BecodaFome

Image description: The image is a black-and-white photograph of a bar and restaurant located in the Beco da Fome, in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro. In the upper left, there is a sign with the name "VAGALUME" in large letters. On the right, there is a sign mentioning "ANTARCTICA" and "PIZZAS MASSAS". People are sitting at the table, talking and having drinks. The floor is covered with black and white tiles. The lighting comes from lamps hanging from the ceiling.

A narrow lane between Princesa Isabel avenue and Prado Júnior, half-hidden in the most bustling stretch of Copacabana, lined with inviting little bar doorways. The Beco da Fome began its golden age in the 1950s, offering an eclectic menu at modest prices to satisfy the munchies of the bohemians who frequented the huge array of dive bars, fancy nightclubs, get-togethers, shows, and drinking marathons in that part of the neighborhood known, not by chance, as Zona do Agrião.

Throughout the early morning hours, an endless array of students, artists, prostitutes, hustlers, police officers, illustrious figures and humble folk, bohemians and local workers would arrive at the bars of Beco da Fome, in a kind of carioca Bermuda Triangle. Cold beer accompanied the menu, in which caldo verde, sardines and macaroni were stars finally redeemed.

Image description: This is a black and white photograph of a commercial establishment, possibly a bakery or snack bar. On the left, there are shelves with packaged products and a sign with handwritten prices. In the center, a woman stands with her back turned, wearing an apron and a headscarf, preparing food. On the right, there is a coffee machine and more shelves with items. At the top, there is a sign listing prices for items such as "Pão," "Misto," "Coxinha," and others.

Over time, the area was substantially altered, and nothing remained of the original Beco da Fome. But at its former entrance there is, today, a restaurant that bears its name.