Roxy dinner show reviews, and whether the night is worth it

5 of the 10 newest reviews mention the food. 4 do so warmly, and 1 calls the meal OK and a little too posh, though the same reviewer understood what the kitchen was trying to do and still enjoyed the evening. That tells us the cooking aims high, and that not every guest finds the style to their taste.

One reviewer found the evening a bit pricey for the show alone while being glad to have gone, and another, who attended for the show only, enjoyed it, including the opening act by a talented duo. Taken together, these comments hint that value is clearer when dinner is part of the package than when it is not, though so few comments cannot prove it.

The last point is language. One reviewer enjoyed learning about Brazil but hoped for more of the commentary to be in English. Our guide to dress code and seats covers what English speakers can expect. None of the reviews we read complained about the venue, the staff or the music, and that absence of complaints is the more useful finding.

The question of whether the Roxy dinner show is worth it depends on the evening you want. The evidence says that the show is the strongest part, that the service is warm and that the food divides opinion slightly. If you want all of that in one place, with dinner and music inside a Copacabana theatre, it is a solid choice, and the numbers behind it are better than most.

Travellers on a first night in Rio, couples marking an occasion and families with children fit the format. Families are catered for, with a Kids rate and a Kids menu on dinner packages, and minors must come with an adult.^3,4 The team can also arrange a celebration if told beforehand, which suits a couple marking an occasion.⁵

Travellers who want a loose, standing, bar-style night may prefer another kind of evening. The Roxy is a seated dinner with a scheduled show, and it closes at 10:45 PM.⁶ If you want something rougher and later, Rio has samba bars and street parties, which are a different night and a different guide, and which this site does not cover.

If you want a pure samba show without a meal, Ginga Tropical is the obvious alternative. By its own account it is an 80-minute show with 22 dancers and 8 musicians that plays three times a week.^7,8 It is a shorter commitment, and it suits guests who plan to eat elsewhere and leave the rest of the night open.

If you want live music in a bar setting, Rio Scenarium is a house of 7 spaces over 3 floors, with a capacity of 2,000 people.⁹ Scenarium opens its evenings Wednesday to Saturday, a looser rhythm than the seated programme at the Roxy.¹⁰ Reviewers rate it lower on average, at 4.11 against 4.63, so go for the atmosphere and not a polished stage show, and read its listing before you book.

If a fixed dinner is the problem, for example because of strict diets, remember that the venue handles dietary requests, such as gluten-free, lactose-free, vegetarian or vegan meals and allergies, once it is told at booking.¹¹ That removes one common reason to choose elsewhere, though it is wise to confirm your needs with the team before you pay.