Sao Paulo

Bar des Arts

The location of this bar seems almost clandestine. A provincial atmosphere emanates from its fresh and relaxing floral decoration. It offers culinary delights from the hand of master chef Giancarlo Bolla and a great variety of drinks. This pleasant hideaway is ideal for couples, and subtle lighting illuminates its pleasant garden atmosphere, with trees, plants and an Italian fountain in the middle.

Rua Pedro Humberto 9, Chacara Itaim, SP. Phone: 011/3078-0828.   www.bardesarts.com.br

D-Edge

D-Edge is the place for livelier spirits in the mood for dancing and leaving their worries and woes behind to concentrate on more sensual pursuits. This new club gets everybody out of their seats and on the dance floor and is a great alternative for anyone who enjoys classic eighties beats and electronic music.

Alameda Olga 170, Barra Funda, SP. Phone: 011/3667-8334.    www.d-edge.com.br

Bar Léo

This bar is frequented mostly by regulars, which says more about its good name than about the success of its advertising. It is one of the city’s favorite night spots thanks to its great atmosphere and its excellent range of creamy beers to accompany its snacks.

Rua Aurora, 100, 1209. Phone: 011/3221-0247. www.barleo.com.br

Antiquarius

Antiquarius is home to a selection of delicious dishes of Portuguese origin, with flavors from France and Spain, in an elegant restaurant where the chef uses his skills to give them a Brazilian touch. Seafood is the specialty and the fish cataplana, garlic soup, shrimp, crab and cod along with the garlic soup are some of its most tempting delicacies. The generous wine list offers an impressive array of French and Portuguese reds.

Alameda Lorena 1884, Jardim Paulista, SP. Phone: 011/3064-8686

Bolinha

If you have your heart set on a traditional place with rustic chairs and tables, and you also have a big, old-fashioned appetite, the Bolinho offers an excellent combination of South American dishes, such as the traditional picanha (meat fillets skewered by long knives and barbequed over coals), a feijoada (a thick black bean and meat soup) which will satisfy even the most ravenous hunger. The menu also boasts a spread of beef, pork, chicken and fish dishes.

Av. Cidade Jardim 53, Jardim Europa. Phone: 011/3061-2010

Galeria dos Pães

The repertoire of this attractive food market goes way beyond breakfast fare, ranging from the simple hamburger to steaks and carpaccios. This place, open 24 hours a day, is for the indecisive pallet seeking a break from the nightlife or just wishing to satisfy some ill-defined craving. Inside you will find a restaurant, a bar, a bakery, a cafeteria and a mezzanine, and although it is a very international setting, its traditional Brazilian ambience prevails.

1645 Rua Estados Unidos, Jardim Paulista district, 01427-002. Phone: 011/3064-5900. www.galeriadospaes.com.br

Unique

This luxurious and physically attractive boutique hotel designed by the architect Ruy Ohtake was built in the form of a boat with its bow and stern anchored to the ground by sheets of concrete, and stands out from the crowd for its avant-garde panache. The rooms with their slightly curved walls reflect the sleek sophistication of the hotel’s exterior and offer extraordinary views of the city. Queen size beds, flat screen TVs, a console for controlling the lighting, and bathrooms with jacuzzis round off the unique experience. There is also a gym, as well as a rooftop beauty parlor and swimming pool. Even the reception exudes originality: a table surrounded by chairs with a champagne bottle waiting to greet guests.

Av. Brigadeiro Luis Antônio 4700, Jardim Paulista, SP, 01402-002. Phone: 011/3055-4700. www.hotelunique.com.br

Sofitel São Paulo

In the heart of the city’s financial district this French-style hotel with a view of the Do Ibirapuera Park is one of the most luxurious places to stay in the city: you can land at its heliport, play tennis and enjoy long swims in its huge pool. In the lobby you can sample great bocadillos (buns with cheese or meat) before walking to the Museum of Modern Art, the city center, the gardens or the Ibirapuera Mall.

