Also: Casual Dining in Sao Paulo
Bistros, trattorias and the everyday places where São Paulo actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where São Paulo actually eats.
AE! Cozinha is a Rua Aurea dining room in Sao Paulo's Vila Mariana with a seasonal menu, a creamy pastel starter and desserts led by chef Walkyria.
OrderThe creamy fried pastel starter and the pappardelle with braised beef ragu.
TipThe room is spacious and full of natural light; the seasonal menu changes with the produce, so ask what is new before ordering.
Più Pinheiros is a small Italian house in Sao Paulo's Pinheiros district where chef Marcelo Laskani pairs affordable prices with Brazilian ingredients.
OrderThe lasagne bolognese with green pasta and Italian mortadella, or the polpettone gratin.
TipSet in a converted small house with exposed brick and an open garden; the kitchen and bar are visible from most tables.
Shihoma Pasta Fresca is Marcio Shihomatsu's fresh-pasta counter in Sao Paulo's Vila Madalena, drawing a queue since it moved on from home delivery.
OrderThe tortelli di gamberi, thin pasta filled with fresh pink prawns and butter, on the menu since opening.
TipCompact room with an open kitchen so you can watch the pasta being rolled; arrive early, there is usually a line at the door.
Bicol Korean Cuisine is a Liberdade barbecue room in Sao Paulo run by the same Korean family across three generations of tabletop grilling meals.
OrderA table-grill Samguiopsar or Garbi sharing set with banchan, or the bibimbap and Korean fried chicken.
TipTables have their own grill for cooking cuts to order; good for groups who want to share several banchan-style dishes.
Aiô sits on Rua Aurea in Sao Paulo on the same street as sister restaurant Mapu, a glass-fronted room with an entrance bar built around Taiwanese cooking.
OrderThe crudo de peixe: aged raw fish with ponzu, chilli oil and crunchy black-rice popcorn.
TipThe menu skips the starter-and-main split, so it works best shared across the table rather than ordered as a solo plate.
Barú Marisquería is a grill-focused seafood room on Rua Augusta in Sao Paulo, run by Colombian-born chef Dagoberto Torres since it first opened.
OrderThe oyster and shrimp tostadas, a ceviche, or the catch of the day grilled with octopus or squid.
TipSet inside the Villa San Pietro property; the cocktail list is built to pair with the grilled fish and ceviche dishes.
Cuia is chef Bel Coelho's all-day room inside the Copan building in central Sao Paulo, sharing its space with the Livraria Megafauna bookshop.
OrderThe squid tempura with tapioca and caju ponzu, and the grilled filet mignon Oswaldo Aranha.
TipSeating runs between the bookshelves or in the open-air section; pao de queijo and baiao de dois work for a lighter visit.
Kotori is chef Thiago Banares' single-menu Japanese room in Sao Paulo's Pinheiros district, built around yoshoku-style Western-Asian dishes.
OrderThe Eryngii mushroom dish with chicken broth and tucupi, and the rabanada de shokupan for dessert.
TipThere is one set menu rather than an a la carte list; a sake or cocktail flight is worth pairing with the courses.
Brasserie Victória has served Lebanese food since Dona Victoria opened it on Rua 25 de Marco in 1947; now on Avenida JK in Sao Paulo, it is still family-run.
OrderThe kaftas, open or folded sfihas, kibe, labneh with pitta, and the nut-filled atayef pancakes.
TipFor a quick bite, the take-away counter runs until 21:00 Tuesday to Sunday; the nut-filled atayef make the best finish in the dining room.
Petí Gastronomia is a lunch-only kitchen inside the Pintar art-supply store in Sao Paulo's Pompeia district, run by young chef Victor Dimitrow.
OrderThe set three-course menu with cover charge, or the version built around the fish of the day.
TipThe menu changes roughly every three weeks; ask which of the four set options is running before you sit down.
Fitó is a whitewashed Pinheiros house in Sao Paulo where chef Cafira Foz's all-female kitchen cooks northeast Brazilian dishes and cocktails.
OrderThe pacoca, shredded sun-dried beef with baiao de dois and plantains, and the pirangi dessert.
TipDecor echoes inland northeastern houses; the bar side runs its own cocktail list under bar manager Renata Adoracion.
Manioca JK is Helena Rizzo's casual room on the third floor of the JK Iguatemi mall in Sao Paulo, a plant-filled space serving dishes carried over from Mani.
OrderFish in banana leaf with plantain puree, butter-bean salad and Brazil nut farofa.
TipStart with the fish crudo with jabuticaba tiger's milk and crispy quinoa; the mall location means it opens seven days a week.
Casa Rios is chef Rodrigo Aguiar's ember-and-smoke kitchen inside a plant-covered Pinheiros house in Sao Paulo, west of the city's downtown centre.
OrderThe beans, pork and kale plate, or the fusilli with Berkshire pork cheek shin and Tahiti lime.
TipA set lunch menu runs on Friday afternoons alongside the a la carte; Saturday and Sunday are a la carte from midday.
Grotta Cucina is a cave-themed two-floor Italian dining room in Sao Paulo's Jardins, its walls built to echo the Grotte di Castellana near Bari.
OrderThe Sinfonia D'Anatra pappardelle filled with duck, and the Parigi gnocchi with parmigiano and truffle butter.
TipThe candlelit rooms across two floors are built to look like a limestone cave; book ahead if you want a table on the lower floor.
Piselli is a Piedmont-leaning Italian restaurant in Sao Paulo's Jardins, one of three local branches run under owner Juscelino Pereira's brand.
OrderThe burrata calda al tartufo baked in focaccia, and the tortelloni with mozzarella di bufala.
TipEvery plate is finished with three peas, a nod to the restaurant's name; the ossobuco alla milanese is the heavier order.
Vinheria Percussi has run as a family Italian wine room in Sao Paulo since opening as a wine shop back in 1985, now led by chef Silvia Percussi.
OrderThe tonnarelli alla carbonara, the beef ossobuco, and the tiramisu served on a platter at the table.
TipThe cellar holds a 300-strong wine list; ask sommelier Lamberto Percussi for a pairing before ordering the pasta.
Le Bife runs a bistronomie steak menu in Sao Paulo's Itaim Bibi, pairing a cut of meat and chosen sauce with rodizio-style side dishes on request.
OrderA cut of meat with a sauce of choice, chips and farofa, plus the onion soup with a Parmesan crust to start.
TipTwo rooms sit either side of a glass-fronted wine cellar; book ahead, the tables fill up most lunches and dinners.
A Baianeira serves chef Manuelle Ferraz's Minas and Bahia borderland cooking two floors below MASP on Avenida Paulista, a sister to the Barra Funda room.
OrderThe pao de queijo starter and the baiao de dois with braised meat.
TipStart with the pao de queijo, a recipe the chef has cooked since she started out; daily specials run alongside the baiao de dois.
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