14 editor picks in São Paulo.
14 italian places in São Paulo we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in São Paulo | Italian across every city.
Borgo Mooca kept the name of its original Mooca house before moving to Santa Cecília, where it now serves a classic Italian menu in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
TipThe name recalls the original Mooca location; the restaurant itself now operates from this Santa Cecília house.
Giulietta Carni grills thick Italian cuts over wood and coals next to sister room Nino Cucina, an industrial-look meat house in Sao Paulo's Jardim Europa.
TipThe open kitchen behind an iron door sits next to Nino Cucina, the same group's original pasta-focused restaurant.
Zena Cucina has cooked Ligurian recipes in Jardins since 2009, chef Carlos Bertolazzi's gnocchi-focused menu earning a repeat Bib Gourmand in Sao Paulo.
OrderGnocchi al pesto genovese, the house specialty
TipThe name is the Ligurian dialect word for Genoa, and the whole menu leans on that region's olive oil and pesto cooking.
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.
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.
Picchi opened in 2007 and moved to the Regent Park on Oscar Freire in 2014. Chef Pier Paolo Picchi has held a Michelin star here since 2017 in Sao Paulo.
OrderTasting menu of family recipes reworked with Brazilian produce
TipThree tasting menus run alongside the a la carte list: a 12-course, a 6-course classic, and a 4-course pasta-only option.
Fame Osteria hides behind an iron door between a gym and an ice cream shop. Chef Marco Renzetti cooks a single nightly tasting menu in Sao Paulo.
OrderAgnolotti Mantovani and Arroz de polvo com tutano
TipOnly four counter seats face the open kitchen, and the tasting menu starts at the same time for every guest, so arrive on time.
Cantina D'Irene runs a family pasta rodizio in Alto da Mooca, Sao Paulo, sending around 20 dishes to the table, from pasta and risotto to stuffed polpettone.
TipThe rodizio brings about 20 dishes, pastas, risottos and some meats, with bread and a dessert, usually a cannoli, included.
Don Carlini has made handmade pasta in a Mooca casarao in Sao Paulo since 1985, its recipes still passed down inside the founding Carlini family.
TipArthur Carlini and Maria do Carmo opened the house in 1985 to share the recipes of their Sunday family lunches; their family still runs it.
Speranza Bixiga is the Tarallo family cantina in Sao Paulo credited with the capital's first Margherita pizza, still baked on Rua Treze de Maio.
OrderPizza Margherita and Tortano
Castelões has baked its wood-fired pizza on Rua Jairo Gois in Sao Paulo's Bras district since 1924, now run by third-generation owner Fabio Donato.
OrderPizza Casteloes (thin-sliced artisanal calabresa and mozzarella)
Private tour · 3 hours
Discover the magic of São Paulo at night and indulge in a delectable dinner at a traditional Brazilian steakhouse.
Guided tour · 2 hours
Discover the only urban winery in São Paulo. Take an exclusive tour, learn about winemaking, and enjoy a 6-course dinner paired with award-winning house wines.
Private tour · 2.5 - 5 hours
How did São Paulo become Brazil’s food capital? Walk its historic heart while tasting local life: 1 meal, 1 cake, 1 soft drink, 1 coffee or tea at handpicked venues wi...
_by_David_Adam_Kess_(pic.2).jpg){kind=link}