JANEIRO: an Atlantic idea of the table

The Atlantic is a useful culinary frame because it connects rather than defines a single national tradition. At JANEIRO Restaurante, it brought Brazilian ingredients into a conversation with Portugal, Spain and France.

WAYFARER’s July 2024 report described the Janeiro Hotel restaurant’s renewed menu under chef Diego Ali. The account’s opening announcement contained a past-date inconsistency, so it is not repeated here as a precise reopening chronology.

From the coast to the plate

Seafood, fish, vegetables, grains and olive oil supplied the main vocabulary. The restaurant placed small regional producers and the Brazilian coastline within the concept rather than relying entirely on imported references.

Examples included scallops from Santa Catarina, grilled fish with a purée of Brazilian beans, and a meringue filled with mango and passion fruit. They describe the menu recorded in 2024, not what a visitor should expect to order now.

Ali had worked at the hotel since 2019 as sous-chef, according to the archive, with experience at Fasano, Marea and Osso in Lima. His family cooking supplied another point of reference alongside the professional kitchens.

The restaurant’s view over Leblon beach made the geographical idea immediate. The water was not only beyond the window; it also helped organise the products and traditions brought to the table. That relationship is the more useful record than a list of service hours.

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Adapted from the WAYFARER Brazil archive, first published 2024-07-27. English adaptation: 6 October 2026. This is an archival account, not a report of a new visit. Exhibitions, collections and menu details are described in their original context, not as current availability.