Restaurant in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Two Michelin Plates. Book it for French in Leblon.
Chez Claude is Rio de Janeiro's clearest case for Michelin-recognised Modern French cooking at the $$$ price tier — two consecutive Michelin Plate awards (2024 and 2025) and a 4.6 Google rating across 1,099 reviews confirm consistent execution. In Leblon, it sits between the neighbourhood bistros and the city's $$$$-tier tasting rooms, making it the practical pick for a special occasion dinner that needs to be genuinely good without demanding a full progression menu.
If you have already been to Chez Claude once, the question on a return visit is not whether the kitchen holds up — it does, two consecutive Michelin Plate recognitions (2024 and 2025) confirm that , but whether the drinks program gives you a reason to come back on its own terms. The short answer is yes, though with caveats worth knowing before you book.
Chez Claude sits in Leblon, Rio's most composed and wallet-conscious neighbourhood for serious dining, on Rua Conde de Bernadotte. At the $$$ price tier it occupies a deliberate position: more considered than the neighbourhood bistros around it, less expensive than the $$$$-tier tasting-menu rooms that dominate Rio's fine-dining conversation. For a special occasion that calls for French technique without the full commitment of a multi-course omakase-style progression, this is the clearest option in the city.
Modern French kitchens in Brazil tend to treat the wine list as a formality and the cocktail program as an afterthought. Chez Claude's positioning at $$$ suggests a drinks list built to complement rather than compete , which, for the right guest, is exactly the point. A well-curated, mid-format wine list focused on classic French regions is the expected companion to this style of cooking, and in Leblon that pairing lands well with the neighbourhood's preference for long, unhurried dinners. If you are arriving primarily for cocktails, the bar here is not the destination; if you are arriving for dinner and want a competent, well-chosen glass to carry you through Modern French cooking, the drinks program supports the meal without overshadowing it. For Rio's most ambitious bar experiences, the full Rio de Janeiro bars guide covers dedicated cocktail rooms separately.
The Michelin Plate designation , awarded in both 2024 and 2025 , signals cooking that inspects well under professional scrutiny without carrying the weight of a star. In practical terms that means technical discipline in the kitchen, produce handled with care, and French fundamentals applied without the theatre that occasionally accompanies starred rooms. For a celebration dinner, a significant work meal, or a date where the food needs to be genuinely good without demanding that both parties engage with a tasting-menu format, Chez Claude solves the brief.
Google reviewers rate it 4.6 across 1,099 reviews, a sample size large enough to take seriously. That average, combined with two years of Michelin recognition, suggests consistent execution rather than a kitchen that performs brilliantly on inspection days and coasts the rest of the time. For a special occasion, consistency matters more than occasional brilliance.
The Leblon address is itself a practical advantage. The neighbourhood is well-served by transport, easier to reach from Ipanema and Barra da Tijuca than the city-centre fine-dining options, and its streets after dinner are calmer than those around Botafogo. For an evening that needs to feel complete , dinner, a walk, a nightcap nearby , the location works. See the Rio de Janeiro experiences guide for what else the evening can include.
If you want French technique benchmarked against other international contexts, Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library in London and Schanz in Piesport represent the Michelin-starred end of the Modern French spectrum for comparison. Chez Claude is playing a different game , more neighbourhood-anchored, less ceremonial , and is better for it at this price point.
Brazil's broader fine-dining moment is worth framing here. Venues like D.O.M. in São Paulo and Origem in Salvador are pushing Brazilian ingredients and regional identity to the front of the conversation. Chez Claude is not that kind of restaurant , it is French in orientation, not Brazilian-inflected French , which makes it a cleaner choice if your occasion calls for classic European structure rather than a kitchen working through questions of national culinary identity. Neither approach is wrong; they answer different briefs. For other strong regional Brazilian options across the country, Orixás North Restaurant in Itacaré, Birosca S2 in Belo Horizonte, and Mina in Campos do Jordão are worth the look.
At moderate booking difficulty, Chez Claude does not require the weeks-in-advance planning that Rio's $$$$ tasting-menu rooms demand, but walking in on a Friday or Saturday evening without a reservation is a gamble you will probably lose. Book one to two weeks ahead for weekend evenings. Weekday dinners are more forgiving, and if your schedule allows a Tuesday or Wednesday booking, you will have an easier time securing the table configuration you want. There is no confirmed online booking method in the database, so contact the restaurant directly , by phone if a number becomes available, or by visiting in person to reserve.
| Detail | Chez Claude | Oteque | Lasai |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price tier | $$$ | $$$$ | $$$$ |
| Cuisine | Modern French | Modern Brazilian | Regional Brazilian |
| Awards | Michelin Plate ×2 | Michelin Star | Michelin Star |
| Booking difficulty | Moderate | Hard | Hard |
| Google rating | 4.6 (1,099) | , | , |
| Leading for | French-focused occasion | Tasting menu experience | Brazilian produce focus |
See the full comparison section below.
