If you've tromped all the way up to the Praça da Sé, chances are you're a little tired. But it's not that much farther to climb the spiral staircase to Manoá's second floor to grab that window spot with the stunning views of Olinda and Recife. The menu offers carne de sol (a sort of jerky cooked up with a light sauce) and a variety of seafood choices. The food's just okay, but the view is terrific. On Saturdays after 9pm there's live music.

A great option for an inexpensive kilo lunch during the day -- that is, if you can tear yourself away from the beach. The menu includes a large number of dishes, varying from local seafood and chicken stews to Asian-inspired stir-fries and sushi. The meat grill is upstairs; freshly grilled beef, chicken, and some seafood are cooked while you wait.

Those who want more for their post-prandial coffee ritual than a quick cafezinho should pay a visit to Carpe Diem. A pleasant little coffee shop with indoor and outdoor seating, it brews up a variety of Brazilian blends, including a number of delicious cold coffee concoctions. The Nega Maluca is a blend of coffee, ice cream, and chocolate, topped with whipped cream. The Cafe Russo is a tasty iced coffee with a dollop of mocha ice cream, spiked with vodka and crème de menthe. Carpe Diem also offers a wonderful selection of sweets, pastries, cakes, and freshly made tapioca pancakes served with the stuffing of your choice.

Set in a lovely garden with lush plants, stone statues, and outdoor seating, this idyllic location is perfect for recharging your energies after a morning of clambering up and down the hilly cobblestone streets of Olinda. The food is much like a hearty home-cooked meal but with a good variety of salads, beans, rice, and a selection of meats and fish. It's self-service by the kilo; you make your own plate and find a table in the garden. If you still have some exploring ahead of you, have that dessert and cafezinho, too.

Address: Praça Joaquim Nabuco 147
Santo Antônio
Phone 081/3224-7977

Website

Leite was founded in 1882 and has been in its current location since 1886. The restaurant is an oasis of old-world elegance; the tables are set with fine linen and china, and white curtains block out the busy downtown traffic. The menu includes a variety of meat dishes such as steak served au poivre or with mustard sauce, grilled chicken, and of course, seafood; the sinfonia maritima is a delicious sauté with lobster, fish, oysters, and prawns. The most popular dessert is the fried banana with cheese, sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. Rich and satisfying, this is one tradition worth maintaining.

Located right across from the beach in Pina, Maxine's spacious wooden structure allows for big windows and big views. The menu offers a good selection of seafood dishes: rich seafood soups, juicy shrimp, and fresh lobster as well as a daily selection of grilled fish and seafood stews. What really sets the restaurant apart is its great location and pleasant service.

The excellent self-service buffet offers at least 10 salads and 15 hot dishes, including morangas (seafood stew with pumpkin), palm-heart cream, and carne de sol, a tasty dried meat. A great selection of desserts, including rocambole (a fluffy light rolled cake with chocolate or guava paste) encourages you to linger a bit over your cafezinho before hitting the pavement again.

Located in one of the oldest residences of Olinda, Mourisco has been a restaurant for the last 30 years. The best tables are in the front room, overlooking the pleasant João Alfredo Square. The menu includes traditional Brazilian dishes like galinha cabidela or galinha molho pardo. Both terms are used to describe chicken cooked in its own blood to make a rich sauce. Give it a try if you dare -- it's absolutely delicious. Other menu choices include camarão Mourisco, shrimp with white cream sauce and corn, or the catch of the day cooked in a rich coconut sauce until it is soft enough to melt in your mouth.

There is nothing like working up an appetite on the beach and then heading out for a great churrasco meal. You have the option of the stuff-yourself-silly rodízio menu or the more civilized self-service pay-for-what-you-eat option. It really depends on how hungry you are and how you want to pace your meal. Both options include a selection of excellent side dishes as well as appetizers such as cold cuts, pastries (bolinhos), and salads. The restaurant offers indoor air-conditioned seating as well as veranda alfresco spots.

Address: Rua do Amparo 335
Olinda
Phone 081/3429-3331

Website

This restaurant's well-deserved reputation has spread far beyond Olinda and Recife. The most popular dish is the Jerimum Frevo É -- shrimp and lobster with a passion-fruit sauce served in the shell of a jerimum, a local variety of pumpkin. Another good choice is the jerimum stuffed with lobster and mango sauce, or filled with octopus stew in coconut sauce. With all this great food it shouldn't matter what the restaurant looks like; that it's a beautifully decorated space in a lovely restored building is just icing on the pumpkin. The patio offers gorgeous views of Olinda and Recife.