One of the most popular cities in the world gastronomic scene, Sao Paulo It’s also the place I call home. And it is in the city of more than 12.3 million inhabitants that we see bars multiplying on the streets – most of them in the downtown São Pauloa region that holds true jewels of Brazilian cocktails.
Newly opened houses and traditional ones that have been operating for decades live side by side and help create an environment conducive to creativity – and gluttony! – Flow.
There are many options for bars of the most different styles: the ones that carry the soul of classic taverns, the internationally awarded ones and even the speakeasy – those hidden and mysterious ones, usually without much information, but which are fascinating discoveries.
As a lover of well-made drinks and food to eat with your hands and share with friends, I couldn’t help but share the updated list of my favorite bars in São Paulo.
The following selection has 10 establishments and includes recent bars that have become my favorites and others that I have always had. Not sure where to order a good drink and snack on something tasty? Check out the tips below and build your own script:
Bar Bagaceira
THE bagasse is on the corner of Frederico Abranches and Jesuíno Pascoal – the same where the action promoted by Koya88, Elevado Bar and Cervejaria Central. Opened in August 2021 by chef Viviane Mello, the bar is like a very characteristic pub with different finger-licking foods and delicious drinks.
The kitchen is in the care of Vivi next to Thiago Maeda and, once here, it is almost mandatory to try the bolovo de pork e morcilla, which comes with a very photogenic egg inside. I admit I have a love affair with this salty one.
Among the drinks, signed by Thiago Pereira, there are bar classics, such as macunaíma (R$ 29) and rabo de galo, to house signatures, such as haiboru bagaceira – which comes with cynar, pitanga vinegar, mint, citrus and sparkling water. Tip: it’s delicious to order a Haiboru to accompany the bolovo.
Rua Frederico Abranches, 197 – Vila Buarque, São Paulo – SP / Tel.:: (11) 2691-1884 / Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 12:00 to 23:30; Sunday from 1 pm to 7 pm; closed on the last Sunday of the month. They do not accept reservations.
The Punch Bar
A few steps from Avenida Paulista, on Rua Manoel da Nóbrega, is the The Punch Barwhich takes us on a trip to Japan through a bar speakeasy – of those who border on secrecy and leave an air of mystery outside. After booking, ringing the bell and opening the door, the interior reveals a bar in the best Japanese pub style.
Inside there is a refined bar, with a wooden bar and various drinks displayed on shelves. Here, the technique and the way in which the creations are made stand out: there is an interesting precision in the aroma and flavor that is seen both in the food and in the original and classic drinks. Tip: try cocktails based on yuzu – the Japanese citrus.
The owner, Ricardo Tooru Miyazaki, planned the bar after a trip to Japan, as he wanted to find a differential to be put into practice here in Brazil with a focus on hospitality. He got it right. But attention: the service only works with reservations.
Rua Manuel da Nóbrega, 76 – store 17 – Paraíso, São Paulo. Tel.: (11) 97342-3186. Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 18:00 to 24:00; Saturday from 17:00 to 24:00; not open on Sundays and holidays. Reservations via Whatsapp.
Rooster’s tail
Rosewood São Paulo barely opened and was already considered one of the highlights among the 100 new best hotels in the world – only Brazilian on the list of the renowned magazine Travel+Leisure. If that wasn’t enough, it has a bar that has become one of my favorites in the capital.
THE Rooster’s tail is a jazz bar with signature drinks and classics and Brazilian snacks that performs pocket shows from Tuesday to Sunday. The bar’s design was inspired by the classic jazz clubs of the 1930s, with leather furniture, dark woods and indirect lighting that creates an intimate atmosphere.
From the menu, shrimp croquettes and the much talked about chicken and caviar bolovo are highlights – but all items are delicious.
Among the signature and classic drinks, two versions of the traditional rooster tail are present: one that takes Princess Isabel Jaqueira cachaça, dry vermouth, bianco vermouth, guava, Cynar 70 and another that takes Princess Isabel Amburana cachaça, Bacardí 4 rum, red vermouth. , Jerez Oloroso.
Rosewood São Paulo Rua Itapeva, 435 – Bela Vista, São Paulo – SP. Tel.: (11) 3797-0500. Opening hours: open every day from 6pm to 1am – with musical programming from Tuesday to Sunday.
Old cow
THE house in Itaim Bibi It has a very relaxed atmosphere that makes us feel at ease and that follows one of the bar’s mottos: “Life is very well lived”. If this relaxation is accompanied by a very cold beer, characteristic of the house, then even better – choose your favorite brand and quench your thirst.
Opened in 2005, the place soon became one of the best-known bars in São Paulo. Open every day for lunch, the PF’s start at R$43.90 – there is also the traditional feijoada on Wednesday and Saturday.
It is from happy hour that the tables start to get close together and the food comes out of the kitchen. On the menu, snacks include mini acarajés, salads, coxinha, shrimp dumplings, escondidinho and sandwiches. A good variety of drinks, cocktails and caipirinhas make it beautiful.
Rua Manuel Guedes, 199 – Itaim Bibi, São Paulo – SP. Tel.: (11) 3073-1292. Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 11 am to 1 am.
infinite bar
“A journey through time-space”. That’s how the infinite bar describes herself on social media – and that’s how we feel inside the environment all covered with mirrors. It’s a style bar speakeasy in the back of the traditional french restaurant La Casserolein Largo do Arouche.
It is necessary to go through the main hall of the restaurant and head towards the kitchen, where a side door leads us to the secret bar. The elements and materials were chosen to refer to the counterpoint of classic and contemporary, such as the similar ambiance of the old Parisian halls mirrored next to LED lights.
