quinta-feira, julho 12, 2012

São Paulo / Sao Paulo (Brazil) at a glance: insider travel tips (updated) - Dicas de São Paulo



The Brazilian economy is the world's sixth largest by nominal GDP and the seventh largest by purchasing power parity*. Brazil has a very dynamic and diversified economic environment, including manufacturing, agricultural, services and mining. The country is the seventh largest automobile manufacturer, the third largest civil aircraft manufacturer and the first largest ethanol, coffee and soybean producer in the world**.

And São Paulo is in the center of this exciting environment, it 's the country business and cultural center and not only the country, but the Latin América business center. Well, São Paulo is not the Capital of Brazil (it is Brasilia), but it is the capital of Latin América. No doubts!!! Not forgetting the 2014 World Cup on its way. And following the exciting growth in the recent years, plenty of people are moving there or going there for business. Majority of them are visiting the city or even Brazil for the very first time.

I have several friends asking me what to do in São Paulo. Well, I LOVE the city and it is an easy answer.

There are lot of things to do there, so I decided to prepare a summary with some useful tips, based on my 7 years living there and in my visits during the last 4 years. I also took several visitors over the years to below places.
If you plan to visit São Paulo, here go my suggestions. They are all places and things that I enjoy in São Paulo.

If you wish to taste Sao Paulo, try:

Pão de queijo (cheese bread); coxinha de frango or frango and catupiry (deep fried dough with chicken / cheese and chicken); pizza; pastel (deep fried thin pastry with different fillings); picanha and costela (ribs, the best is the "fogo de chao" style) -- paulistas love picanha but the people from the south of Brazil love costela; feijoada (beans and meat served with rice, the Brazilian national dish); pão na chapa (toasted bread with butter); doce de leite; brigadeiro (condensed milk with chocolate); cocada (a sweet made of coconut and sugar, a sugar bomb!); pacoquinha (a sweet made of peanut, try the Yoki brand); tropical fruits and fresh juices (freshly blended in front of you); fresh "agua de coco" (coconut water); guaraná (a Brazilian soft drink); cachaça (sugar cane spirit) and caipirinha (The Brazil's national cocktail. Lime is the traditional flavor, but there is a huge range of options and combinations, so you have to try other flavors as well).


What to see:
    • A "boteco", a kind of local bar.
    • A feira livre (street market) for a pastel.
    • Samba school: If you want to feel the energy of the carnival you need to visit a samba school training during their preparation the the Carnival
    • Football (soccer) game:  @ Morumbi (Sao Paulo), Pacaembu (Corintias) or Palestra Italia (Palmeiras) Stadiums
Restaurants:

The city is a vibrant mix of cultures - so many different roots - Italians, Portugueses, Japaneses (the biggest community outside Japan!), Germans, people from Middle East, people from all over the country like North, Northeast , Southeast and the South. The result? A "salad bowl" full of flavors, a delicious cuisine, and lot of options to try. On top of it, the economic growth in the last years is creating an interesting new gastronomic scenario, more sophisticated and elaborated. Well, to drawn your own conclusions, you must try all the indications below. It's is a mix of tradition (e.g. Fogo de Chão, Bolinha, Sushi Yassu) with the new, fresh and cosmopolite cuisine "paulistana" (Mani), not forgetting the "new" Brazilian cuisine (D.O.M., Mocoto and Brasil a Gosto). Ok, you need several visits to Sao Paulo to try all of them, however it is a good excuse to go there again, isn't it?
Cafes:

Desserts:
  • Amor aos Pedacos: It's a franchise so you can find it in different spots in the city. Stop there for a delicious cake. 
  • Gelateria Parmalat: Grab one of their delicious ice creams like passion fruit and caramel/coconut. 
Brigadeiro:
Tea house:
Bars:

MyNY Bar, Skye (great view @ Unique Hotel roof top), Havana Club, Baretto, Frango, Bueno @ Alameda Santos (the one at Liberdade is closed), Verissimo, Astor, Charles Edward, Bar Brahma, Cervejaria Sao Jorge, Bar do Juarez, Benedetto @ Benedito Calixto, Buddha Bar, Tubaina, Pao com Manteiga, Mercearia Sao Roque @ Jockey Club, Bar Balcão (Rua Dr. Melo Alves, 150, Jardim Paulista). 

Padarias:

The local bakeries that actually are a mix of bakery, restaurant, cafe and bistro: they are the signature of Sao Paulo. For the breakfast, go for a toasted bread with butter (pao na chapa) and coffee with milk (media / pingado). Go: A Bella Paulista, Santa Marcelina, Benjamim Abrahao and PAO (Padaria Artesanal Organica).

Brunch:

Choose a nice "padaria" for the brunch. But if you are in Sao Paulo in the last Sunday of the month, don't miss the brunch @ Mosteiro de Sao Bento. Only in the last Sunday of each month! To book: + 55 11 2440-7837.

For shopping:
  • Shopping Malls: Shopping Iguatemi, Shopping Morumbi, Shopping Cidade Jardim
  • Rua Oscar Freire for local (Havaianas, Melissa, Agua de Coco, H. Stern) and international brands. The streets between Rua Oscar Freire and Avenida Paulista are a must to explore (Rua Augusta, Bela Cintra, Haddock Lobo, Alameda Lorena).
  • Romero Britto gallerie / shop @ Rua Oscar Freire
  • Bookstores: Livraria da Vila (my favorite), Livraria Cultura (my 2nd favorite) (don't miss it @ Conjunto Nacional, Avenida Paulista), including the amazing shop of IMS - Instituto Moreira Salles to buy nice photos, Livraria Saraiva
  • Design: 
    • The shops at Praca Benedito Calixto. The place is full of nice shops (E.g. Loja de Arte Arterix, @ Praca Benedito Calixto, 103), bars and restaurants (E.g. Consulado Mineiro).  Go their on a Saturday for the flea / antique / handicraft market -- with a corner of Brazilian food and Brazilian music on top of the alive bars and restaurants.
    •  Vila Madalena district.
  • Casa Santa Luzia: good selection of imported products and very good selection of national products: sheep yogurt from the South of Brazil; Jam, especially tropical fruits' jam (jabuticaba, guava, etc); good Brazilian coffee brands; cheese; sweets and a superb patisserie corn; nuts (Brazilian nuts and castanha do caju), etc, etc. 
To by:

    • Club da Cana: R. Barão de Tatuí, 272, Sta. Cecília, + 55 11 3663-1171. Over 400 different labels. 
    • Esquina da Cachaça: R. Cantareira, 589, Centro, + 55 11 3328- 8220. Over 1300 labels. 
    • Flórida: R. Sta. Rosa, 159, Brás, 3227-1188. Over 300 labels. 
  • Braziliam music: Forget Michel Telo! And don't leave Brazil without some Brazilian music' CDs. Some names: Tom Jobim, Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethania, Seu Jorge, Marisa Monte, Maria Rita, Maria Gadu, Vanessa da Mata, Ana Carolina, Joao Gilberto, Bebel Gilberto, etc, etc, etc. The bookstores are good places for it: Livraria Cultura, Livraria Saraiva, FNAC.
  • Lace: beautiful handmade lace @ Fatima Rendas.
  • Chocolate: Chocolat du Jour, Kopenhagen
Hotels:

 Design

 I hope you enjoy the tips and if you are planning a trip to Sao Paulo don't hesitate to ask me further tips.

You may also like: Visite Sao Paulo, Lonely Planet, Brazil for Insiders, Inside Sao Paulo, NY Times, Time Out Sao Paulo.

 Sources:
* Wikipedia
** Source: University of Virginia
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