Rio Brazilian Steakhouse to Relaunch in Durham with Exciting Relocation and Expansion

Rio Brazilian Steakhouse to Relaunch in Durham with Exciting Relocation and Expansion

A trusted staple in Durham city centre for the last three years, the bosses behind Rio Brazilian Steakhouse have announced further significant investment with a move and major expansion of the premium churrasco dining experience in the city.

Following continuous demand for the renowned authentic Brazilian cuisine, bosses have taken the opportunity to move from their existing site on Walkergate to a bigger plot on The Riverwalk in Durham.

The new and revitalised restaurant is set to open its doors on Friday 28th November 2025 for an invite only VIP Grand Opening ahead of opening bookings to the public from Saturday 29th November, marking a new chapter for the locally cherished brand.

Co-owners Rodrigo Grassi Duarte and Howard Eggleston are now gearing up for the highly anticipated Grand Opening which will enable a significantly larger and elevated dining space for the popular hospitality brand in turn providing 160 covers, alongside enhanced kitchen facilities to accommodate the growing demand from customers.

Rodrigo Grassi Duarte said: “Rio Brazilian Steakhouse has always stood for authenticity, quality, and hospitality and over the last three years we have become heavily rooted in the city, however weekend after weekend we’ve had to turn bookings away due to capacity constraints at our existing site.

We have been deeply grateful for the ongoing support of our guests and the wider Durham community, and this expansion allows us to serve more people while maintaining the high standards that define the Rio Brazilian Steakhouse experience.”

At the new site guests can still look forward to Rio’s signature rodizio-style service—with a culinary journey into the Tijuca Urban Forest that surrounds Rio de Janeiro, with planted walls and flowered ceilings towering high above.  A traditional Brazilian Churrasco dining experience awaits with specially trained Gaucho Chefs on hand to serve exquisite meat cuts that are continuously carved at the table in traditional style.

Howard Eggleston added: “The move to The Riverwalk marks an exciting new chapter for the restaurant, and represents an investment not only in our restaurant, but in the North East community. We are proud to further invest in the city with the move to a larger location enabling us to better serve our growing customer base.”

The further investment in Durham comes hot on the heels of the half million investment in the all-new RIO Brazilian Steakhouse site in Sunderland, which topped TripAdvisor in just under a month. The renowned hospitality portfolio now includes eight RIO Brazilian Steakhouse’s and eleven Tomahawk Steakhouse sites including the popular Boat Club in Durham.