perhaps because of its humble origins, or maybe because of the appeal of globally venerated food cultures, fine dining in rio de janeiro - and the rest of brazil - has only recently embraced the deep well of traditional brazilian cuisine.

honoring the all-consuming spirit of carioca culture, it was an expat frenchman who first broached the idea of combining local ingredients with the high standards of haute cuisine.  

his restaurant olympe, in the neighborhood of lagoa, might be described by some as french-brazilian fusion, but the reality is that the two parts have become a new, unique whole (much like rio de janeiro itself).