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Food & Nightlife

Bahian food and Salvador nightlife: what to eat and where to go out

Bahian cooking is its own cuisine, with West African roots, palm oil, coconut milk, dried shrimp and the sea. Eating well here is less about finding famous restaurants and more about understanding what you are ordering.

A clay pot of Bahian moqueca with rice and farofa on a wooden table.
A clay pot of Bahian moqueca with rice and farofa on a wooden table.
EssentialFirst trip

Bahian food guide

Dendê, coconut milk, dried shrimp and the sea: the grammar of Bahian cooking.

A clay pot of Bahian moqueca with rice and farofa on a wooden table.
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Where to eat

Neighbourhood by neighbourhood, plus the places locals send visitors.

A clay pot of Bahian moqueca with rice and farofa on a wooden table.
EssentialLocal pick

Street food

The most important meal in Salvador is often bought standing up.

People at outdoor tables under string lights on a warm night in Rio Vermelho.
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Rio Vermelho at night

Dinner, bars and music in a district that does not need a plan.

Percussionists of a bloco afro playing drums in front of a colonial wall in Salvador.
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Live music

Music is a weekday habit here, not a special event.

A clay pot of Bahian moqueca with rice and farofa on a wooden table.
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Local favourites

Not secret, just not on the tourist circuit.