With a population of nearly 12 million, São Paulo is the biggest city in South America, home to myriad communities working, living, and – crucially – cooking and eating within its 1,521 square kilometres.
While tourists may overlook this landlocked city in favour of the grand stretches of sand in Rio de Janeiro, any traveller with an appetite needs to set their coordinates for São Paulo. The city is home to Brazil's most exciting restaurant scene – here are our picks of the best places to book a table.
The best restaurants in São Paulo
Sede261
Rua Benjamin Egas 261, São Paulo, SP 05418-030
Like any modern city worth its salt, São Paulo is experiencing a surge in natural wine bars, and Sede261 in trendy Pinheiros leads the way. The bar itself is tiny, with just a handful of tables, but impromptu seating sprawls across the graffiti-lined street. A lovely spot for a glass of wine, whether a Brazilian sparkling, a Uruguayan albariño or something from further afield.
Bolinha
Avenida Cidade Jardim 53, São Paulo, SP 01453-000
If you want proof that Brazilians take lunch seriously, head to Bolinha, a feijoada restaurant that opened in 1946. Brazil’s national dish features black beans stewed with all the fattiest bits of pork and served with rice, kale, cassava flour and a slice of orange. It’s work-preventingly filling, and usually only served on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but here it’s on every day – and is always full.
Empanaderia do Seu Zé
Rua Fradique Coutinho 875, São Paulo, SP 05416-011
No visit to São Paulo would be complete without copious amounts of beer. Brazilians often drink chopp, draught beer served with plenty of head, or 600ml bottles of ice-cold beer to share. At the faintly bohemian Seu Zé you’ll find the latter, alongside an impressive array of Argentinian-inspired empanadas, the perfect drinking food. Salt cod or dried meat and pumpkin are the best flavours to choose.
Maní
Rua Joaquim Antunes 210, São Paulo, SP 05415-000
Boasting one coveted Michelin star, Maní mixes European and Brazilian influences – a popular fusion among high-end restaurants right now – to great effect. “Every time I go they get better and better,” says Rafael Cagali. “It has a lot of Brazilian elements but with a very modern twist.” Think foie gras bonbons with guava, cashew fruit ceviche or fish wrapped up in banana leaf.
Pastelaria Brasileira
Rua Palestra Itália 513, São Paulo, SP 05005-030
Pastel, a deep-fried pastry filled with any combination of meat or cheese, was introduced by the Japanese and can be found all over Brazil. One of São Paulo’s best, Pastelaria Brasileira, is popular with Palmeiras fans, unsurprisingly as it’s right next to their stadium. “I think it’s the way they fry it that makes them special,” says Cagali, who always opts for the pizza flavour – cheese, tomato and oregano. “The pastel is super dry, you know it’s good when it isn’t soaked in oil.”
Cuscuz da Irina
Rua Ipero 46, São Paulo, SP 05439-020
Northern Brazilian cuisines are beginning to gain recognition in a country that has long undervalued the region and looked to Europe as a marker of gastronomic superiority. Cuscuz da Irina celebrates the food of northeastern states like Rio Grande do Norte, where cuscuz (in Brazil’s case, a cous cous-like corn preparation), is paired with hearty, meaty stews, halloumi-like coalho cheese, bean salads and fiery hot sauce.
O Tabuleiro do Acarajé
Rua Jesuíno Pascoal 30, São Paulo, SP 01224-050
This no-reservations spot in the hipster hangout of Santa Cecilia celebrates acarajé, a street food from the northeastern state of Bahia. Of Yoruba origin and brought to Brazil by enslaved Africans, acarajé consists of a bean patty deep-fried in rust-red palm oil and filled with vatapá and caruru, pastes made from shrimp, peanuts or cashew and okra and topped with dried prawns. They make a mean Caipirinha, too.
instagram.com/tabuleirodoacaraje
A Casa do Porco - Janelinha
Rua Araújo 124, São Paulo, SP 01220-020
If you haven’t bagged a reservation in for A Casa do Porco you can always queue – many do, and many succeed. If you can’t be bothered, the restaurant’s janelinha, or takeaway window, flogs some of the city’s best sandwiches, filled with pulled pork from the Rueda’s own farm. Just down the road is their Hot Pork hot dog shop, which also sells stellar ice cream. A small gastronomic empire indeed.
