Where to Eat on Ilha Grande: a local's two honest picks

Eating out on Ilha Grande is part of the fun — though it’s noticeably pricier than the mainland, since everything arrives by boat, food included. I’m not going to hand you a directory: just the two places I’d actually send you to, one easy on the budget and one to treat yourselves. You’ll find both on Google Maps — no need for an address.

There’s one rule behind every place I recommend, to eat or to sleep, and both of these pass it: they’re run by their own owners. An owner who’s on top of the kitchen, the staff and every last detail is genuinely rare anywhere in Brazil — and it makes an enormous difference to what reaches your table.

Banana da Terra — the budget pick

Best for: eating well without spending a lot. Don’t miss: the feijoada. Price: moderate and accessible.

This is the one I point people to when they want a good meal that’s easy on the wallet. It’s run by its two owners, and you can taste it: proper home-style Brazilian cooking, the kind where the homemade tempero — the seasoning — does all the work. It’s the one place on the island for a really good feijoada.

The portions are generous and the whole thing is simple, welcoming and honest — the sort of place you’ll want to come back to before you’ve even finished. Look up Banana da Terra on Google Maps.

Dom Mário — to treat yourselves

Best for: treating yourselves (lovely for a young couple). Don’t miss: local fish with the passion-fruit sauce. Price: not expensive for the quality.

When you want to spoil yourselves, this is where I’d send you. The kitchen is run by Dom Mário himself, a well-known and respected chef — and it shows: every plate comes out as good as the last, always the same and always equally well made, which is rarer than it sounds.

The menu leans on salmon in an herb sauce, octopus, a very good filé mignon and local fish. A few things I’d genuinely tell you to try: the passion-fruit sauce (molho de maracujá), starters like the gazpacho, and the sides — potato rösti and grilled vegetables, both excellent. For the quality, it isn’t that expensive, and you eat really well. Find Dom Mário on Google Maps.