Back in Rio for Web Summit 2026

Few places I liked between Web Summit things

I was in Rio last week for Web Summit, which is why “I’m back” is technically not the full sentence.

I’m back now.

But I was back in Rio.

This is not a full Rio guide. I don’t think I have the personality for a full guide. I forget names, remember lighting, remember what everyone was wearing, and remember whether a place made me want to stay for another drink.

So this is more like: a few places I liked between Web Summit things, a few things I noticed, and the version of Rio that stuck with me this time.

Web Summit Rio

The official reason I was there was Web Summit.

And Web Summit was super fun, but also really tiring in that very specific conference way where every room is full, every session has people spilling into the edges, and everyone is somehow both excited and deeply in need of a charger.

I had the biggest masterclass held during Web Summit Rio that week, which was amazing, but also a lot. There was the event itself, all the people, all the sessions, all the meetings, and then all the work still happening back in San Francisco like time zones are a cute little suggestion.

So the trip became: work, dinner, friends, bars, very little sleep, one slightly dramatic Christ photo, repeat.

I liked having Web Summit as the structure of the trip. It made Rio feel less like a vacation backdrop and more like an actual week I was living through.

Pergula

At Copacabana Palace, Pergula is classic Rio in the obvious way.

It’s pretty, polished, hotel-y, and old-school. It has that feeling where the place has been photographed a million times, but it still works because the setting is doing its job.

I liked it because it still felt specific. Some nice restaurants get so edited down that they could be anywhere. Pergula still felt like Rio.

Also, the peach drink with the little guava situation was so great. Seriously. I love when a cocktail tastes like someone had an actual idea instead of just putting a flower near gin and charging $24.

Mee

Mee was the more polished dinner side of the trip.

The sushi was awesome. It felt more dressed-up, more “okay, this is where I’m going tonight.” A different vibe from Pergula, but still very Rio in the sense that people looked good, fish was fresh, and the drinks were absolutely spectacular.

I like restaurants that feel intentional but still warm.

Botafogo

The neighborhood of Botafogo was maybe one of my favorite things on the trip.

It was actually the first time I really enjoyed Botafogo. The bars were cute and young and kind of funky, but not in a way that felt impossible to enter. I hate when a place is cool in a way that makes you feel like you’ve already done something wrong by arriving.

This didn’t feel like that. The places we went felt casual but not boring. Local, but not closed off to tourists like us. People were outside, people were dressed well, people looked like they had another plan after this one.

And by the way, we wish we did.

We did not plan our night that well and wanted to go for samba, but could not find a great place to enjoy it. Anyway, we still had the best time.

I love that specific kind of bar feeling, even if I am going home and maybe back to work for a few more hours.

Chanchada

In Botafogo, we specifically went to Chanchada. FYI, it was previously recommended by Dua Lipa, our bestie. And yes, I have to say, it was cute.

Not exactly a hidden gem after all the Dua buzz, but of course worth it.

The drinks were cheap, the food was amazing, and it felt cozy and easy. Just a place where you can sit outside, do some people-watching, have a drink or two, look around, and understand why people like being there.

And yes, I respect our girl Dua’s recommendations.

The old-school restaurant side

By the way, I always make it back to Bar do Mineiro.

And of course, there was Bar do Mineiro on this trip too. This was a different kind of Rio: bright room, fun walls, people everywhere, plates moving, hot sauce literally buzzing, soccer on TV, the World Cup screaming.

It is the type of restaurant that does not need to explain itself to you.

It feels like it has been there forever and is operating exactly the way it wants to.