It makes perfect sense that on this picturesque island the most desired meal is fish. You will find numerous variations such as sushi and sashimi, grilled, baked and the most famous, fish wrapped in a banana leaf. Caught fresh each day, you couldn't have it any other way!
There are many restaurants on the island and you will find a variety of foods to suit all tastes!
Our Fernando de Noronha Restaurant Guide below will give you some handy information about eating out during your Fernando de Noronha travel, as well as the types of cuisine you are likely to encounter. For some general information about food and cuisine in Brazil see our Brazil Restaurant Guide. Enjoy a bit of shopping between meals, some tips and suggestions can be found in our Fernando de Noronha Shopping Guide.
Food and Cuisine in Fernando de Noronha
There are several bars and
restaurants in Fernando de Noronha, and even places which serve a good afternoon snack. You can enjoy a cup of coffee or taste some good local candy at these joints.
The
Fernando de Noronha cuisine is quite similar to that of mainland Pernambuco. A lot of seafood is consumed and fish, crab, shrimp, and molluscs are ingredients in a typical meal. One dish which can be called a genuine Fernando de Noronha cuisine is the deep fried shark meat dumpling, which can also be eaten with fish cooked in banana leaves. This is available almost anywhere in the islands. You can get yourself a good dinner for about six Euros.
Brazilian cuisine varies depending on the geography and culture of the region. On one hand, the cuisine may be simple with minimum spices and flavours; there are other regions which have unique dishes, many of which were brought over by immigrants. These have been adapted to the local palate over generations.
Brazil has Italian and Chinese food which has been adapted to local taste and this can often be as unfamiliar as
Amazonian cuisine. The island does not have farms and a lot of ingredients have to be imported from the mainland.
The national dish of Brazil is
feijoada, which is a stew made from black beans, pieces of beef and pork cuts like ears, knuckles, sausages, and chops. This is served with rice and garnished with sliced oranges and collard greens. This dish is usually not served at restaurants. Those who have it on their menu usually serve it on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Do not make the mistake of eating too much of feijoada as soon as you arrive. This is a heavy dish and needs getting used to. Even Brazilians are careful and serve themselves small portions.
Bars and Restaurants
It is not just the beaches and pleasure tours which appeal to visitors in Noronha island, but also the myriad restaurants which offer good regional food, ranging from the simple to the exotic. The seafood in particular is very good. Coastal towns offer excellent sea food, especially in the northeast region of Brazil. Amongst the restaurants, one place which should surely be on your list is
Ze Maria (Rua Nice Cordeiro), where the owner also hosts musical jam sessions on Wednesday and Saturday nights.
Pousada Teju-Açu and
Pousada Maravilha also offer very nice options.
At most restaurants your bill (conta) will already have the 10 percent service charge added to it and this serves as the waiter's tip. Unless you are really pleased with the exceptional service, you do not have to leave anything additional. If a restaurant has not added the 10 percent charge on the credit card, you may have to pay this amount by cash.
There are many restaurants that offer food by weight (comida por peso) at lunch time. This means that you can fill up your plate at a large buffet table which has a spread of a variety of fish, meat, vegetables, pasta and a host of salads. There are as many as thirty hot preparations along with an equal number of cold items and a number of salads. The price of the food depends on how much the food on your plate weighs minus the weight of the plate! Prices differ from one restaurant to another, but at some of the better restaurants the prices range from R$20 to R$30+ per kilo. Usually half a kilo of food suffices for a person with a good appetite.
If you want to just snack instead of eating a full meal, there are
salgaderias, which offer a variety of inexpensive salgados or savoury snacks. Popular items are empadinhas, which are chicken or meat filled pies, coxinhas or chicken filled, teardrop shaped appetizers, kibe which has its origins in the Middle East and other finger foods.
There are barbecued meat restaurants called
Churrascarias throughout Brazil. At these restaurants, you are charged a flat price and you can eat as much as you want. All Churrascarias have an extensive salad bar and a lot of meat like pork, lamb, poultry, beef and fish. These are served by waiters who wield sword like spits filled with meat. It is not a good idea for vegetarians to visit these barbecues.
Brazil also has bars which are open during the day and also at night. Do try the
caipirinha, which is the national cocktail of Brazil made from cachaça, sugar and wedged lime.
Cachaça is the most popular alcoholic drink in Brazil, and is produced only in this country. Brazil's legal drinking age is 18.
There are many nightclubs which remain open till midnight and bars are open till the last customer leaves.
