Michelin stars for MEE and the Hotel Cipriani Restaurant, at the Belmond Copacabana Palace

The Copacabana Palace, in Rio de Janeiro, has achieved two Michelin-starred restaurants.  The Copa, which celebrated its 96th anniversary in 2019, is building a reputation as the city’s foremost culinary destination. The two Copa restaurants are now on list of Belmond group restaurants that have obtained Michelin stars, which also include the two-star Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons in the UK: and the one-starred Belmond Hotel Cipriani, in Venice, and Belmond Reids Palace in Portugal. 

For the fifth consecutive year, MEE is the only pan-Asian restaurant in Rio de Janeiro to hold a Michelin star and is now joined by Italian restaurant Hotel Cipriani, run by chef Nello Cassese, which has been awarded its first Michelin star.

MEE’s menu provides a journey through Asian cuisine, offering Thai, Cambodian, Malaysian, Singaporean, Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese dishes. One of the highlights is its Meechelin menu. Named in honor of the world’s ground-breaking guide to gastronomy, the menu includes 11 majestic dishes: some from the sushi-bar, focusing on fresh products caught the same day, and hot dishes with typical food from various parts of Asia.

The Hotel Cipriani Restaurant has been run by Italian chef Aniello Cassese, known as Nello, since November 2016. Nello came from Tuscany and is known for his very detailed research into ingredients and his search for the best products available on the market, which he uses to build different menus for lunch and dinner.

“It means so much to win a Michelin star, the Oscar for gastronomy. Like myself, many chefs have the goal of achieving a Michelin star. Of course, it isn’t an easy path, it's a long process during which both the chef and the restaurant need to show their consistency. Other factors, like the combination of flavors and textures, great service, wine harmonization and so on all contribute to the end result. It really is all about tireless and consistent teamwork, day in, day out”, said the chef.

Before accepting the invitation to work at the Hotel Cipriani Restaurant in Rio, Nello develop his skills with a lengthy stint working alongside English chef Gordon Ramsay, who he has worked with from 2008 at a number of different restaurants. Nello is former executive chef at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant at the Hotel Castel Monastero, in Sienna, which specializes in cuisine from southern Italy, where Nello was born.  “The Cipriani recipes reflect true Italian cooking, with incredible flavors and aromas. I made a point of putting my own twist on each dish, bringing them up to date. It is such an honor to have your work acknowledge by the Michelin guide”, said Nello Cassese.