Rio De Janeiro
You're flying out of Rio De Janeiro Airport, you have 90 minutes to kill, and you'd like to do better than a Pret. Good news: airport drinking has improved more in the last five years than the previous fifty. Pre-flight drinks at Rio De Janeiro Airport range from chain reliability to surprisingly polished hotel-style bars in the airport hotels. This is barsforKings's editor-curated guide to drinking better at Rio De Janeiro's airports.
Leblon · $$
Since 1983, Academia da Cachaça has been the unofficial classroom for anyone serious about Brazil's national spirit. Tucked into a corner of Leblon — Rio's most
Santa Teresa · $$
Adega do Pimenta draws a steady local crowd in Santa Teresa. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
City centre · $$
Santa Teresa is the neighbourhood that Rio dreamed up when it wanted somewhere to put its artists, its anarchists, and its most spectacular hillside views. Apra
Chapeu Mangueira · $$
Bar do David draws a steady local crowd in Chapeu Mangueira. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Want a real drink before flying? The fastest play is to get to airport hotels next door — most run polished bars that beat anything post-security. We list them at the bottom. If you've got 60 spare minutes pre-airport, see our shortlist of bars in Rio De Janeiro proper at the end.
Plays for Rio De Janeiro Airport: post-security, pre-security, lounges, and the airport-hotel cheat code.
Pre-flight drinks, hotel-bar reviews, and the openings we're watching across 176 cities. Friday mornings, no filler.
Looking beyond Rio de Janeiro? See our guide to the best airport bars worldwide, or compare airport bars city by city.