Why go?

There’s no denying that South America’s largest city defines the phrase ‘concrete jungle’. But look past the skyscrapers and traffic jams, and you’ll find a colourful, vibrant metropolis, hip restaurants and bars buzz with fashionable Paulistanos (locals) at all times of day or night, and the sea of buildings is home to trendy boutiques, galleries and theatres. São Paulo has the largest Japanese population outside Japan, six million people of Italian descent and a large number of Arabs, and this informs the eclectic, excellent food scene. Add to that the legendary Brazilian love for life – and a good party – and it’s an unforgettable destination.

What to do

What with the local appetite for new-builds, sadly, little remains of São Paulo’s colonial past, but what has survived is worth seeking out. Around Praça da Sé is the historical heart: Museu Padre Anchieta, a former Jesuit monastery, holds many religious relics, Solar da Marquesa is a restored manor house from the 18th century, and Igreja do Carmo a remarkable 17th-century church. If religious history is of interest, both Igreja Nossa Senhora do Brasil and the Cathedral da Sé have beautiful interiors. The Mercado Municipal, with its Thirties design and stained-glass windows, is worth a visit just to view the exotic fruits and vegetables even if you have no intention on buying; there are also stalls serving pastel de bacalhau – a salt-cod and potato pie. There are some good museums in the city, including the important neoclassical collection at Pinacoteca do Estado (pinacoteca.org.br) and MASP (masp.art.br) which has perhaps the most important collection of Western art in Latin America. On clear days, the best view of the city is from the Banespa bank building, whose look-out tower is free to visitors, but the best way to experience the city is to putter around some of its neighbourhoods. See the few remnants of Art Deco coffee-baron mansions on Avenia Paulista, or picnic in the vast Parque Sigueira Campos, which has trails and Altantic forest. The Jardins is the city’s most upmarket area, and has wonderful restaurants and boutique shops.

Where to stay

Looking rather like a giant boat floating through the São Paulo skyline, Hotel Unique (00 55 11 3055 4710, hotelunique.com) is one of the city’s iconic stylish hotels, and has a popular rooftop bar with a pool. Boutique Porto Bay (00 55 2125 468 000, portobay.com) is located just off of Avenida Paulista and is a little slice of solitude in the busy city centre.

Where to eat and drink

One of Latin America’s culinary capitals, São Paulo’s food scene is sophisticated. D.O.M (00 55 11 3088 0761, domrestaurante.com.br), headed up by Alex Atala, puts Amazonian ingredients such as tucupi juice to good use, and has been awarded fourth place on the 50-best list for its efforts. Helena Rizzo has attracted attention for Mani (00 55 11 3058 4148, manimanioca.com.br) in Jardim Paulistano, which takes a new look at southern Brazilian cuisine. However, because Paulistanos love to eat, casual options abound too, from snack shops that sell pao de queijo (cheese breads) to ‘by the kilo’ restaurants serving traditional dishes such as feijoada (a bean, pork and offal stew). Churrascaria, the great Brazilian barbecue tradition, is a city staple; Dinho’s (00 55 11 3016 5333, dinhos.com.br) has been going for half a century. Thanks to the Japanese community, there’s some seriously good sushi, especially around Liberdade: Kinoshita (00 55 11 3849 6940) serves its own signature-style cuisine, kappo, which is between kaiseki and izakaya food. The Italian legacy here is pizza, and the question of who makes the city’s best is a hot topic; Bráz (brazpizzeria.com) is a favourite. This is a party city, so drinking holes are open late into the night; pop into Bar Astor (barastor.com.br), an Art Deco spot, for a caipirinha or chopp (draft beer).

Time running out?

The city is only about half an hour away from some of the country’s best beaches, around the port of Santos. Hawkers sell grilled white cheese and iced açaí on the beach.

Travel Information

Travel Information

Currency is the real (BRL). São Paulo is four hours behind GMT,
and is an 11 hour and 30 minute flight from London.

Getting There

LATAM (latam.com) flies regularly from London Heathrow direct to
São Paulo, without transfers.
British Airways (ba.com) operates frequent flights between São Paulo and London Heathrow.

Resources

Embassy of Brazil (brazil.org.uk) offers advice on visiting Brazil and is a resource for planning your trip.