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The 11 Hottest New Restaurants in São Paulo, Brazil

Where to find Spanish fideuas, Portuguese pastries, and Korean wraps in Brazil's biggest city

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Today, Eater returns to São Paulo to discover the newest drinking and dining destinations the Brazilian metropolis has to offer. The biggest city in Brazil — and maybe the most gastronomically diverse capital in South America — is having a moment in its dining scene: The country's current economic crisis has created a new demand for more casual venues.

That’s resulted in bars where you can drink signature cocktails while eating individual-sized pizzas at the counter, hip restaurants with dishes to share, and even waiting areas turned bars, where customers can grab great snacks and drinks while waiting for the "actual" table. As chef André Mifano, of the recently opened hotspot Lilu, says, "We’ve had enough of stuffy restaurants."

This new moment also sees the opening (or reopening, in one case) of restaurants in more diverse neighborhoods — outside the areas known for gathering some of the best restaurants in town. Looking for the essentials? Head to the 38. Here now — and in geographic order — the Eater Heatmap to São Paulo:

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

The impression when you leave this restaurant is that you’ve just visited a dear friend who’s also a great cook. Teus’s familiar atmosphere also translates in the dishes served: A seasoning or a sauce — like in the fish with seafood in tomato sauce — can remind you of your mother’s (or grandmother’s) recipes. Chef Chico Farah pursues uncomplicated and comforting food with technique and good ingredients, best exhibited in his pulpo in paprika with roasted potatoes. His partner, Pedro Grando, is in charge of service and does his best to make you feel as if you were literally at home.

Oui Bistrô

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When chef Caio Ottoboni recently decided to move his restaurant to a new address (a few blocks from the old property), he took the opportunity to make some changes on his menu, as well. Oui, a charming representative of the bistronomy movement, now has more dishes to share and new starters, such as a pork and banana sandwich and mussels with leeks and aioli. The new venue, in addition to more space, also features a new bar, with signature cocktails and a tap for beer.

Guarita Bar

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Mixologist Jean Ponce finally has a bar to call his own. Formerly the bartender of Alex Atala’s D.O.M., Ponce opened his first business in partnership with Australian chef Greigor Caisley, aiming to pair good cocktails with good food. It’s a cozy place where people can sit and sip cachaça-based signature drinks created by Ponce, one of the biggest enthusiasts of the Brazilian spirit — he wants to be known for having the best caipirinha in town. To eat, the options go from Naples-style pizzas (individual ones made with slow ferment dough) to Scotch eggs. Tip: The bar has an area that sells Brazilian cheeses and cachaça bottles, both for takeaway and to dine-in.

After spending many years in the classic Italian kitchen at Vitto, chef André Mifano (who considers himself an acolyte of chef Alex Atala) is looking to serve more casual and modern recipes in Lilu, one of the most anticipated openings in town. Mifano’s creations are meant to be shared, with no distinction from starters or main dishes, and there’s a natural and simple approach to the ingredients, such as in a raw cauliflower salad with greens, radish, and honey from Brazilian wild bees; or fish (depends on the catch of the day) with pumpkin and miso. At Lilu, all desserts are prepared by pastry chef Rafael Protti (one of the most talented in town) and the house drinks were created by consulting bartender Jean Ponce (from Guarita).

Modern Mamma Osteria

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The name says everything about this restaurant, a collaborative project from two of the most renowned Italian chefs in town: Paulo Barros and Salvatore Loi. They cook classic osteria recipes with a modern twist, and it’s a slim menu with options to share. The polenta, for example, is placed in the center of the table in a big bowl (with sausage, spinach, and cheese) so that everybody can dig in. At MoMa, you will also find focaccias and pastas, such as the carbonara spaghetti and the ricotta bauletti, a filled pasta served with orange zest and pistachio.

Peppino Bar

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A few meters away from the always busy Nino Cucina, Peppino was originally designed to absorb the waiting list of diners who wanted to eat at the Italian restaurant run by chef Rodolfo Di Santis. Instead of serving the same menu, Nino’s partners decided to build a new bar. Fabio La Pietra, one of the best bartenders in town, was hired to create and serve the cocktails (all with an Italian accent, reflecting his roots) and De Santis developed a menu from scratch: from chicken wings to the gamberetti roll, a take on a lobster roll made with shrimp and guacamole. The Italian bar is now open for lunch, with even more pasta options to kill the munchies.

Restaurante Tanit

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Born in Catalunya, Spain, chef Oscar Bosch opened this casual venue in the Jardins neighborhood after many years working in fine-dining restaurants in his home country. At Tanit, he serves tapas and recipes loaded with traditions of modern Spanish cuisine: That approach is most evident in the fideuas, the classic papas bravas filled with chorizo ragout (the best spiced potatoes you will find in town), and the crunchy suckling pig served with carrot purée and purple cabbage chutney. The cozy room reminds you of a restaurant from a beach city, like Barcelona — it’s a good place to be (and to order a sangria) when the summer temperature is in the high 80s.

