3 Best Bars in Vila Madalena and Pinheiros, São Paulo

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.

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).