Restaurant in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Solid Italian value, no fine-dining markup.
Sult holds back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition (2024 and 2025) for contemporary Italian cooking in Botafogo at the $$ price point. For a Michelin-acknowledged dinner in one of Rio's most livable neighborhoods without the $$$$ outlay of Lasai or Oteque, this is the practical first choice. Booking is easy, the local-crowd feel is genuine, and the value case is well-documented.
Sult is the right call for couples and small groups who want a genuinely good Italian-inflected dinner in Botafogo without paying the $$$$ premiums that [Oro](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/oro-rio-de-janeiro-restaurant) or [Lasai](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/lasai-rio-de-janeiro-restaurant) demand. Two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand awards (2024 and 2025) confirm the kitchen is delivering quality-to-price value that holds up against harder scrutiny. If you are staying in the South Zone and want a reliable, low-stress reservation at a recognized address, Sult delivers.
Sult sits on Rua Fernandes Guimarães in Botafogo, a residential-commercial strip that has grown into one of Rio's more interesting dining corridors over the past decade. The neighborhood draws a local crowd rather than a tourist one, which keeps the energy grounded. Chef Jinda leads a kitchen cooking contemporary Italian — a format that travels well in Rio, where the city's large Italian-Brazilian community gives the cuisine genuine local relevance rather than imported novelty.
The Bib Gourmand designation, awarded in both 2024 and 2025, is Michelin's marker for restaurants offering good cooking at moderate prices. It sits below the starred tier but above undifferentiated neighborhood dining. For the $$ price range, back-to-back recognition of this kind is a meaningful signal: the kitchen is consistent, and the value proposition is real. Google reviewers align with that read , 4.5 stars across 982 reviews is a high-volume, high-confidence rating that is difficult to sustain without genuine repeat satisfaction.
Botafogo matters here. Sult is not a destination restaurant that happens to be located somewhere inconvenient. It functions as a neighborhood anchor: the kind of place locals return to, which is precisely why the Bib Gourmand recognition carries weight. Bib awards favor exactly this profile , places embedded in a community, priced for regulars, not built around the spectacle of a tasting menu. For travelers, that means you are eating somewhere with an actual local constituency, not a room optimized for out-of-towners.
On the contemporary Italian positioning: this is not a category that automatically implies tasting menus or elaborate plating. At the $$ price point, expect a concise menu where technique is evident without becoming theatrical. For Italian contemporary dining at a comparable price in Rio, the direct alternative is [Lilia](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/lilia) , also $$ and Italian-inflected. Sult's Michelin recognition gives it a credential edge. If you want to compare the category at the leading end, [Oro](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/oro-rio-de-janeiro-restaurant) covers Contemporary Italian at $$$$ and has a different ambition level entirely.
Booking is direct. At this price and neighborhood profile, Sult does not operate like a destination-dining venue with weeks-long lead times. A few days ahead is typically sufficient for weeknights; book a week out for Friday and Saturday to be safe. Walk-ins may be possible on quieter evenings, but confirming in advance is the lower-risk approach given the Bib Gourmand profile tends to generate more demand than a comparable unrecognized address.
For context on what else the city offers: [Oteque](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/oteque-rio-de-janeiro-restaurant) and [Lasai](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/lasai-rio-de-janeiro-restaurant) represent Rio's modern Brazilian fine dining tier at $$$$, operating in a different register altogether. [Casa 201](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/casa-201-rio-de-janeiro-restaurant) covers French at $$$$ if that is the direction you want to go. Sult's position at $$ with Bib Gourmand standing fills a gap that the $$$$ venues do not. You can find the broader picture in our [Rio de Janeiro restaurants guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/rio-de-janeiro).
For Italian contemporary dining outside Brazil, the category benchmark looks quite different , venues like [Agli Amici Rovinj](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/agli-amici-rovinj-rovinj-restaurant) in Croatia or [L'Olivo](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/lolivo-anacapri-restaurant) in Anacapri operate at starred level with corresponding price tags. Sult's value case is specific to its context: Michelin-recognized Italian contemporary at $$ in one of Rio's most livable neighborhoods is a combination that does not have many direct competitors.
