Confeitaria Colombo

Confeitaria Colombo is mesmerizing. It's in the heart of Rio de Janeiro, boasting breathtaking architecture adorned with gigantic mirrors and stunning stained glass. Earning its well-deserved spot as one of the world's 10 most beautiful cafes, this traditional confectionery, founded in 1894, reflects the opulence of the Belle Époque.

The Art Nouveau touches from the renovations in 1912 and 1918, featuring crystal mirrors from Antwerp and rosewood friezes, transport visitors to a bygone era. The craftsmanship of Antônio Borsoi is evident in the intricately carved wooden furniture, adding to the establishment's timeless charm. The list of illustrious patrons, from Chiquinha Gonzaga to Elizabeth II, only adds to its storied history.

This is a painful review to write because this place has been around forever and I wanted to like it. But because of that, I feel that is highly overrated, and the service is very lackluster. We became aware of this place during a walking tour. We came back the following day to enjoy a pastry and some drinks. It took forever for a waiter to even acknowledge us. The waiter who finally came looked highly annoyed. At least that is the impression he gave us. I had difficulty ordering because he didn't speak any English or Spanish, and I don't speak any Portuguese. This doesn't have any bearing on my review. Servers are not obligated to speak my language, of course, but I had to jump through hoops to place an order. He made no effort to help. There was a lot of pointing and me having to take pictures of pastries.
I wanted to have some hot tea. He told they don't sell any other than iced tea. I got a cappuccino, which wasn't good. The pasries took forever to come and they were not that great. Also, I kept having to call him to bring our check and he would just ignore me. I know he saw me because he acknowledge me a couple of times but never came by. I had to literally get up and walk to him and ask him to give me a bill. I felt like a Karen but I had been waiting 20 minutes. I was extremely annoyed with this place. It is beautiful though, don't get me wrong but my experience wasn't a pleasant one.

The decor of Confeitaria Colombo is outstanding. It is worth the visit for this alone and you'll find fast and friendly service if you choose to get a table. The restaurant also offers photographs when you arrive.

I enjoyed the coffee and sweets (a traditional Brazilian chocolate and a Portuguese tart) but they were not the best that I've ever had. Still worth the visit.

I think this was one of nicest cafe I've ever visited in my life. The cafe/ restaurant is massive and it has 2 levels. Once you go in you feel you're in a different era of time.
Everything we ordered here was delicious. Their cafes and espressos were solid and their desserts were amazing. It's one of those places that you wish you can come here everyday and experience something different and new from their menu

Was not super impressed. Not worth the wait in my opinion. Maybe lunch is better but we dropped in for a coffee and dessert. Our Colombo coffees were super sweet and not super strong. The menu doesn't have the different desserts listed so we had to pick based on pictures we took while waiting in the line. The chocolate cake was pretty dry. We were seated upstairs. It was hot and service was slow.

The food is average and the service, while pleasant, is basic however you still need to go visit just for the beautiful atmosphere. It's old, iconic and feels like you're dining in the same way as people did years ago. Worth a visit but skip the meal and just get a quick drink and snack

This place is famous in Rio! We knew we had to stop by. I will say it's pretty touristy here prices could be higher, but it's safe & decent. They even offer pictures aa you enter with the famous background. The place inside looks grand and magical. You line up and wait to be seated. Lots of seats as there also is a top floor to accommodate. We opted to order right when you walk in to take out. This is one of those places you maybe go to once to say you've been and go somewhere else the next time around. Great for the overall experience !

Just come to take pictures and leave. Service is horrible, food is not tasty. This is a tourist trap

This cafe lived up to the hype. I can't tell you how many videos I've watched of this place and it was surreal finally coming here, taking the super old elevator one story up to the top floor and sit right at the circle edge, overlooking people downstairs. There are mirrors everywhere, which creates an illusion that it's bigger than it is, but it's actually quite large.

Their desserts are small plated, delicious and decently priced.

Also, they open at 12, despite many places saying it opens at 10.

It's beautiful, but it's so touristy that lines and time it takes to complete eating or drinking here would be better spent on other things or parts of Rio. Severs have large sections and do a their best to get to you quickly but they just have a lot on their plate (pun intended). The pastel da Belem, which I've had everywhere from Lisbon to Shanghai, were cold and disappointing. Coffees were good but far from life-changing. The decor and history are the true draws to this place, and they are admittedly spectacular.