Cervantes Rio: Steak, Pineapple and Cheese in Copacabana
At Cervantes in Copacabana, we shared a sandwich filled with thick steak slices, melted cheese, pineapple and caramelised onion. We added the restaurant’s chilli oil and drank Guaraná Antarctica alongside it. The meal made Rio’s substantial sandwich tradition feel very clear to us.
Why Cervantes was on our list
We had seen Cervantes in the Rio episode of Somebody Feed Phil and marked it down before the trip. Our order differed from the sandwich shown in that programme: we chose filé com queijo, abacaxi e cebola caramelizada.
The Avenida Prado Júnior restaurant felt traditional, with burgundy tiles, wall lights and an open bar. We visited at lunchtime and enjoyed the slightly nostalgic room.
A different atmosphere from Parada de Copa
Compared with our meal at Parada de Copa, Cervantes felt more like a conventional sit-down restaurant. Parada had given us a busier neighbourhood-bar impression.
Both showed us how seriously Rio takes sandwiches. Their settings were different enough that we would choose between them according to the kind of meal we wanted.
The steak stayed at the centre
The sandwich contained substantial slices rather than tiny chopped pieces of beef. The meat had kept a pink, juicy centre, which mattered in a filling of that size.
Melted cheese, a thin pineapple slice and caramelised onion added richness and sweetness. The onion made this version taste sweeter to us than the steak sandwich at Parada, but the pineapple did not overwhelm the beef.
Chilli oil and Guaraná
The sauce was a flowing chilli oil rather than a completely smooth, thick hot sauce. We drizzled some onto the sandwich and liked how its heat balanced the sweeter ingredients.
Guaraná Antarctica was our drink. Its fruity sweetness worked with the sandwich and chilli oil. We are describing the pairing we tried, rather than suggesting that every guaraná drink tastes the same.
Portions, value and returning
The menu we photographed listed our sandwich at R$70. That is a reference from our visit menu, not a current price. The portion was substantial enough for us to cut it in half and share while exploring several places.
We would order the same filling again. A classic restaurant room, generous steak and the sweet-savoury combination made this a meal we enjoyed considerably.
Watch our visit
Our visit appears in the video below, starting at the relevant section. The video is in Turkish.
Where is Cervantes · Copacabana?
Cervantes · Copacabana
Avenida Prado Júnior, 335, Loja B, Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilOpen in Google Maps ↗Confirm opening hours, the current menu and any booking arrangements before visiting. The address above identifies the branch covered by our account.
Before you go
Which sandwich did we eat?
Steak, cheese, pineapple and caramelised onion: filé com queijo, abacaxi e cebola caramelizada.
Did we share it?
Yes. We had one sandwich cut in half.
Is the R$70 price current?
It comes from the menu we photographed during our visit. Check current prices separately.
Adapted from our original Harbiyiyorum visit account.
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