Brazilian Food & Drink

The check, please (Brazil)

Asking for the bill in Brazil: "a conta, por favor" — simple, polite, and universal. Some restaurants add a 10% service charge automatically ("taxa de serviço"), so it's worth confirming whether it's included.

All-you-can-eat style restaurant (Brazil)

"Rodízio" describes Brazil's famous all-you-can-eat restaurant style, most iconically at churrascarias (steakhouses) where servers circulate with skewers of grilled meat until you flip a card from green to red to stop. A genuinely iconic piece of Brazilian dining culture.

A little coffee (Brazil)

"Cafezinho" is the small, strong, sweet coffee Brazilians drink constantly — and offering one is a basic act of hospitality. Being offered a cafezinho when visiting someone's home or office is a sign of warmth, not just a beverage.

To go / Takeout (Brazil)

"Para viagem" is the Brazilian Portuguese equivalent of "to go" or "takeout" — you'll be asked "para comer aqui ou para viagem?" (for here or to go?) at most casual restaurants and lanchonetes.

Is it cold? (Brazil, about beer)

Asking if a beer is properly cold ("está gelada?") is a genuinely serious question in Brazil — beer culture there prizes ice-cold ("bem geladinha") over anything close to room temperature. A bartender who says "geladíssima" is promising the coldest possible pour.