Every country has few unique things or phenomenon. Kilo restaurants in Brazil is surely one such thing. While Brazil is a huge country almost three times the size of India, but these restaurants are omnipresent.

What is a Kilo Restaurant?

Kilo restaurant is a place where there is a self-serve buffet and one pays as per the weight of the food placed in the plate. The price per kg or per 100g is clearly advertised in the shop in case one wants to compare different outlet serving kilo fare.

How does one eat here?

Well simply pick a plate and place various food items in desired quantities in your plate. Then you go to the person managing the weighing scale and get your portion weighed. They give you a receipt detailing the weight & cost of the food that you have taken. That’s the SOP.

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What is served in Kilo Restaurants?

Kilo restaurant menu is fairly similar across four states that we went to. Hence it is safe to assume that it is same throughout this gigantic country. Some of the standard items in the buffet are:

  1. Rice
  2. Red Kidney Beans (Rajma)
  3. Farofa – Cooked Flour
  4. Grilled Meats (Chicken/Beef)
  5. Feijoada – Beef stew in beans
  6. Various Salads
  7. Spaghetti Aglio Olio

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Deft Tips:

  • Look out for place where locals are eating. These are the joints which have high turnover of food and are generally good.
  • Kilo Restaurants on highways are expensive. Better to eat a la carte on highways and go Kilo restaurant way in cities.
  • Rice & beans in Brazil are remarkably heavy. So portion control is advisable
  • 500g of food will be more than enough for 2 people
  • Rates are generally around INR 70 per 100g of food.