After 100 Years, Iconic Confeitaria and Ipanema Diner Plans Rebirth
Project for the New Ipanema Bakery Revives 1917 Façade and Promises 24-Hour Service
The original 1917 façade—hidden for decades behind a sign from the 1980s—reappeared during renovations and will be preserved. The establishment, now under the command of businessman Antônio Rodrigues, is expected to reopen as early as September.
Closed at the start of the year after more than six decades under the ownership of Portuguese baker Severino Martins Alves, the iconic corner property at Visconde de Pirajá and Joana Angélica streets narrowly escaped real estate speculation. Coveted by developers and the subject of rumors about being turned into an apartment building, the space was purchased in December by Antônio Rodrigues—the entrepreneur behind Belmonte, Cais do Oriente, Amarelinho, and more recently, the revival of Bar Luiz. The reopening is slated for September.
This time, the restoration matches the site's historic value. The original 1917 façade, long covered by a dated sign, has been uncovered and will be preserved. Back are the first-floor transom windows, the wide French doors, and even the embossed signage—one of the few remaining examples of early commercial architecture still visible in Ipanema. Everything is being carefully restored.
The new interior will feature geometric hydraulic tiles on the floor, a dark wood counter with a glass top, and long-blade ceiling fans mounted on a metal ceiling—evoking the classic “Belle Époque” pastry shops of Rio. Atop the building, a terrace with a metal pergola and a view of Nossa Senhora da Paz Square hints at future communal use—or perhaps a café with a scenic overlook.
According to Rodrigues, the bakery will operate 24 hours a day. “Breakfast, pizza, and everything in between,” he promised. The goal is to revive not just the look, but the spirit of the place—which once produced 100,000 loaves of bread per day back in the 1980s.
