If you can transport it properly, yes - it's a protected Brazilian cultural product, and Mercado Central sells several styles, from fresh frescal to aged canastra.
Discover Authentic Belo Horizonte: A Local Travel Guide by Mercure
Discover Local is how Mercure shares what its own teams know about the cities they work in — no stock photography, no generic top-tens. Recommended by the team at Mercure BH Lourdes. Their Belo Horizonte picks are below, alongside an interactive map and the questions we hear most from guests. So — where will Discover Local take you?
Our map pins local favourites such as Serra do Curral, the MM Gerdau mining museum and Restaurante Dona Lucinha, alongside our Mercure hotels.
Top 5 Things to Do in Belo Horizonte
Mercado Central
Opened in 1929 to feed a young Belo Horizonte, the market now packs 400-plus stalls into one building. Go for queijo minas (protected as Brazilian cultural heritage), cachaça de alambique, and goiabada, and taste before you buy - vendors expect it.
Praça da Liberdade
The city's grandest square, ringed by early-20th-century government buildings now turned into free museums. Sunday afternoons bring a craft fair to the surrounding gardens.
Pampulha
Oscar Niemeyer's first major commission as a young architect: a lagoon-side complex including the curved Igreja São Francisco de Assis, decorated with murals by Cândido Portinari.
Savassi
Belo Horizonte practically invented the boteco (neighborhood bar) culture - Savassi is packed with them, each with its own specialty petisco and cold chopp.
A Pão de Queijaria
Minas Gerais' cheese bread reaches a cult following at this Savassi bakery, turning out pão de queijo crackling straight from the oven. Locals eat it for breakfast, alongside strong, sweet coffee.
Explore Belo Horizonte's Best Local Spots with Our Interactive Map
What's on the map in Belo Horizonte
We've mapped local spots in Belo Horizonte, from mountain views to proper Minas Gerais cooking.
Nature & culture
Parque da Serra do Curral
On the city's southeast edge, where Atlantic Forest meets Cerrado. Take the 1.7 km trail to Viewpoint 3 for the best views of the city. Entry is free.
Southeast Belo Horizonte · Park · Perfect for views and hiking
MM Gerdau – Mines and Metal Museum
In the neoclassical Pink Building, a museum that shows how mining shaped Minas Gerais – with glowing minerals, holograms and hands-on science.
Praça da Liberdade · Museum · Great for families
Casa Fiat de Cultura
Italian and Brazilian culture side by side, from Tarsila do Amaral to digital art. Look up in the lobby: that giant mosaic is by Candido Portinari.
Praça da Liberdade · Cultural centre · Made for art lovers
Food & drink
Restaurante Dona Lucinha
A family-run keeper of colonial Minas cooking. Feijão tropeiro and frango com quiabo arrive in stone pots, with artisanal cachaça on the side.
Belo Horizonte · Restaurant · Perfect for Mineiro cuisine
Dona Fulô
Northeastern Brazilian dishes such as acarajé and rubacão on a plant-filled patio. Add a jabuticaba cocktail and live music, and the evening takes care of itself.
Belo Horizonte · Restaurant · Great for an evening out
Botequim de Lourdes
A classic boteco: sport on screen, live music, cold beer and snacks like torresmo and canastra cheese pastries. This is how locals unwind.
Lourdes · Neighbourhood bar · Ideal for local nightlife
Pacato
Chef Caio Soter's refined restaurant, with weekly menus built on seasonal Minas ingredients.
Restaurant · Perfect for a special dinner
Cabernet Butiquim
Boteco spirit meets wine bar polish, with Brazilian wines and live jazz.
Savassi · Wine bar · Great for an evening out
Maria das Tranças
A city institution since 1950, still serving frango ao molho pardo to the original recipe.
Restaurant · Made for local classics
Mercado Novo
A mid-century market brought back to life with microbreweries, street food and artisan shops. Come at the weekend, when the DJs play.
Centre · Food market · Perfect for groups
Mercearia 130
A gastrobar giving Brazilian flavours a contemporary twist, with a deli to stock up on the way out.
Gastrobar · Ideal for lunch
Terraço Niê
A rooftop bar-restaurant on the 25th floor of the city's first Niemeyer skyscraper. Time it for sunset.
Centre · Rooftop · Perfect for sunset
Xapuri
Traditional Minas cooking from a wood-fired stove, in a rustic barn. Slow food at its most comforting.
Pampulha · Restaurant · Made for feijoada
Amado Lourdes
Contemporary cooking with Brazilian influences and impeccable service.
Lourdes · Restaurant · Ideal for fine dining
Varanda 1389
An honest Minas buffet by weight at lunchtime, then cocktails and live music in the evening.
Lourdes · Restaurant · Great for home-style food
FAQ
It was Oscar Niemeyer's first major architectural project and helped define the modernist style he later brought to Brasília.
A classic Belo Horizonte neighborhood bar serving cold draft beer and small shared plates (petiscos) - Savassi has one of the city's densest concentrations.
Parque da Serra do Curral on the city's southeast edge; the 1.7 km trail to Viewpoint 3 is a highlight, and entry is free.
Try Mineiro classics such as feijão tropeiro at Restaurante Dona Lucinha, or bar snacks such as torresmo at Botequim de Lourdes.
The MM Gerdau mining museum and Casa Fiat de Cultura, both near Praça da Liberdade.
Where to Sleep in Belo Horizonte
These Mercure hotels appear on our map:
- Mercure Belo Horizonte Savassi
- Mercure Belo Horizonte Lourdes
- Mercure Belo Horizonte Vila da Serra