Among many cultural traditions, Brazil holds a high reputation for its cuisine, which evokes flavors from each region, with unique culinary creations that showcase its local flair. Eating at a Brazilian restaurant is an experience that requires a talented chef that makes meals truly memorable. Ipanema Restaurant in Norwalk, CT, has been gaining popularity for providing just that experience, paired up with a naturally pleasant ambience and musical entertainment. 

Ipanema is owned and operated by the Pedro family, who has been in the restaurant business for over 40 years, with its first restaurant venture, Brazilian Coffee, in New York City, opened in 1979 by Alfredo Pedro, from Evora, Portugal.

The family is presently operating two restaurants and working on reopening their New York City location in the late fall/winter. They also own the Carvi Hotel in New York City, which is overseen by one of Alfredo’s sons, Carlos Pedro.

The restaurant name, Ipanema, carries more than just memories of a famous Brazilian song. 

“My father chose Ipanema because he thought it was a recognizable name for Americans (Frank Sinatra) but also due to it being such an iconic beach in Rio. My mother was born in Rio and my father spent some time there when he was younger,” shared Alfredo’s son, Victor Pedro, who took over the operation of the family’s restaurants in 2015.

Among some of the traditional dishes such as feijoada, vatapá and coxinhas, the restaurant also adds a spin on some classics. “One of our most popular dishes is the picanha slider which is ground picanha made into sliders with catupiry and, instead of buns, we use pão de queijos [cheese breads],” explained Victor. “The thing we were known best for in New York City was our Bitoque [Portuguese dish], which is a New York Strip with fried egg, butter, beer, garlic sauce and fries.” 

In July, Ipanema started serving brunch. “We have all our regular items and some added for brunch: egg sandwiches on pão de queijo, omelet, picanha and eggs, açai bowl, among other dishes,” said Victor. Price per person varies between $20 to $25 and around $30 if you order an alcoholic beverage.

To offer a complete cultural experience, the restaurant also provides entertainment.

“We offer live Samba every Wednesday from 8pm-12am as well as Sertaneja music [country music] on Fridays from 10pm-2am. We are working to add Forró as well as a potential Karaoke night,” explained Victor. 

If you are not familiar with the term but enjoy dancing, Forró is a Brazilian musical style that involves only three instruments: an accordion, a bass drum called a zabumba and a metal triangle. This folk music from the arid Northeast region draws its origins from African as well as European rhythms and the lyrics are often full of nostalgia for rain, home, or lost love.

The Pedro family hopes to see its restaurant business grow in Connecticut. “I think we have great cuisine, drinks, and music that more people should know about! Brazilian food sometimes gets lost in the ‘churrascaria’ stigma and it’s so much more. Sharing the flavors and culture of Brazil is what I hope we can continue to achieve,” shared Victor.

Even though the name of the restaurant carries its history, Victor will soon be changing it to “Boteco,” which is a traditionally small hang-out pub in Brazil, where alcoholic beverages and mouth-watering appetizers are sold and where people go for relaxed conversation.

“We are keeping the menu pretty similar, but we'll continue to add more to the smaller plate side of the menu,” he shared.

The Ipanema, soon to be Boteco, is located at 70 North Main Street, in Norwalk, CT. It is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays 4pm-12am, Fridays 4pm-2am, Saturdays 12pm-2am, and Sundays 10:30am-9pm.

For more information, please call 203-642-4222, visit www.ipanemact.com or the restaurant’s Instagram page. Reservations are recommended but not required.