Where to eat and what to see in Florianópolis

Need a break from tanning on the beaches of Floripa? No worries, there’s still a lot of other things to do here.

Florianópolis is full of delicious places to eat and gorgeous touristy places to see. So I get that I’m biased as everywhere I go in Floripa looks beautiful and Brazilian food is everything to me, so I’ll limit myself to the couple of them that I believe are must go and shouldn’t be missed!

As you may know, Brazil is super famous for our meat buffets and here in Floripa it’s no different. My favorite steak houses in the island are Tropilha Grill, Ponta d’Agulha Costelaria and Meu Cantinho Churrascaria. You can order a la carte but I would recommend getting the buffet option so you can get the full experience of a Brazilian barbecue where the ‘meat man’ comes to your table with all types of meat on the stick, fresh from the grill.

Steak isn’t the only thing in abundance here… You will also find a lot of sea food restaurants. Floripa is an island so we obviously have very easy access to sea food. For the sea food restaurants, my favourites are Ostradamus Bar e Restaurant (best oysters in Florianópolis), Tamarutaca Restaurant , João de Barro Restaurant, Pitangueiras Restaurant and Restinga Restaurant. Some of these restaurants are on/by the sea so you can take in the views as you’re enjoying your meal.

On the architecture side: Palaces, houses, buildings and fortresses are some of the heritage that you will find in Floripa, predominantly built in the Azorean styling that surrounds the city. In the center of Floripa you can check Cruz e Souza Palace, The Historic Center of Florianópolis where you’ll find the Public Market (perfect to get a drink and listens to some local music) and the Alfangeda house (artisan stores) are located. Passing the center and going to Beira Mar you can see the famous Hercilio Luz bridge and appreciate the sea view walking on the side walk which is a popular jogging route. Also don’t forget to check Santo Antonio De Lisboa. Is one of my favourite Azorean villages and filled with heritage sites and tourist attractions, also a great place to grab some dinner and drinks near the beach.

As a meat lover, this is one of my favourite food pictures! If you choose to go to one of the steak houses I recommended, this is one of the meats you’re gonna get. Picanha (the name of this beef cut) is very famous in Brazil and is a must try! You can find it in other countries but most of them will serve without the fat which is crazy ’cause the fat is SO GOOD. In the US it’s known as Sirloin Cap.