Curio

Curio is a local bar restaurant around where we were staying. My partner wanted to meet their friends locally here since it was new to them, and in the evenings, it appeared to be a very happening place. We were able to walk in for 4 people at around 6 PM without any issues. We had the option of sitting right in the outdoor area in front of the restaurant with security guards around, but we opted to sit inside toward the back.

Ambiance & Service

Indoors, they had all the doors opened, so the air was rather humid and thick. They had some fans going, but as someone who is not native, it took a while for my body to acclimate.

At this moment for currency, $1 USD is close to R$5.4 Brazilian Reals.

Food

The Exibida (R$27) came with cachaça, caju, lemon, and lemongrass.

The Camarão Alho e Óleo (R$69) came with shrimp in shell, cooked in garlic and oil, and accompanied by fried cassava. The entire shell is edible, and it tasted decent. There weren’t any flavors other than what it sounds and looks like.

The Casquinho de Caranguejo (R$17) came with crab covered in farofa. This is a Natal specialty similar to what we had at Camarões. This was decent. It was basically a mashed cream with some crab meat.

The Nosso Baião (R$39) came with green beans, coalho cheese, calabresa, carne de sol (sun-dried meat), and a touch of cream. Carne de sol is a very favored meat in Natal, where the meat is cured and dried in the sun. It comes across salty and dry, but it’s beloved. This entree brought childhood memories to my partner, but taste wise for me, it was rustic, but a cheesy cream of meat.

Final Verdict

Curió was a decent bar/food restaurant that could be worth catching up with people. It’s definitely not a super refined place, so definitely take it for what it is.

Yelp Jabs

Due to the lack of Yelp reviews, we’ll take a look at some of the Google reviews.

Terrible service, not to mention the food that doesn’t live up to its promises. My family and I hated the experience.

For the food alone, it didn’t really have any high expectations. According to some other locals, it seems that people are coming here for the live music as well, and sometimes they do charge cover for this.

Revisions

1. Jun 24, 2024 - Initial revision.