If you are building a wider Rio itinerary, see also our guides to [hotels](https://www.joinpearl.co/hotels/rio-de-janeiro), [bars](https://www.joinpearl.co/bars/rio-de-janeiro), and [experiences](https://www.joinpearl.co/experiences/rio-de-janeiro) in the city. For Bib Gourmand-level quality elsewhere in Brazil, [Manga in Salvador](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/manga-salvador-restaurant) and [Manu in Curitiba](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/manu-curitiba-restaurant) are worth cross-referencing.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Michelin | Booking Ease |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sult | Italian Contemporary | $$ | Bib Gourmand 2024, 2025 | Easy |
| Lilia | Italian, Brazilian | $$ | None listed | Easy |
| Oro | Contemporary Italian / Brazilian | $$$$ | Check listing | Moderate |
| Lasai | Regional Brazilian | $$$$ | Check listing | Harder |
| Oteque | Modern Brazilian | $$$$ | Check listing | Harder |
Booking is easy relative to Rio's $$$$ venues. A few days ahead covers most weeknights. For Friday or Saturday, aim for a week in advance. Sult's Bib Gourmand profile generates demand above a typical neighborhood restaurant, so confirming ahead beats risking a wasted trip.
The database does not confirm seat count, so contact the venue directly for groups larger than four. At the $$ price point and Botafogo location, the room is likely modest in size. For larger group dinners in Rio, [Lasai](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/lasai-rio-de-janeiro-restaurant) or [Casa 201](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/casa-201-rio-de-janeiro-restaurant) may have more flexibility, though at significantly higher spend per head.
No specific dietary information is confirmed in the available data. Contact the restaurant directly before booking if you have restrictions. The contemporary Italian format typically includes pasta-heavy menus, so gluten requirements in particular are worth flagging in advance.
At the same $$ price tier, [Lilia](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/lilia) is the closest Italian-inflected alternative. For modern Brazilian cooking at a higher spend, [Oteque](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/oteque-rio-de-janeiro-restaurant) and [Lasai](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/lasai-rio-de-janeiro-restaurant) are Rio's most decorated options. [Oro](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/oro-rio-de-janeiro-restaurant) covers Contemporary Italian at $$$$ if you want to stay in the same cuisine category with a bigger budget.
Yes, within its tier. Two Bib Gourmand awards give it genuine credibility for a meaningful dinner, and the $$ price means you are not over-spending relative to the occasion. For a milestone dinner where spend is not the constraint, [Lasai](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/lasai-rio-de-janeiro-restaurant) or [Oteque](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/oteque-rio-de-janeiro-restaurant) will offer a more formal experience. Sult suits occasions where good food and neighborhood authenticity matter more than ceremony.
No tasting menu is confirmed in the available data, and the Bib Gourmand format typically favors accessible à la carte or short fixed menus rather than extended tasting sequences. At $$, the value case is strongest when the menu is concise and the kitchen executes it consistently , which the Michelin recognition and 4.5-star Google rating (982 reviews) suggest is the case here. If a full tasting experience is the priority, [Oteque](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/oteque-rio-de-janeiro-restaurant) or [Lasai](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/lasai-rio-de-janeiro-restaurant) are better fits.
Book at least one to two weeks out. Sult has earned back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmands (2024 and 2025), which pulls consistent demand at its $$ price point. Weekends fill faster — if you're flexible, a Tuesday or Wednesday booking is easier to land.
Small groups of two to four are the natural fit here. Botafogo neighborhood restaurants at this price tier typically run mid-sized dining rooms, so larger parties of six or more should check the venue's official channels when booking to confirm table configuration.
Contemporary Italian menus at the $$ tier generally allow reasonable substitutions, but Sult's specific dietary accommodation policy isn't documented here. Communicate restrictions clearly at the time of reservation rather than on arrival.
For a step up in formality and price, Oteque and Lasai are the obvious moves — both carry Michelin stars and operate at $$$$. Oro offers a middle ground with tasting menu formats. If you want Bib Gourmand-level value without the Italian focus, Casa 201 in the same neighborhood is worth considering.
Yes, with the right expectations. Sult's Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition (two consecutive years) makes it a credible choice for a birthday or anniversary dinner where value matters as much as quality. It won't have the ceremony of a starred room like Oteque, but the $$ pricing means you're not paying for theatre you don't need.
Sult's specific menu format isn't documented in available data, so a direct verdict on a tasting menu isn't possible here. What the two Bib Gourmands do confirm is that the kitchen delivers quality at a price that doesn't require justification — at $$, the bar for 'worth it' is considerably lower than at Rio's starred venues.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
