Restaurants Sao Paulo - Figeuira (recommendable)

Figeuira, centrally located, it is within close walking distance from the main shopping area of Sao Paulo - Oscar Freire.

A huge tree in the middle of the restaurant patio is just the beginning of what is impressive here! They have beautiful drippy candles on thick wooden stands. This is not only a place for a nice setting, but also for outstanding food.

I started the meal with a delicious freshly squeezed pineapple juice. Then they serve a large plate of a variety of Italian nibbles: mozzarella balls, sun-dried tomatoes, grilled aubergines, a mushroom dip and some fish. All the flavors fit together perfectly.

As a main dish I chose the Argentinian Chopper with a shrimp and tomato sauce which was accompanied by mashed "Aipim", which is a stringy cousin of the potato. The other two who were with me at the restaurant tried the beef which I heard was divine and certainly filling.

The bill was around $50 USD per person. This is not a cheap place to eat, but certainly worth a visit.

A Figueira Rubaiyat

R. Haddock Lobo, 1738

Sao Paulo - SP, 01414-002, Brazil

www.rubaiyat.com.br

O do Borogodo Bar - Sao Paulo

This is a very unpretentious bar in the Vila Madalena area of Sao Paulo. People seemed very relaxed and diverse. It is a place to go for good music.

The Friday we went, the band playing that day tried something experimental, which was mixing Samba with Jazz, which sounded great. A lot of the time it was more chilling music, but due to the fun beats it inspired us to dance a lot.

A Brazilian “code of conduct” is to share beer. The bottles are 600ml and they give each person a small glass to share. Caipirinha are different from Europe or in the US, they do not only have the classic lime version, but offer a variety of Caipirinhas with Kiwi, Mango, strawberry and other fruit mixes.

Another thing to know about Brazilian clubs or bars is that you do not pay the entrance fee in the beginning. They give you a little piece of paper where every time you order a drink, they mark it and at the end of the evening they count how many drinks you have had and mark the paper as paid. It is important not to loose the paper because it can get pretty expensive losing it. I guess, like in a garage when you lose the ticket, they charge you the maximum fee.

O do Borogodo

R. Horacio Lane, 21 - Sao Paulo

SP 05432-030

Restaurants Sao Paulo - Nagayama

Since there is a large Japanese population in Sao Paulo we figured that Japanese food must be pretty good. So we went to a Japanese Restaurant, again in the Itaim Bibi area, called Nagayama. It is a restaurant that has become very successful and therefore there are three branches right next to each other. The café is supposed to be the most charming and modern one.

We tried the sushi and a salmon teriyaki. The salmon hand roll (Temaki sushi) had a generous portion of ground salmon in comparison to many other sushi restaurants. The salmon teriyaki was ok. Unfortunately they grilled it too much, so that it became very dry. Perhaps this was a bit unlucky, since everything else they were serving looked and smelled very delicious. So overall, I would definitely recommend trying this place if you are in the area.

We spent 57 Reais per person, which at the current exchange rate is about 30 USD per person. Recently the Real appreciated a lot, so prices will seem a bit high.

R. Bandeira Paulista, 355

Itaim Bibi - Sao Paulo -SP

04532-011 Brazil

Tel 3079-4675

www.nagayama.com.br

Restaurants Sao Paulo - Due Cuochi (very recommendable)

We went to a delicious Italian restaurant in the Itaim Bibi area. It seems popular for business lunches and looks a bit formal, but the atmosphere is not.

I tried the spaghetti with shrimps and a pesto sauce. My companion had the lamb with risotto, which was cooked to perfection. The rice was not overcooked with a lovely flavour of good Parmesan.

They also serve a delicious salad with greens and some dips with red olives as a free starter.

It is not on the cheap side, but good value for money.

We paid $25 per person.

Due Cuochi

Rua Manuel Guedes 93

Itaim Bimbi - Sao Paulo

Tel 11 3078 8092

www.duecuochi.com.br