Adega Pérola opened 60 years ago in the heart of Copacabana, and today the place is the same as always: The long bar is laden with Iberian-style tapas, here called tira-gostos. The octopus in vinaigrette is the most celebrated dish, but there are pickled vegetables, codfish, cold cuts and cheeses, meats, olives—in fact, some 100 options are served on trays and sold by weight. The bar is short on glamour, but the quality is nonetheless spectacular—and nothing could be more authentic. It’s tough finding a free table, but who cares? In line with Carioca custom, great conversation with a cold chopp (draft beer) or a Portuguese vintage, and a tira-gosto is a winning bet, even if you have to stand.
