Ancoramar

Ancoramar is a seafood and fish restaurant in central Rio de Janeiro, set on Marechal Âncora Square beside Guanabara Bay. It occupies one of the surviving towers of the old Municipal Market of Praça XV, and its name refers to the square where it stands.

History

The original building was the Municipal Market of Praça XV, opened in 1908 to bring together the older market of Largo do Moura. The complex had a square plan, long pavilions and five octagonal towers, the central one being the tallest.

The restaurant opened on 12 November 1933 in one of those towers. In the 1950s the market was demolished to make way for the Elevado da Perimetral elevated road, but the pavilion housing the restaurant was spared and was listed as historic heritage by IPHAN in 1962. In 1964 the interior was remodelled to a design by architect Roberto da Costa Soares. In 2016, after the elevated road was removed and the square revitalised, it was renamed Ancoramar and added a bar on the ground floor.

Culture

Its main draw is the outstanding view of Guanabara Bay, which has earned it several awards for the best panorama in the city. The menu centres on fish and seafood, in line with Carioca culinary traditions linked to the port and the downtown markets. Today it is a place to eat by the sea and enjoy a ground-floor bar, combining everyday use of a historic building with modern dining.