12 Best Shopping in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The interior of this intimate chocolate shop is almost as exquisite as their hand-crafted chocolate bars. Produced by the Aquims, one of Rio's leading gourmet families, whose mission is to show the world what chocolate can really taste like when cultivated with care and free from over-production and too much sugar. In addition to chocolate bars, there are delectable brownies and gifts wrapped in evocative jungle packaging.

Ask the staff for tasters before you buy.

This fair that takes place roughly every couple of months combines fashion, design, art, and gastronomy from independent labels and artisans. The quality of the goods on offer and the experience itself has improved over the years, and since it moved to an alfresco spot overlooking the Lagoa, it's become a highlight in Rio's event calendar. Expect live music, great shopping, and the chance to watch a parade of beautiful people.

Vendors at this outdoor fair sell antiques, rare books, records, and all types of objets d'art on the first Saturday afternoon of the month. New and vintage fashion is also a strong suit, although cheaper fashion has sadly begun to take over. Live samba music and capoeira performances create a festival-like atmosphere, and the pavement bars and restaurants buzz with locals and visitors.

The crowded, lively Feira de São Cristóvão, better known as the Feira Nordestina, is a social hub for Brazilians from the country's Northeast who live in Rio. They gather to hear their own distinctive music, eat regional foods, and buy arts, crafts, home furnishings, and clothing. With two stages for live music, the fair takes on a nightclub vibe after dark, and there are some seriously impressive displays of forro dancing. This fair is at its busiest and most exciting on the weekends. It's best to take a taxi here.

A good place to find high-quality modern and contemporary paintings and sculptures, this gallery, which ships items abroad for customers, also sells photographs that can be made to size.

Upmarket swimwear store Lenny sells sophisticated, exquisitely cut pieces in a range of sizes, and lots of fashionable beach accessories. Prices are high, but the bikinis are particularly creative.

Exhibiting Brazilian craftsmanship at its finest, O Sol is a nonprofit, nongovernmental shop promoting and selling the handiwork of artisans from all regions of Brazil. It's one of Rio's best handicraft stores, and well worth a visit.

Tiny Toca do Vinicius bills itself as a "cultural space and bossa nova salon," and indeed the shop feels like more than just a place of business. Bossa nova aficionados from around the world gather here, and if you're one of them, there's a good chance you'll leave with the email address of at least one new pal. You'll also find sheet music, T-shirts, CDs, and books on music, including a few in English. One Sunday a month the shop hosts an intimate bossa nova concert.