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Confeitaria Colombo

Confeitaria Colombo

A living portrait of the Belle Epoque in Rio, and one of the city's gourmet landmarks, the Confeitaria Colombo still retains much of its Art Nouveau charm dating back to the beginning of the century. Its famous Belgian mirrors in their hardwood frames and rosewood showcases, Italian marble benches, ornate light fixtures, glossy floor and period furniture have been preserved intact, just as they were admired by many famous individuals who helped write the history of Brazil, while also making the Confeitaria Colombo a major downtown attraction.

In February 1952 revelers strutted through the city's streets singing a coyly risque Carnaval march entitled "Sassaricando." Recorded by "Brazil's starlet" Virginia Lane, it celebrated the "old man at the entrance to the Colombo" - "amazed" at the sight of "the widow, the teenager and the lady... shimmying" as they sauntered past.

Like many commercial establishments in Brazil, the Confeitaria Colombo does not have a doorway. Instead the old man of the lyrics would have loitered in a broad passageway that runs the entire width of the first floor. When today's visitors step past that same threshold, they enter a living time capsule - a remnant of a Rio de Janeiro gone by, one that now seems charming for its opulent optimism.

During this "belle epoque," still the nation's capital and cultural hub, Rio de Janeiro aspired to something that many locals considered far more essential - to become the Paris of the Americas. Downtown Rio was still considered a cool place to chill. And the president of the republic might very well keep a personal tab at the Confeitaria Colombo.

Founded in 1894 by Portuguese immigrants, the Colombo soon found its history intertwined with that of the capital and, by extension, of the nation. The building has undergone several reforms, but the first floor interior remains pretty much the way customers found it during the 1913 reopening. The style might be described as turn-of-the-century continental flamboyant eclectic. "Confeitaria" literally means confectionary or sweet shop, and the house's vocation is highlighted by the glass cases near the entrance that display traditional baked goods, sweets and desserts.

Confeitaria Colombo