For Belém’s workers, the next best thing to going home for a tasty lunch is heading to Pomme d’Or (Av. Generalíssimo Deodoro 1513, Nazaré, tel. 91/3202-9800, 11:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. daily, R$10–18). The ranch-style house with high ceilings and wooden beams serves up a daily banquet of 50 dishes including hearty beef stews, shrimp with pupunha and roquefort, salads and even sushi. Saturday is devoted to feijoada, while Sunday is the day to sample regional specialties such as pato no tucupi and maniçoba.

The same owners operate the more refined Restô do Parque (Av. Magalhães Barata 830, São Bráz, tel. 91/3229-8000, noon–3:30 p.m. Tues.–Sun., R$10–28). At the entrance to the Parque da Residência, this pretty wooden house with glass windows is a favorite lunch spot for both executives and tourists who appreciate the small buffet featuring dishes such as beef filet in cupuaçu sauce and bacalhau with pesto.

An even more enticing setting is that proffered by
Manjar da Garças (Mangal das Garças, Cidade Velha, tel. 91/3242-1056, noon–4 p.m. Tues.–Sun., 8 p.m.–midnight Tues.–Thurs., 8 p.m.–2 a.m. Fri.–Sat., R$20–30). Located within the Parque Ambiental Mangal das Garças, the restaurant consists of a vast Swiss Family Robinson-style bungalow on stilts with a palm thatched roof and stunning views of the Rio Guamá. The jungly ambiance enhances the appreciation of sophisticated dishes that take advantage of local ingredients.

Examples include crunchy almond-crusted filhote served with jambu risotto and shrimp with leeks bathed in a sauce of apples and Brazil nuts. For dessert, the bacuri profiteroles swimming in melted chocolate are pretty sublime. Lunch features a buffet of hot and cold dishes while the dinner menu is à la carte. Live music adds to the mood.