Designed by architects Marcelo, Milton, and Mauricio Roberto, the Belvedere do Grinfo is situated along the downhill section of the BR-040 highway, connecting Petrópolis and Xerém. Locals once called the building Pé de Palito, roughly translating to “toothpick foot,” referring to the construction’s odd, toothpick-like base that supports a round, UFO-like interior. Constructed in the late 1950s, the Belvedere do Grinfo opened as a disco restaurant in 1960, shortly after the highway was built. The restaurant did very well initially, becoming an almost mandatory stop for those traveling along the…
