Koral: Pedro Coronha's Boundary-Free Kitchen in Ipanema

In the heart of Ipanema, steps from Parque da Nossa Senhora da Paz, a two-story house holds one of Rio's most talked-about recent openings: Koral, where chef Pedro Coronha has been cooking since early 2024.

A résumé built abroad

At 29, Coronha has already worked in some of the world's most influential kitchens. He trained at the Alain Ducasse school and cooked at Noma in Copenhagen and Eleven in Lisbon. In Rio he was named breakthrough chef by Veja Rio Comer & Beber, and Koral has received a distinction from the MICHELIN Guide Rio de Janeiro & São Paulo.

A menu without labels

The menu is open territory, crossing the chef's own food memories with what he picked up abroad — Nordic and Asian technique alongside South American flavors.

Among the starters, charcoal-grilled crudo with puttanesca sauce and thin sourdough slices has been the house favorite since opening night, sharing the table with ceviche served with passionfruit sorbet and crisp squid. For mains, the fire-roasted octopus with coral rice — the dish the restaurant is named for — sums up the approach: good product, precise technique, plenty of flavor, no excess. Grilled scallop tonnarelli and twelve-hour short rib round out the favorites.

Desserts worth staying for

The sweet courses hold their own. An apple tartelette with dulce de leche, nut crunch and cinnamon namelaka is pure comfort. A hot flaky cheese and guava cheesecake balances crunch against cream. And tangerine with yogurt ganache and roasted white chocolate crunch is the choice if you want the meal to end light and sharp.

A menu that follows the seasons

The card is always moving. The most recent round arrived for the Rio summer, with lighter plates like fish tartare with brioche, shiso and wasabi emulsion, and octopus vinaigrette with coconut purée and focaccia.

Away from the main dining room, Koral runs a weekly-changing set lunch menu. Some of those dishes have done well enough to earn a permanent place on the dinner menu.