In a small alley off Rua Duvivier in Copacabana, the Beco das Garrafas (Bottle Alley) is considered one of the cradles of bossa nova. From the late 1950s to the mid-1960s, its tiny clubs were the hottest spot in Brazilian music.
Venues like Bottle’s, the Little Club and Bacará gathered young musicians mixing samba and jazz. Elis Regina, Wilson Simonal, Jorge Ben, Baden Powell, Sérgio Mendes and Nara Leão, among many others, played here early in their careers.
Legend has it the name came about because neighbors, fed up with the late-night noise and crowds, threw bottles from their windows at the patrons. The columnist Sérgio Porto helped spread the nickname.
Over time the clubs closed and the alley lost its shine. In the 2010s some of the old venues reopened and began hosting bossa nova and jazz shows on some nights, keeping the memory alive.
Tips: this is a visit for music-history lovers — the alley is small and worth more for its memories than its architecture. Check whether there is a show scheduled and combine it with a walk along Copacabana beach, a few blocks away.
Official website: Beco das Garrafas ↗