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We've compiled the best of the best in Greater São Paulo - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
In a huge colonial blue house in an old industrial neighborhood, Blue Space is one of the largest gay nightclubs in São Paulo. Every Saturday and Sunday, two dance floors and four bars, along with lounge and private rooms, fill with a large crowd, mostly 40 and over, interested in the house DJs and go-go boy and drag shows. Cover charges average R$30.
Electronic music is the main attraction at this popular club with a Death Star–meets–Studio 54 appeal. As many as nine DJs, often including internationally renowned turntablists, spin music several nights a week. The terrace here has views of a park of Oscar Niemeyer design. Cover charges starts at R$20 but sometimes exceed R$100.
Put your name on the list ahead of time or arrive early to pay a discounted rate, depending on the event.
Rock and pop cover bands perform at this Down Under–themed pub. Seven international draft beers and happy hour specials make Kia Ora popular after businesses close. Cover fees average R$60.
A self-proclaimed "gringo" hangout, this is a good place to catch international sporting events, perhaps that major one back home it's killing you to miss. O'Malley's has three bars, a game room, and more than a dozen TVs spread across two floors. Seven beers are on tap, along with more than four dozen by the bottle. Bands play nightly, so there's always a cover after happy hour ends. Cover fee averages R$20.
For a great Saturday afternoon into the evening in the bohemian city of São Paulo, Tatu Bola is an excellent choice. With its laid-back atmosphere, live music, ice-cold caipirinhas, and delicious snacks, you'll have a blast dancing to various Brazilian styles like pagode, MPB, and sertanejo. Tatu Bola boasts five different locations around São Paulo, making it easy to find a spot to enjoy its vibrant atmosphere.
This is the place to dance to American country music and sertanejo, Brazilian country music. The huge club has a restaurant, bars, shops, game rooms, and a big dance floor. The decor is strictly Old West. Cover fees range from R$40 (women) to more than R$100 for special events.
Most patrons stop at Empanadas for a beer en route to another Vila Madalena bar. It's a good place to "warm up" for an evening out with a quick drink and a bite to eat on the bar's sidewalk tables. Appropriately, the empanadas (filled pastries) are particularly appealing.
Indie rock—live or recorded—is on the musical menu at two-story Funhouse, though these days the focus is more on DJs than on bands. The place is often near empty, but sometimes it hosts cool, well-attended parties.
Because this venue is a restaurant, a bar, and a nightclub, you can go early for dinner and stay late for dancing. Actors, dancers, and musicians give performances that add to the entertainment, and the walls are decorated with local artists' works.
Pictures of Rio line the walls of Pirajá, known for its draft beer and sandwiches. The bolinhos de abóbora com carne seca (fritters made with pumpkin and jerked beef) are also very good. The action starts at happy hour, after 6 pm; the crowd here includes many journalists and designers who work nearby.
The tiny round tables at Piratininga, a small bar-restaurant, are perfect for a quiet rendezvous. The live MPB—bossa nova, blues, and jazz music—which starts daily between 6 and 9 pm, only adds to the romance.
