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Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro Nightlife
No visit to Rio would be complete without sampling some samba, the city's signature sound that's united cariocas of all classes for decades. It's best experienced in Lapa, a happening enclave below Santa Teresa, 20 minutes by cab from Ipanema. Our favorite samba clubs, like intimate Semente (Rua Joaquim Silva 138; 011-55-21-242-5165), a intimate and enormously popular bar that helped transform the neighborhood of Lapa in the 1980s; upscale Carioca da Gema (Rua Mem de Sá 79; 011-55-21-2221-0043; $5 cover; www.barcariocadagema.com.br), one most popular samba spots every night of the week; and the gorgeous, antique-filled Rio Scenarium (Rua do Lavradio 20; 011-55-21-3147-9005; $6.50-$9 cover; www.rioscenarium.com.br) are excellent spots to try some new moves. Of course, there's more to Rio nightlife than samba; for a change of pace, hit the Bar d'Hôtel (Av. Delfim Moreira 696; 011-55-21-2172-1100; www.marinaallsuites.com.br) at the Marina All-Suites hotel in Leblon for a laid-back environment before heading out to 00 (Rua Padre Leonel Franca 240; 011-55-21-2540-8041), a Gávea-neighborhood nightclub near Ipanema with the city's top DJs on the decks. No matter where you end up, be sure to order the cariocas' favored cocktail, a caipirinha – a sweet mixture of sugarcane alcohol, lime, and crushed ice – or a caipiroska, a modern take made with vodka.