Rua Sena Madureira 1355, Ibirapuera, SP, 04021-051. Phone: 0800/703-7003; 011/5574-1100. www.accor.com.br

Tryp Higienópolis

This hotel’s many comforts include spacious rooms, king size beds and sexy, elegant and colorful decorations. One part of the swimming pool is covered while the other, larger section is open for tanning. The hotel is well-known for the quality of its service and offers its guests cable TV, internet, minibars, 24-hour room service, a meeting room with audiovisual equipment, a gym and a sauna, all of which makes it an excellent choice for a comfortable rest whether you’re in town on business or for pleasure.

Rua Maranhão 371, Higienópolis, SP, 01404-002.    www.solmelia.com

Ibirapuera Park

The green heart of the city was designed by the famous arquitect Roberto Burle Max, a specialist in landscape design. For sports enthusiasts it is Sao Paulo’s Garden of Eden and there are always people jogging, riding their bicycles or playing soccer on the pitch, while children enjoy its playgrounds. Countless hidden corners invite visitors to explore its paths, lakes and gardens far from all worry. The Museum of Modern Art inside the park boasts a 2,600-item collection, along with an extensive library, a planetarium, the Japanese Pavilion and the Biennial Pavilion which hosts numerous exhibitions.

Av. Pedro Álvares Cabral, Ibirapuera, SP. Phone: 011/5574-5177

Museu Arte São Paulo

This is the most important museum in Sao Paulo with works stretching from the renaissance into modern times. Rembrandt, El Greco, Monet, Picasso, Renoir, Monet and Degas feature among the many masters on display. Recent refurbishments have brought out the best of its outstanding modern architecture. The second floor of the museum focuses on contemporary art with temporary exhibits, many by Brazilian artists.

Av Paulista 1578, Cerqueira César, SP. Phone: 011/3251-5644. www.masp.art.br

The Paulistano Municipal Market

This huge market was built between 1926 and 1932 and covers an area of 12,600 m2. Besides being a hub of commerce in Sao Paulo (its 1,600 employees move 350 tons of food daily to 14,000 shoppers) it is also an interesting site because of its architecture, illuminated by light filtered through 55 German gothic style stained glass windows. But the market’s main attraction is its vast array of typical local foodstuffs, ranging from rare fish to exotic fruit, cod pie and all kinds of fried pastries.  

São Bento

This church boasts one of the country’s biggest organs, making it the ideal venue for the Sao Bento Organ Festival, and is famous for its Gregorian chants, as well as philosophical and cultural events.

Largo de São Bento, 01029-010. Phone: 011/3328-8799. www.mosteiro.org.br

Pinacoteca do Estado

The vast collection of over 6,000 works makes this museum one of the most important in the whole country. Its collection includes paintings, sculptures, drawings, collages, tapestries and other handcrafts, as well as a section on the history of Brazilian painting from the Nineteenth Century to the Twentieth Century by artists such as Almeida Junior, Pedro Alexandrino, Antônio Parreiras and Benedito Calixto, Oscar Pereira da Silva, Bertha Worms and Henrique Bernardelli, to mention just a few. If you want to get to know Brazilian art, then this is the place to go.

Praça da Luz 2, Luz, SP. Phone: 011/3229-9844.   www.pinacoteca.sp.gov.br

Praça da Sé

This green area is the city’s zero point, from which the distances along all the highways are measured. The Gothic-influenced Metropolitan Cathedral, the largest church in Sao Paulo, stands next to the square with a crypt containing the work of sculptor Francisco Leopoldo. This is also the old center of the city. Below the square lies the Sé Metro Station with three different levels where three different metro lines intersect.

Clube Chocolate

This mall, which has very little to do with its name, is a great option for spending a day of laidback leisure. It is more akin to a gallery whose minimalist wooden decor houses a selection of bars and cafés alongside clothing stores and boutiques offering gifts and home decorations. It also has an aviary with tropical birds.

Rua Oscar Freire 913, São Paulo, SP. 011/3084-1500.    www.clubechocolate.com