some say that for great dining, if food is half the recipe, service is the other half - and the laid back culture of the cariocas can often be a new experience for visitors.

those who expect fast impeccable service will need to adjust, while those who realize that different countries have different ways of doing things, will enjoy observing the unique carioca way of things.

ironically, just as some visitors at times lament the service in rio to be slow, carioca travelers comment how in some parts of the world the service is so fast, that the bill is given when the meal is not even finished yet!