9 Best Bars in Vila Madalena and Pinheiros, São Paulo

A decommissioned bank vault inside the Altino Arantes Building, inspired by the Empire State Building in New York, has been transformed into an incredible and sophisticated bar offering excellent drinks and appetizers, making it perfect for a happy hour. One of the most striking features is the walls lined with 1,995 drawers that once held the valuables of the former Banespa bank's account holders.

The riffs heard at Madeleine place it in an exclusive stratum of São Paulo music clubs. But it's the mix of music, food, drinks, and atmosphere that lends the bar its comprehensive appeal. Jazz ensembles play in the exposed-brick lounge, which has clear sightlines from the mezzanine. Better for chatting are the candlelit tables in the well-stocked wine cellar, and the seats on the veranda, with its panoramic views of Vila Madalena. Wherever you sit, the gourmet pizzas go great with the craft beers poured here.

The 1960s and 1970s bohemian-chic decor here sends you back in time. The quality draft beer and tasty snacks and meals mean that Astor is always hopping—the menu is full of specialties from classic bars in Brazil. Don't miss the picadinho: beef stew with rice and black beans, poached eggs, banana, farofa, and beef pastel (a type of dumpling). To finish up, head downstairs, where SubAstor, a speakeasy-style sister bar, serves the kind of cocktails that inspire you to attempt knockoffs at your next house party.

This is one of the busiest spots in Vila Madalena, always crowded, serving extremely cold draft beer. The famous bean soup is a must, and to accompany it, order the carefully seasoned and roasted beef ribs (that have cooked for 12 hours on a barbecue), along with cassava cooked in butter.

At what's widely considered the best place in town to dance forró (music/dance from Brazil's Northeast), you'll find people of different ages and styles coming together on the dance floor. Xiboquinha is the official forró drink, made with cachaça (a Brazilian sugarcane-based alcohol), lemon, honey, cinnamon, and ginger. The doors open at 8:30 pm Wednesday and Thursday, and 10:30 pm Friday and Saturday; the hours on Sunday are from 7 pm to midnight.

Cariocas are people from Rio de Janeiro, and Carioca Club has the decor of old-style Rio clubs. Its large dance floor attracts an eclectic mix of up to 1,200 college students, couples, and professional dancers who move to samba, gafieira, and pagode from Thursday through Saturday starting at varying times. Cover fees average R$70.

Extremely rustic and humble, with live samba and MPB music every night, this packed little club is a local favorite and provides a reliably good time, every time for those looking for good Brazilian music. 

In addition to live music every day, the bar offers great caipirinhas in various flavors, such as cashew, to accompany a delicious dadinho de tapioca—tapioca dices with coalho cheese, baked or fried, served with pepper jam, in a lively, Brazilian-style environment.

One of four comparable and fashionable bars at the corner of Mourato Coelho and Aspicuelta streets, Posto 6 pays homage to Rio de Janeiro and its Botafogo soccer club. The bar gets gold stars for its chopp and escondidinho de camarão (a lasagna-type dish with shrimp).