Padaria da Esquina

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After strengthening the food ties between Brazil and Portugal with two venues in town (Taberna and Tasca da Esquina), Portuguese chef Vitor Sobral is now trying to make this relation even closer with the opening of Padaria da Esquina. It’s a Portuguese bakery that serves 15 traditional breads, loaves, and all sorts of Portuguese sweets — from pasteis de nata (custard tarts) to queijadas (a traditional sweet basically made with eggs, milk, and sugar). It’s possible to have breakfast there, following a traditional habit of Paulistanos — with bread, cheese, ham, and coffee. As Padaria opens daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., it’s a place to have a meal at any time as well, from soups to sandwiches.

Restaurante Ca’d’Oro

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This is one of the most iconic restaurants in São Paulo, where starting in 1953, diners would visit to taste classic recipes from the North of Italy. Seven years after it closed, Ca'd'Oro is back in the game, and it’s now the most acclaimed reopening in decades. The menu remains (almost) exactly as it was: the famous quail with polenta, the risotto alla milanese, the traditional Bollito Misto (mixed boiled humble cuts of meat with vegetables), here served gueridon-style — via a table-side trolley — as it should be. Ca’d’Oro is a place attached to the past, translating the traditions of São Paulo’s restaurant golden age for the present. Don’t miss the nostalgic cassata for dessert.

Komah Restaurante

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As a city that welcomed immigrants from all over the world, São Paulo became a great place to find many cuisines. The Bom Retiro neighborhood, for example, attracted Korean immigrants who adapted the Asian country’s recipes to local Paulistanos’ tastes. Now, chef Paulo Sin intends to show a more modern approach to dishes from his home country. At Komah, also in Bom Retiro, he prepares updated versions of classic dishes, such as of his yukhoe (a Korean steak tartare, served with Asian pear, pine nuts, and a cured egg yolk) and the kimchi bokumbap (rice cooked in pork broth mixed with kimchi and served with a French-style creamy omelette on top).

Um Coffee Co.

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Good coffee spots recently spread through the city. In the Bom Retiro neighborhood, Um Coffee Co. offers a great place to refuel. The coffee beans are harvested from the farm of its owner, Boram Um, located in South of Minas Gerais state (the one with best coffees in Brazil), and some single-origin micro lots also come from partner growers around the country. From espressos to pour-over coffees, baristas use many preparation methods (Hario, French press, Kalita, and Aeropress) to fill a perfect cup, and cold brew pairs well with the summer afternoons. To eat, the shop serves pies, brioche toasts, cakes, and a complete brunch menu on weekends.

Teus

The impression when you leave this restaurant is that you’ve just visited a dear friend who’s also a great cook. Teus’s familiar atmosphere also translates in the dishes served: A seasoning or a sauce — like in the fish with seafood in tomato sauce — can remind you of your mother’s (or grandmother’s) recipes. Chef Chico Farah pursues uncomplicated and comforting food with technique and good ingredients, best exhibited in his pulpo in paprika with roasted potatoes. His partner, Pedro Grando, is in charge of service and does his best to make you feel as if you were literally at home.

Oui Bistrô

When chef Caio Ottoboni recently decided to move his restaurant to a new address (a few blocks from the old property), he took the opportunity to make some changes on his menu, as well. Oui, a charming representative of the bistronomy movement, now has more dishes to share and new starters, such as a pork and banana sandwich and mussels with leeks and aioli. The new venue, in addition to more space, also features a new bar, with signature cocktails and a tap for beer.

Guarita Bar

Mixologist Jean Ponce finally has a bar to call his own. Formerly the bartender of Alex Atala’s D.O.M., Ponce opened his first business in partnership with Australian chef Greigor Caisley, aiming to pair good cocktails with good food. It’s a cozy place where people can sit and sip cachaça-based signature drinks created by Ponce, one of the biggest enthusiasts of the Brazilian spirit — he wants to be known for having the best caipirinha in town. To eat, the options go from Naples-style pizzas (individual ones made with slow ferment dough) to Scotch eggs. Tip: The bar has an area that sells Brazilian cheeses and cachaça bottles, both for takeaway and to dine-in.

