Rio de Janeiro: Sindicato do Chopp (February 2012)

My spouse and I enjoyed lunch at Sindicato do Chopp on Avenida Atlantica in Leme. The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor dining spaces, with smoking allowed outside and with a view of Copacabana Beach. We shared a carbonara pizza, with the expected cheese, eggs, and pancetta and the unexpected ingredient of green olives (with pits). A Copacabana institution, this open-air bar looks out on the wide avenue, with the beach in the background. Owing to its breezy location, it attracts a wide mix of people, all playing a part in Copa's inimitable street theater. The food isn't terrific, but the beers are icy cold and the ocean is, well, right there. Sindicato do Chopp has another location in Ipanema.