If you combine French, Italian and Brazilian traditions, flavors, culinary styles and decor—what comes out? The Ritz. By day, it’s a lovely restaurant and by night, a legendary bar.

With its small bistro tables, cheerful pop music and shoulder-to-shoulder atmosphere, the Ritz in Cerqueira César could be on a cobblestoned street in Rome or Paris, or perhaps down an alley in New York City. The food is a bit on the heavy side, but very tasty: the menu ranges from an American-style burger to Bife à Milanesa (a breaded beef cutlet) with creamed spinach and French fries.

Diners drink and chat here all night long, before heading out for a early-morning dance at one of the hip clubs on Rua Augusta. Things really heat up at the Ritz on the sporadic nights when a live band plays: it often becomes so crowded it’s difficult to breathe, much less boogie!