We ate a cold ham-and-cheese sandwich, but the detail we remember most clearly is the cloth-filter coffee brewed at our table.
A table after the overnight bus
We were not ready to launch straight into a food itinerary when we got off the bus. First we wanted to sit down, have a coffee and put something in our stomachs. We looked for somewhere near the apartment where we were staying. Panadero was open that morning and became our first stop.
We did not finish breakfast and leave immediately. We spent hours there while waiting for our Airbnb check-in time, drinking coffee and watching people come and go. It gave us time to get a feel for Rio. Our introduction to the city happened slowly, from a cafรฉ table.
Brewing coffee at the table with a coador de pano
The surprise came with the coffee order. A small cloth bag hung from a stand above a glass, with ground coffee inside the fabric. We poured the hot water ourselves and watched the coffee drip through into the glass below.
At first glance, the filter reminded us of a little sack. The whole arrangement had an old-fashioned feel, and we had never been served coffee this way before. Pouring the water and waiting for it to drain became part of the experience, rather than receiving a finished cup.
The Portuguese name for this type of cloth coffee filter is coador de pano. Individual filters with a stand are available for brewing directly over a cup. The water passes through the grounds and cloth into the vessel underneath. That simple setup, and being able to use it at our own table, made this coffee memorable.
A cold ham-and-cheese baguette
The bread also caught our attention. Panadero had several types, but that morning we chose a cold pork-ham-and-cheese sandwich. We liked the bread. After the bus journey, it was the kind of breakfast we wanted: something straightforward to eat with our coffee.
A bottle of hot sauce on the table caught our eye too: Cepรชra Molho de Pimenta Mexicano. We added some to the sandwich and adjusted it to our own taste. Sometimes good bread, a few fillings and a sauce on the table are enough. We felt we had eaten well that morning.
We saw other breads but did not try them on this visit. Our notes are about the coffee and this sandwich after an overnight journey, rather than a tasting of the whole breakfast menu.
What stayed with us
We remember Panadero as more than a breakfast stop. We had not settled into our accommodation, our bags were still with us and we had a few hours to fill. Sitting there and watching the street helped us ease into Rio.
If we returned, the first thing we would ask about would be that coffee service. We would look at the other breads too, but the hanging cloth filter and brewing at the table are what gave this cafรฉ a particular place in our memory.
Our Rio de Janeiro food guide brings together more stops from the trip. We spent that first evening at Boa Praรงa Ipanema: a morning of coffee and a cold sandwich was followed by a shared beef parmegiana sandwich, mini coxinhas and live music.
Where is Panadero in Rio?
Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro โ RJ, 22081-010, Brazil
We visited in the morning. Check the current opening hours and menu before planning your own breakfast stop.
Questions about our Panadero visit
What did we have for breakfast?
A cold sandwich filled with pork ham and cheese, alongside cloth-filter coffee.
What was different about the coffee service?
The cloth filter hung from a stand over a glass. We poured hot water over the grounds ourselves and waited for the coffee to drip through.
Did we spend a long time there?
Yes. We stayed for hours while waiting to check into our Airbnb, drinking coffee and watching the street and people coming into the cafรฉ.
More from our Brazil trip
Editorโs note
This English adaptation preserves our own visit notes and photographs from the original Panadero story on Harbiyiyorum. The cloth-filter coffee service described here is the one we experienced; menus and service can change.
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