Armazém do Café, Rio de Janeiro

What to buy here: COFFEE

Coffee is Brazil’s premiere hot drink. In fact, the country was built on the coffee business, which displaced gold and sugar cane as the main economic force in the country in the 18th century – it was labelled ‘green gold’ by farmers then. By the end of the 19th century, coffee accounted for 70% of Brazil’s exports. These days Brazil is responsible for 30% of the global coffee production. Café Pelé is one of the best known coffee brands, named after the country’s greatest soccer player. It can be bought at most high street supermarkets, but if you’re after more upmarket, organic coffee, Armazém do Café may be just the ticket. The four-store chain offers a range of coffee types named after musical genres such as samba and mambo. They have three branches in Ipanema, one of which is Rua Maria Quitéria open Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 8:30pm, Saturdays 8:30am to 7pm and Sundays from 10am to 6pm. At the supermarket, prices start at $2. From finer merchants, $10.