A new bar at an address with history
Chopperia Botafogo opened in late 2025 at Rua Sorocaba, 585, the house Comuna occupied for years. The address changed projects: today it is a Rio grill bar with its own identity rather than the former cultural venue. I clarify this because the old name still appears in outdated guides and maps.
The venue’s idea is simple and unmistakably Rio: a hot grill, cold draught beer, snacks and pavement tables. It is an outing for conversation, where the group shares food and the evening forms around the table rather than a dance floor or stage.
What to order and how to approach the food
Grilling is central: Veja Rio highlights roast meats, chicken hearts and sausage with onions in cachaça, plus grilled sweetcorn. An opening article mentions sliced picanha, cod fritters, sausage skewers, pastéis and garlic bread. It is a bar-and-grill menu for alternating bites with draught beer.
I would start with a shared snack and ask which cut is best that day. Prices in opening articles are 2025 references rather than a current menu: I prefer pointing to the current menu and Instagram instead of presenting old figures as fixed.
What atmosphere to expect
Local coverage describes a neighbourhood bar with pavement tables and capacity around 70–100 depending on the listing. I would not expect fine dining or club programming. I would choose it for informal food, meeting friends and conversation with Botafogo around us.
What I would do
Published hours are Wednesday to Saturday from noon to midnight and Sunday until 8 pm; Monday and Tuesday are listed as closed. Since the bar is new and may adjust service, I check Instagram on the day, especially for holidays and matches. For an outdoor table I arrive early on Friday or Saturday night.
The location is residential with quiet streets. For the return, I request transport before the group disperses and confirm pickup at the door or a lit corner. Botafogo station is walking distance away; if walking, open a map to calculate the exact route from your location.
My Ernestinho tip
Come hungry for grilled food and order to share. If you seek Comuna’s exhibitions and parties, that venue closed in 2020; this Chopperia is the current business in the same building, with a different concept.
