Caranguejo do Gilson is a Natal institution, a no-frills restaurant in the Ribeira neighborhood that has been serving crab — caranguejo — for decades. The specialty is the whole blue crab, served with the tools you need to break it apart. Eating here is a project: you crack, pull, suck, and generally make a mess, which is the point. Tables are communal and it gets busy on weekend lunches.
The neighborhood location means it draws more locals than tourists, and the prices reflect that. Order the crab, get a cold beer, and plan to spend at least two hours. It is the kind of meal that represents the city's food culture better than any restaurant in the beach zone.