Among the orders, classic drinks also stand out, such as penicillin, gold and apple sour and daiquiri. The food is influenced by La Casserole itself: crispy steak tartare cones, carolinas stuffed with foie gras pâté and lamb croquettes.
Largo do Arouche, 346 – República, São Paulo – SP / Tel.: (11) 3331-6283. Opening hours: Wednesday from 19:00 to 24:00; Thursday from 7pm to 1am and Friday and Saturday from 7pm to 2am. They do not accept reservations.
Safe Bar
Installed in a tumbled space in the center of Sao Pauloflights of stairs below the iconic Santander lighthouse take us to an environment kept under lock and key behind steel bars. And the Safe Barfrom the same owners of SubAstor, a place beyond elegant – and popular – inside the old vaults of the Bank of the State of São Paulo.
It is very interesting to think that the environments were really active safes in the past that kept valuable items from the cream of São Paulo. The original features have been maintained, such as circular doors made of reinforced concrete and steel, as well as marble floors and walls and period furniture.
I define the place as historic and at the same time mysterious, unmissable to enjoy alongside an açaí drink, which is one of the house specialties – ask the bartender for any classic drink and he will answer. Among the snacks, bet on the pupunha croquetas, with Serra da Canastra and Sicilian lemon. It’s a super program.
Rua João Brícola, 24 – Downtown – In the basement of Farol Santander. Tel.: (11) 99802-5076. Opening hours: Wednesday and Thursday from 16:00 to 24:00; Friday from 4pm to 1am; Saturday from 2pm to 1am and Sunday from 2pm to 8pm. Reservations via site.
Bar dos Arcos
Can you imagine entering a tourist and cultural scene and finding great drinks, food and good music? so is the Bar dos Arcoswhich is just below one of the most extraordinary stages in Brazil, the Municipal Theater. It was literally an abandoned underground space that was revitalized by entrepreneur Facundo Guerra, who has several projects in the city.
The interesting thing is that Facundo tries to modernize spaces in São Paulo that are in our memory and, based on them, create a new identity. Bar dos Arcos is one of them: the coolest thing is that everything revolves around the arches, which are from 1911. They are made of whale blubber, sand and shells and the entire structure exists to preserve this history.
In addition to all the beauty of the place, the menu is also full of good things: appetizers, dishes and, of course, fancy cocktails are part of the menu. Thus, over time, it became one of the most popular places in the center – it is customary to have queues.
My tip at the house is to try the tasty duck coxinha, which comes with orange jelly with ginger and girl’s finger pepper. The drinks are a separate chapter: there are authorial ones, such as Tupi or not Tupi, with white cachaça, lemon juice, honey with tucupi and sugar, as well as reinterpretations and classics.
Municipal Theater of São Paulo, Praça Ramos de Azevedo, s/n – República, São Paulo – SP. Tel.: (11) 98456-8732. Opening hours: Tuesday and Wednesday from 6pm to 1am; Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 2am and Saturday from 6pm to 3am. Reservations via WhatsApp for groups of five to eight people.
high bar
THE High It’s a wine bar right in front of Bagaceira and Koya88, on the bustling Rua Jesuíno Pascoal, downtown. The atmosphere is pleasant and the extensive wine list – many of them to order by the glass – is impressive. Here, we can start with a wine of excellence, Manzanilla, from Jerez, served in 60ml.
The house’s proposal is to bring refined wines from various places and make them available in an interesting menu. Among the orders, snacks are also satisfying, such as kalamata olives and the delicious pantumaca – toasted bread, tomato puree and anchovies.
Rua Jesuíno Pascoal, 16 – Consolação, São Paulo – SP. Phone: (11) 99234-0145. Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 18:00 to 00:00; Saturdays from 1 pm to midnight and Sundays from 1 pm to 6 pm. Reservations via telephone.
Gall
It’s like a pearl in downtown São Paulo, amidst the commercial area of restaurants and shops on the ground floor of the iconic Copan. Due to its small size and quality of service, be prepared: it is one of the most popular bars in the city.
The intimate lounge is usually crowded and is highlighted by a large marble counter that runs through the room – and where we are served with spectacular drinks.
the interesting thing about Gall The only thing is that it is a bar that is really focused on cocktails: food is very limited and there are no reservations. It is a bar-counter that takes service and quality to the letter.
At the house, I always order a drink with refreshing gin and leave the rest in the hands of the bartender. It’s a tip to be surprised.
Copan Building, Avenida Ipiranga, 200 – Ground floor, 69 – República, São Paulo – SP. Operation: open every day; Monday to Thursday from 17:00 to 24:00; Friday from 5 pm to 1 am; Saturday from 12pm to 1am and Sunday from 2pm to 10pm. They do not accept reservations.
Original Bar
Traditional since 1996, the Original Bar, in Moema, is one of those bars that doesn’t miss out on draft beer. The environment is reminiscent of a Brazilian classic, with tile walls and characteristic hydraulic tile floors.
Its menu is also classic: it serves bean broth, codfish balls, pork rinds, canapé with pork belly greaves pressed with biquinho pepper barbecue sauce, and a traditional feijoada on the weekends.
Rua Graúna, 137- Moema, São Paulo – SP. Phone: (11) 2299-5336. Opening hours: Monday and Tuesday from 17:00 to 24:00; Wednesday and Thursday from 5 pm to 1 am; Friday from 5 pm to 2 am; Saturday from 12 noon to 2 am; Sunday from 12pm to 7pm. Reservations via site.
Source: CNN Brasil
