'We are the essence of Rio': parties return to the 'dirty feet' bars of the Brazilian city

"It feels like I'm alive again," he said. "I didn't die."

And neither does his bar. Closures due to the pandemic and lack of sales almost wiped out the place, and hundreds of other places to drink. But now, one of the clearest signs that Rio de Janeiro is returning to a certain normalcy is that the city's pé sujo (dirty feet bars) have reopened.

That's the name of the little bars that overflow the sidewalks of Rio with plastic tables and chairs, serving cold beer and something fried at almost any time of day. The pé sujo are a cross between a seedy bar and a neighborhood inn, where the grime is part of the charm. Countertops are rusty, prices are low, and shirts and shoes are optional.

‘Somos la esencia de Río’: las fiestas vuelven a los bares ‘de pies sucios’ de la ciudad brasileña