One block from Ipanema beach, Bar Garota de Ipanema is a must for bossa nova lovers. It was here, as the story goes, that the inspiration came for one of the most famous Brazilian songs in the world.
The bar was called Veloso and stood on what was then Rua Montenegro, now Rua Vinicius de Moraes. The story goes that Tom Jobim and Vinicius, both regulars, watched a young local, Helô Pinheiro, walk past on her way to the beach — and from that scene came “Garota de Ipanema” (“The Girl from Ipanema”), in 1962.
The recording by Stan Getz, João Gilberto and Astrud Gilberto, on the 1964 album “Getz/Gilberto”, took the song around the world and made it one of the most recorded songs in history. With its success, the bar was renamed after the song, and the street was later named after the poet.
Today the bar keeps the feel of a classic carioca boteco: well-poured draft beer (chope), picanha and snacks to share. The walls hold photos and mementos of Tom, Vinicius and the bossa nova era, turning the place into a small informal museum.
The highlight is the history: sitting at the table where it all supposedly began, with the beach a block away, and picturing Rio in the early 1960s. For music fans, it is the perfect complement to a day in Ipanema.
Tips: go in the late afternoon, after the beach, or at lunchtime. At weekends the bar tends to fill up, so arrive early to get a table. Combine it with the sunset at Arpoador nearby.