Lilu

After spending many years in the classic Italian kitchen at Vitto, chef André Mifano (who considers himself an acolyte of chef Alex Atala) is looking to serve more casual and modern recipes in Lilu, one of the most anticipated openings in town. Mifano’s creations are meant to be shared, with no distinction from starters or main dishes, and there’s a natural and simple approach to the ingredients, such as in a raw cauliflower salad with greens, radish, and honey from Brazilian wild bees; or fish (depends on the catch of the day) with pumpkin and miso. At Lilu, all desserts are prepared by pastry chef Rafael Protti (one of the most talented in town) and the house drinks were created by consulting bartender Jean Ponce (from Guarita).

Modern Mamma Osteria

The name says everything about this restaurant, a collaborative project from two of the most renowned Italian chefs in town: Paulo Barros and Salvatore Loi. They cook classic osteria recipes with a modern twist, and it’s a slim menu with options to share. The polenta, for example, is placed in the center of the table in a big bowl (with sausage, spinach, and cheese) so that everybody can dig in. At MoMa, you will also find focaccias and pastas, such as the carbonara spaghetti and the ricotta bauletti, a filled pasta served with orange zest and pistachio.

Peppino Bar

A few meters away from the always busy Nino Cucina, Peppino was originally designed to absorb the waiting list of diners who wanted to eat at the Italian restaurant run by chef Rodolfo Di Santis. Instead of serving the same menu, Nino’s partners decided to build a new bar. Fabio La Pietra, one of the best bartenders in town, was hired to create and serve the cocktails (all with an Italian accent, reflecting his roots) and De Santis developed a menu from scratch: from chicken wings to the gamberetti roll, a take on a lobster roll made with shrimp and guacamole. The Italian bar is now open for lunch, with even more pasta options to kill the munchies.

Restaurante Tanit

Born in Catalunya, Spain, chef Oscar Bosch opened this casual venue in the Jardins neighborhood after many years working in fine-dining restaurants in his home country. At Tanit, he serves tapas and recipes loaded with traditions of modern Spanish cuisine: That approach is most evident in the fideuas, the classic papas bravas filled with chorizo ragout (the best spiced potatoes you will find in town), and the crunchy suckling pig served with carrot purée and purple cabbage chutney. The cozy room reminds you of a restaurant from a beach city, like Barcelona — it’s a good place to be (and to order a sangria) when the summer temperature is in the high 80s.

Padaria da Esquina

After strengthening the food ties between Brazil and Portugal with two venues in town (Taberna and Tasca da Esquina), Portuguese chef Vitor Sobral is now trying to make this relation even closer with the opening of Padaria da Esquina. It’s a Portuguese bakery that serves 15 traditional breads, loaves, and all sorts of Portuguese sweets — from pasteis de nata (custard tarts) to queijadas (a traditional sweet basically made with eggs, milk, and sugar). It’s possible to have breakfast there, following a traditional habit of Paulistanos — with bread, cheese, ham, and coffee. As Padaria opens daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., it’s a place to have a meal at any time as well, from soups to sandwiches.

Restaurante Ca’d’Oro

This is one of the most iconic restaurants in São Paulo, where starting in 1953, diners would visit to taste classic recipes from the North of Italy. Seven years after it closed, Ca'd'Oro is back in the game, and it’s now the most acclaimed reopening in decades. The menu remains (almost) exactly as it was: the famous quail with polenta, the risotto alla milanese, the traditional Bollito Misto (mixed boiled humble cuts of meat with vegetables), here served gueridon-style — via a table-side trolley — as it should be. Ca’d’Oro is a place attached to the past, translating the traditions of São Paulo’s restaurant golden age for the present. Don’t miss the nostalgic cassata for dessert.

Komah Restaurante

As a city that welcomed immigrants from all over the world, São Paulo became a great place to find many cuisines. The Bom Retiro neighborhood, for example, attracted Korean immigrants who adapted the Asian country’s recipes to local Paulistanos’ tastes. Now, chef Paulo Sin intends to show a more modern approach to dishes from his home country. At Komah, also in Bom Retiro, he prepares updated versions of classic dishes, such as of his yukhoe (a Korean steak tartare, served with Asian pear, pine nuts, and a cured egg yolk) and the kimchi bokumbap (rice cooked in pork broth mixed with kimchi and served with a French-style creamy omelette on top).

Um Coffee Co.

Good coffee spots recently spread through the city. In the Bom Retiro neighborhood, Um Coffee Co. offers a great place to refuel. The coffee beans are harvested from the farm of its owner, Boram Um, located in South of Minas Gerais state (the one with best coffees in Brazil), and some single-origin micro lots also come from partner growers around the country. From espressos to pour-over coffees, baristas use many preparation methods (Hario, French press, Kalita, and Aeropress) to fill a perfect cup, and cold brew pairs well with the summer afternoons. To eat, the shop serves pies, brioche toasts, cakes, and a complete brunch menu on weekends.

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