In Rio de Janeiro the bars are called botecos and are pretty simple institutions with bar food, cold beer and loud conversations. The atmosphere is extremely social and the locals love to have a cold beer with some friends here in the early evening. They are all not the same though and it´s the big variety that I find so attractive.

Bar do Mineiro is located in the charming bohemian neighbourhood Santa Teresa. Here you find big bearded men and paint stained artists debate and fraternize. It´s like someone has turned the clock back to the 1930´s. If you come to Rio this is definitely well worth a visit.

Bar do Getúlio in Catete. This area used to be quite fashionable back when Rio was capital but since it lost that status many of the governmental buildings lost their functions and the area has been in decline ever since. This bar is popular with musicians and cultural people and sometimes you have live samba here.

Belmonte in Copacabana just opened in 2005 and has ever since been popular. Copacabana has surprisingly few nice bars with atmosphere, most places are touristy and has no local feeling at all. In Belmonte you not only have a great atmosphere, the shrimp pastries are fabulous.

Mercado São José is located in between the neighborhoods Laranjeiras and Flamengo. Many small bars cluttered together in an old market building. Not so clean but very alive, the crowd is a mix of everything.

Last but not least there are quite a few so called cornerbars around. Little more than a whole in the wall these places serve as breakfast and lunch joints for workers, in the evening they turn in to local hangouts where you watch your football team play on a 14 inch TV. Nothing is cheaper and more local.

If interested with the article. You might want to read about rio carnival where to stay hostel.

And also the article about  rio backpackers hostel.