Ipanema - Carnivore Delight
Gibraltar is one place in the world where we are in no way hard pressed for restaurants to eat at. From quintessential Spanish Tapas to cheese engorged Italian style pizzas, this little Rock boasts a wide spectrum of eateries. One in particular tends to stand out for me, however, and that’s a little place called Ipanema. The Ocean Village based restaurant encompasses a quirky Brazilian style rodizio with an all you can eat buffet made up of over 50 homemade Brazilian and international dishes, including classic favourites; lasagne, chicken and stews.
Ipanema’s buffet also includes a particularly extensive salad bar that I tend to avoid as an adamant carnivore, but they certainly look appetising. The Rodizio is certainly the most interesting part of the Ipanema experience with members of staff serve various Brazilian style meats at your table. The adamant favourite of the meats would have to be the pork and pineapple combination. Other popular choices include; steak, chicken wings and sausages, all cooked to perfection.
Ipanema also specialises in classic cocktail mixes; including mojitos, pina coladas and white Russians as well as a selection of eccentric original drinks that will definitely set you up for a night to remember.
The quirkily decorated, waterfront location sets the perfect scene, with a beach mural splayed across the wall and a Caribbean style beach bar on the front deck. Ipanema is certainly the only restaurant of it’s kind, in Gibraltar, incorporating a fresh and innovative selection of food and drinks to the ever-popular Ocean Village.
As far as desserts go, Ipanema’s menu hosts a vast variety of ice creams and exotic ice cream sundaes. They also cater to the cake lovers with their thick chocolate cake and cheesecake.
Ipanema is an excellent location to host a wedding reception, with its large indoor and outdoor space and superb service. Be sure to book a table well in advance as the restaurant fills up almost every evening. The ambient candle lit outside deck is also the perfect setting for a romantic date.
