3 Best Restaurants in Natal, The Northeast

Mangai

$ Fodor's choice

Choose from more than 40 delicious regional specialties at this immensely popular buffet restaurant. Tourists and town residents eat together at communal wood tables, which fit the typical rustic decor of the sertão. To top off your meal, consider ordering the cartola, a popular dessert made of caramelized banana, cheese, and cinnamon.

Camarões Potiguar

$$$
Locals and visitors alike rate this classic seafood restaurant as one of the best dining options in town. The house speciality is seafood, with fresh shrimps prepared in an impressive number of ways (try the shrimp cooked in pumpkin or shrimp fondue) and served in portions big enough for two. Be prepared to wait for a table if you haven't made a reservation, or head for happy hour of fresh fruit caipirinhas and tasty pasteis de camarão (shrimp pasties). Although there are now four branches of this family institution, this converted house is the chicest.

Piazzale Itália

$$$ | Ponta Negra

During the high season (July and December–mid-March), it's necessary to make a reservation at this popular joint, or you'll be among the many waiting outside, salivating from smells of fresh tomato sauce and garlic. The restaurant's popularity is a result of reasonable prices, a romantic atmosphere, proximity to the Ponta Negra Beach, and skillful preparation of pasta, meat, and seafood dishes. Particularly recommended is the tagliolini allo scoglio (pasta with lobster, shrimp, and mussels).

Italian Lunch Dinner $$$ Family
Av. Deputado Antônio Florêncio de Queiroz 12, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, 59092-500, Brazil
084-3236–2697
www.piazzaleitalia.com.br
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted, Closed Mon. No lunch Tues.–Thurs.

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