Salvador and the Bahia Coast Restaurants

1. Bar do Raúl

The freshest of such Bahian delicacies as mariscada (seafood stew), casquinha de siri (shredded crab), and arroz de polvo (octopus rice) at great-value prices and served right on the beach are what make Raúl’s a longtime local favorite. The service is friendly and slick and the portions so generous that one main course can be shared among three or four people. Set on the beach of Saquaira, Raúl’s is a lot more laid-back than the beach bars in Barra Grande and a good opportunity to catch a slice of local life.

2. A Portinha

This good-value, lunch-only, buffet-style restaurant attracts both locals and foreign visitors with its generous salad bar and variety of "slow-cooked" options. The restaurant serves a different type of cuisine daily, so the fare for any given day might include Brazilian, Italian, or Asian specialties. Price is charged per weight of the food on your plate.

3. Bar do Rô

4. Café Ba-Cana

Regular live music and excellent cocktails make this a popular hangout with visitors and locals come nightfall. During the day it's a hot spot for caffeine aficionados, with a range of organic locally produced coffees complementing delicious homemade cakes and a simple menu of salads, sandwiches, and pasta dishes.

5. Lá em Casa

This Praia de Algodoes restaurant–beach bar is run by Helena and Fernando, a charming couple from Rio, whose tapas-style menu and specials evolve daily around fresh local ingredients and create one of the most pleasant dining experiences in Maraú. Tables are set on a first-floor terrace, so diners have views of the bright green coconut palms framing the ocean. Lá em casa translates as "at home," and there is a relaxed feeling of being guests in a friend's house as Helena bustles in and out of the kitchen while her partner Fernando shakes up mango margaritas. They also offer two comfortable bungalows for rent.

6. Macunaíma Beach Lounge

This hippie-chic beach bar is loved as much for its signature cocktail, the Anti-Stress (vodka muddled with lemongrass, mint, and ginger), as for its extensive, tasty menu (try the tuna tartare and teriyaki salmon) and position on the beach at Ponto do Mutá. During high season, it's best to book ahead if you want one of the tables in the sand, perfect for whiling away the day until it's time to watch the sunset. Service can be alternately brilliant and patchy, but when everything clicks, it's one of the more sophisticated options on the peninsula.

7. Pizzeria da Gente

Arguably the best-value dining experience in town, this hole-in-the-wall spot is a local favorite for its tasty thin-crust wood-oven pizzas and ice-cold beer, which can be ordered to take away or enjoyed at one of the metal tables set out in the street. Still hungry? Stop off next door for a sugar high at Pavê e Comê, a dessert-only café run by charismatic granny Sonia, who specializes in classic Brazilian treats such as pavê de chocolate com caldo quente e sorvete de maracujá (chocolate cake with hot sauce and passion-fruit ice cream).

8. Tikal Praia Bar

Set on what is arguably Maraú’s most beautiful stretch of coastline, Praia do Algodões, beach-lounge and restaurant Tikal is one of the best places to be, whether whiling away the day over crispy prawns and grilled palm heart or partying until dawn with gorgeous Brazilians at one of their legendary parties. While it may be a bit of a trek from Barra Grande itself (the drive takes approximately 40 minutes), the experience is well worth it, from the sparkling service to swimming in Tikal’s own lagoon. The only downside is that it only opens for two months of the year.