Away from the crazy parties and amaze beaches, Rio feels like a different city. A much cooler, grungier city. Our hood Santa Teresa was all gritty colonial buildings, steep tram-tracked streets covered in art and graffiti; and of course, restaurants and bars galore.

That last bar, Mineiro, is a keeper. It’s where we sampled the classic Brazilian dish feijoada. My initial skepticism – if there’s one thing you eat a lot of in Latin America, it’s stewed bloody beans – was obliterated with one bite. This was salty, porky heaven.

Any dish that comes with four kinds of pork and its own ladle = ok by me.

Nearby Santa Teresa stalwart Bar Gomes enticed us in with its relaxed corner cool, but won us over 4 life with its bolinhos; deep fried balls filled with delicious, er, fillings.

Absolutely – waitforit – amazeballs. (Too obvious? Never.)

We…