A-la-carte are the typical restaurants where dishes are ordered from a fixed menu - there is a great variety of restaurants a-la-carte in Rio, serving dishes ranging from typical Brazilian to contemporary Asian, Fusion, Ethnic, and Vegan.

The culturally diverse and imaginative 'a-la-carte' restaurants that line the streets of the city are another excellent example of local creativity. Japanese food arrived with the large influx of Japanese immigrants in the early 20th Century and his since become a trendy option amongst Cariocas.

French cuisine, in all its forms and much of its sophistication, has also been embraced with arms wide open by the people of Rio de Janeiro. Crêpe restaurants abound, And gourmet Parisian cuisine can be found in eateries in Leblon and Copacabana.