Ilha do Governador (“Governor’s Island”), the biggest island in Guanabara Bay, was a popular weekend destination for many Rio inhabitants decades ago. In the 1980s, with the construction of the Rio International Airport on the island, the introduction of oil industry-related activities in the surrounding area and the beginning of a sad cycle of pollution and overpopulation, the place lost a good part of its grace and charm – but not all of it.
These days, Ilha do Governador is a timeworn seaside neighborhood full of old seafood restaurants and bars, a lot of favelas and a dozen polluted beaches. There are a few establishments worth mentioning that serve good meals with a beautiful, unusual view of Guanabara Bay. One of our favorites among them is Capitania dos Copos (“Drinking Captaincy”), a classic seashore bar on tiny Tubiacanga beach.
In keeping with its name and location, the place has a maritime theme and is decorated entirely with boating and fishing memorabilia. The restaurant’s big wooden porch sits right in front of the sea, facing hundreds of little boats resting in the calm waters of the bay. Every sunny afternoon, the porch gets packed with couples, families and groups of friends looking forward to the beautiful sunset that is to come. In the meantime, they take in the view and eat plenty of fresh seafood, of course.
Capitania dos Copos’s owner, Mr. Brandão, was formerly a fisherman. He opened the bar 20 years ago, right after retiring, and it has become his entire world. He treats customers like friends and, in spite of the huge menu listing dozens of fresh fish and seafood options, he always manages to offer something unusual.
Shrimp gets the star treatment at Capitania dos Copos, appearing in numerous combinations and preparations. Our favorite is the shrimp risotto, which perfectly suits the ambiance of the place. If we desire fish, we make sure to ask Mr. Brandão what’s fresh that day. And if we’re lucky, that might be the vermelho com molho de camarão (snapper with – what else? – shrimp sauce), which is truly the best dish the restaurant serves.
Ilha do Governador is a huge island, and Tubiacanga beach is not the easiest place to get to, so the uninitiated may need a guide to get there. We promise it’s totally worth it.
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