Restaurants and Bars

Like all the world's major cities, São Paulo is blessed with a huge variety of bars, restaurants and cafes, ranging from the most refined, elegant rendezvous points to humble and hearty neighborhood eateries. Dining in São Paulo, of course, does have some unique features. Booking tables in advance, for example, is never a prerequisite throughout most of this laid-back city. You might need to do so in some of the more upmarket establishments, but in general, a busy or adventurous tourist can get a decent meal any time of day or night, as most restaurants in São Paulo are open until 2 a.m. Needless to say, there is no shortage of neon-lit international fast-food chains, but more interesting fare can be found in the three types of restaurant that define eating out in Brazil: the beer garden, the steak and barbecue house, and the pizzeria.

Beer gardens are restaurants where the food menu is really just a support act to the excellent Brazilian draft beers on tap, served in tall glasses, china mugs or aluminum steins. However, do not confuse beer gardens with local bars that usually serve their own beer and generally attract a younger crowd. The Bar Leo, located in the bohemian city centre, is one the most traditional beer gardens in São Paulo, as is the Cervejaria Continental, whose beer-accompanying savoury snacks have quite a reputation.

Pizzerias are one of São Paulo's gastronomic fortes. The city's Italian community is large and vibrant, and much of their culture has found its way into the daily lives of every paulista (i.e. someone from São Paulo). The Italian influence is particularly notable in the local cuisine, and some do say that you can get a better pizza in São Paulo than you can back in Italy: this claim can be put to the test at the Pizzaria Cristal.

Brazilians in general, and paulistas in particular, are voracious meat eaters. It is therefore hardly surprising that a big favourite here for dining out are those temples of carnivorous self-indulgence known as the steak and barbecue house. These establishments may be one of two kinds: those that serve set meals from the menu, and the churrascarias, or "all-you-can-eat" restaurants, where waiters shuttle around the tables, serving different cuts of meat. Two famous such establishments are the Baby Beef Rubaiyat, with three branches (in the city centre, Jardim Paulistano and Paraíso), and Dinho's Place.

For lovers of international cuisine, and those with the budget to pay for it, the options are plentiful. Among the Italian restaurants, places like Fasano (in the Jardins district), Ca'D'Oro (Bela Vista) and La Vecchia Cucina (Itaim) are famed both home and abroad, as is the Middle-Eastern restaurant Arábia also in Jardins. For more refined oriental cuisine, try the Japanese Suntory restaurant (Jardins) or the Indian Ganesh.

Neither is the Iberian peninsula absent, with the Spanish Don Curro in Pinheiros, and Portuguese cuisine served at Antiquarius in Jardins. There is also Cafe Antiqüe, a fabulous French restaurant located in Jardim Paulista. There are also various establishments specialising in typical Brazilian cuisine, notably O Profeta, where common dishes from the State of Minas Gerais are served such as tutu de feijão (a bean-based concoction), crispy bacon, pork sausages and home-made tropical fruit desserts.

There are also numerous venues with live music, where food may not be the main attraction, but the impassioned atmosphere, with beautiful young people and excellent house drinks, makes them well worth a visit. In São Paulo, when the new day begins you hardly notice it.