Seaside restaurants: the tradition of peixadas in João Pessoa

Establishments like Peixada do Amor, Gulliver Mar and Estaleiro have for years sustained the habit of eating fresh fish facing the ocean.

Besides the waterfront's informal kiosks, João Pessoa has a group of well-established restaurants that made peixada (fish stew) and seafood their trademark, almost always with tables facing the sea. One of the most cited is Restaurante Peixada do Amor, on Seixas beach, which ranks among the top spots in reviews of the city's seafood restaurants.

On the same Seixas beach — the easternmost point of the Americas — Grupo Estaleiro also operates, which according to the establishment itself has been there for more than 12 years and has a second unit in the Bessa neighborhood, among the city's main residential and commercial centers.

On Cabo Branco beach, Gulliver Mar operates right by the sea with daily live music, including piano and jazz performances, combining an internationally influenced menu with ocean views. This set of establishments, alongside names like NAU Frutos do Mar in Manaíra, shows how João Pessoa's coastline works as a permanent backdrop for the city's fish-based gastronomy.

For visitors to the city, these addresses are usually recommended as options for a more leisurely lunch, unlike the fast pace of beach stands, combining a fresh fish dish with a waterfront setting.