It is recommended to visit Zuka Restaurant in Rio de Janeiro. The place is known for its light wood paneling, great chef Lyudmila Sojejro, open grill, and exceptional wine list. And bizarrely decorated Zazá Bistrô Tropical serves Asian food with a Brazilian accent. El Gordo Restaurant in Trancoso, Bahia, offers fresh seafood, international cuisine, and a separate menu for vegetarians. Visitors to São Paulo will surely appreciate Bráz pizzeria where pizza in a wood-fired oven is cooked and remarkably aromatic and oily Calabrian sausage bread is served.
The Brazilians' attitude to cutlery is extremely simple: they do not change knives and forks for different dishes. After the meal, knife and fork are placed parallel to each other horizontally in the center of the plate. Hands should be visible above the table and cannot be kept on one's knees - this is the place for napkins. Brazilians put their wrists on the table while demonstrating elbows is bad manners. Stretching oneself at the table and using toothpicks in public places is unacceptable. Leaving the table at a party in somebody's home is considered unseemly. If necessary, one needs to wait until elders leave it first. Never eat anything with your hands. Fruits are usually cut with a knife. The fact is that Brazil is a tropical country, and it's easy to get sick if your hands are not clean enough. The most honorable position is at the head of the table. The host or hostess sits next to the most important guest, and if he or she is received by a couple, hosts sit on either side of the dear guest. It is not good to take out a pan on which a dish was cooked. Don't move on to the next dish without praising the previous one. In cafes and restaurants, a bill is usually paid by the inviter, although polite objections are often expected from the other side.
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