Stravaganze

Rio Hotel Onlines Review

Pizza lovers who want to go beyond the tried and true will love Stravaganze. This small eatery in Botafogo specializes in pizza and pizza only. The menu is divided into traditional and special creations. Traditional pizzas include the Margarita Especiale with cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and smoked mozzarella or the Calabrese with spicy meat. Special creations are where things get really interesting. We loved the Poesia (goat cheese, grilled figs, Parma ham, and balsamic drizzle) and the Originale (curried chicken, apple and creamy catupiry cheese). However, our absolute hands-down favorite was the signature Stravaganze pizza, which is served with Gorgonzola, pears, leeks, and nuts. You can order two flavors on a pizza (half-and-half) which gives you more room to experiment. And for dessert, there's more pizza! Try banana with nutella, or baked apple with rum, orange juice and almond. The wine list includes some decent Argentine and Chilean reds (mostly under R$45/$19). The only drawback to this restaurant is the ambience; tables are a little too close together and lights are a bit bright, making the room feel more like a cafeteria than a cozy bistro. The quality and originality of the food make up for a lot, however, and anyway it's not the kind of place you go for a long, leisurely meal.