The database does not include confirmed signature dishes, so ordering advice based on specific plates would be speculation. What the Michelin Plate recognition tells you is that the kitchen handles French technique with enough consistency to pass professional scrutiny two years running. Focus on proteins and sauces , the structural pillars of Modern French cooking , and ask your server what is driving the kitchen on the night. Avoid ordering from the menu based on online descriptions that may not reflect current execution.
For a tasting-menu format with Michelin star credentialing, Oteque and Lasai are the benchmark options, though both run $$$$. Oro is worth considering if Italian-Brazilian crossover interests you at the same price tier. For French specifically, Casa 201 is the closest direct comparison. If price is a factor, Chez Claude at $$$ is the strongest Michelin-recognised option at its tier in the city.
No dress code is listed in the database. A Michelin Plate restaurant in Leblon at the $$$ price point typically calls for smart casual , well-dressed but not black-tie. Rio's dining culture runs warmer and less formal than European equivalents, so a collared shirt or equivalent evening wear is appropriate without requiring a jacket. When in doubt, dress one level up from what you would wear to a neighbourhood bistro.
At $$$, yes , the value case is clear. You are getting Michelin Plate-recognised French cooking at a price tier below the city's starred rooms. Compared to Oteque or Lasai at $$$$, Chez Claude costs less and delivers a less structured, more accessible format. If tasting menus and Brazilian ingredient sourcing are your priorities, spend up. If you want French technique in a dinner-party format without the full commitment of a progression menu, Chez Claude earns its price.
Bar seating availability is not confirmed in the database. At a Michelin Plate Modern French restaurant in this format, bar dining is possible but not guaranteed as a distinct offering. Contact the restaurant directly to confirm. If bar-first dining is your priority , arriving for drinks with the option to eat , the Rio de Janeiro bars guide covers venues where the bar is the primary draw.
Yes, with the $$$ price tier making it accessible for occasions that call for quality without the full cost of a starred tasting room. The 4.6 Google rating across over 1,000 reviews and back-to-back Michelin Plate recognition suggest an operation that delivers reliably , important when the dinner matters. For a promotion dinner, anniversary, or significant date in Leblon, it solves the brief cleanly. If the occasion demands a more ceremonial format, step up to Oteque or Lasai instead.
Menu specifics are not documented in available data, so ordering advice based on verified dish details cannot be provided. What the Michelin Plate recognition in both 2024 and 2025 confirms is that the kitchen is executing Modern French technique at a consistently high level. At $$$, the safe approach is to trust the tasting format if offered, or ask front-of-house which sections of the menu represent the kitchen's current strengths.
For a step up in ambition and price, Oteque and Lasai are the two tasting-menu rooms with stronger awards traction. Oro sits in a comparable bracket to Chez Claude and is worth considering if you want a different flavour profile. If the Michelin Plate tier is your benchmark and Modern French is not a requirement, all three give you more options across the same $$$ to $$$$ range in Rio.
Dress expectations are not documented in the venue record. Modern French restaurants at the $$$ price point in Rio's Leblon neighbourhood typically expect presentable, put-together clothing without enforcing a formal dress code. Arriving in beach or streetwear would be out of step with the room; anything beyond that should be fine.
At $$$, Chez Claude sits below Rio's top-tier tasting-menu rooms but above casual neighbourhood dining, and two consecutive Michelin Plates confirm the cooking meets professional scrutiny. If Modern French in Leblon is what you are after, the value case is clear. If you want a fuller prestige experience at the same spend, Oro is the closer comparison; if you want Michelin-starred cooking and are willing to pay more, Oteque or Lasai are the step up.
Bar seating details are not documented for Chez Claude. check the venue's official channels using the address at Rua Conde de Bernadotte, 26, lojas Q e R, Leblon, to confirm whether bar or counter dining is available before building a visit around that format.
Yes, with the caveat that it fits a specific kind of occasion: a dinner where the food is the focus and the format is Modern French. Two back-to-back Michelin Plates at the $$$ price point make it a credible choice for birthdays, anniversaries, or business dinners where you want a reliable, professionally scrutinised kitchen without the full commitment of a $$$$ tasting-menu room. For a larger group celebration, confirm table capacity and booking terms directly with the restaurant.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
