55 Best Restaurants in São Paulo, Brazil

Nino Cucina, located in one of the busiest areas of Jardins in São Paulo, is a charming Italian restaurant with a cozy and sophisticated decor. The menu, inspired by traditional Italian cuisine, features dishes like gnocchi alla bolognese and burrata with prosciutto, with all pasta made in-house to ensure top quality. Don’t miss the panna cotta al caramello salato, a creamy and delicate dessert served with a layer of salted caramel that perfectly balances sweet and savory flavors.

OhKinha stands out with the "Special Combo," featuring a varied selection of salmon, white fish, and tuna sushi and sashimi, perfect for sampling different flavors in one meal. To accompany your meal, try the Sakerinha, a caipirinha made with sake instead of cachaça.

This restaurant's name comes from one of the most traditional Italian neighborhoods in São Paulo, and no one argues that Bráz doesn't have the right. Each of the nearly 20 varieties of pies is delicious, from the traditional margherita to the house specialty, pizza Bráz, with tomato sauce, zucchini, and mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

During and after the Saturday crafts and antiques fair in Praça Benedito Calixto, it may take an hour to get a table at this homey restaurant. Among the shareable, traditional mineiro (from Minas Gerais State) dishes are the mandioca com carne de sol (cassava with salted meat) appetizer and the tutu (pork loin with beans, pasta, cabbage, and rice) entrée. These are shared dishes, which serve 2 to 3 people.

This traditional cantina catches the eye with a decoration full of knickknacks that give the place its charm. An abundance of wonderful wines to choose from, along with a menu of mouth-watering options, including homemade artisanal pastas, is on offer. The tagliatelle with filet mignon and four-cheese sauce is absolutely divine and one of the house specialties.

Arguably the best Japanese restaurant in a town famous for them, Jun Sakamoto stands out for serving fish of the highest quality and for employing the most skillful of sushi chefs to slice them, with a Michelin Star. Waiters wearing futuristic earpieces will guide you through the omakase, a sushi chef--curated menu.

Contemporary cuisine, attentive service, and a luxurious, secret-garden charm help Kaá maintain its status as one of São Paulo's leading fine-dining establishments. The crayfish au gratin in endive cream is a top choice among the appetizers; appealing entrées include rack of lamb ribs and beer-cooked duck.

Contemporary Japanese plates with international influences are the draw at Kinoshita, where foie gras might accompany a Kobe beef hamburger or truffles might enliven salmon roe and shellfish. The freshness of the ingredients available on any given day determines the suggestions of chef. For 7 consecutive years the restaurant has received a Michelin star.

With world-class chef-proprietor Helena Rizzo at the helm, Maní has made its way to the top of the restaurant charts in São Paulo. A sophisticated take on Brazilian country cuisine meshed with modern cooking techniques, dishes like chicken and rice with okra might not sound like much, but one bite will be enough to explain why local and visiting foodies beat a path to Maní's door.

São Paulo's latest foray in Korean barbecue, Migá has grills built into its tables and waitstaff well-versed in how to use them, in case it's your first time. Try the popular bulgogi: beef marinated in soy sauce and spices served with a variety of sides.

An animated, gay-friendly crowd chatters at this restaurant with Italian, Brazilian, French, and mixed cuisine, as contemporary pop music plays in the background. Although Ritz serves some of the best hamburgers in the city, another popular dish is bife à milanesa (breaded beef cutlet) with creamed spinach and French fries or salad.

Owner Roberto Loscalzo transformed a 1903 mansion into a remarkable dining space; expansive yet intimate, grandiose yet welcoming. At one end of the room chefs pull Napoli-style pizzas from the three mouths of a two-story brick oven that looms over diners like a cathedral organ.

Part of a chain of Lebanese semifast-food outlets, Almanara is perfect for a quick lunch of hummus, tabbouleh, grilled chicken, and rice. A full-blown restaurant also on the premises offers up Lebanese specialties rodízio style, meaning you're served continuously until you can ingest no more.

Because São Paulo isn't on the ocean, most restaurants here don't base their reputations on seafood, but Amadeus is an exception. Appetizers such as fresh oysters and salmon and endive with mustard, and entrées like shrimp in cognac sauce make it a challenge to find better fruits of the sea elsewhere in town. 

For almost 20 years Arábia has served traditional Lebanese cuisine at this beautiful high-ceilinged restaurant. Simple dishes such as hummus and stuffed grape leaves are executed with aplomb, and the lamb melts in your mouth.

Bar da Dona Onça, located in the iconic Copan Building in São Paulo, offers an authentic gastronomic experience with dishes that celebrate Brazilian cuisine. The cozy atmosphere, charming decor, and attentive service make this bar a must-visit spot in the city. You should definitely try the Arroz de Rabada, a rich and flavorful oxtail rice dish. Pair it with their signature Caipirinha de Jabuticaba.

With the look of an old-style saloon, Bar do Juarez has won awards for its draft beers and buffet of petiscos (small tapas-like dishes), but picanha (rump cap of beef) is this gastropub's calling card. Served raw on a minigrill, the platter is perfect for small groups and gives individuals direct control over how their meat is done.

Cantaloup's converted warehouse has two dining areas: oversize photos decorate the walls of the slightly formal room, while a fountain and plants make the second area feel more casual and nice to have a meal. Try the low-temperature roasted pork ribs, pumpkin puree, asparagus and lemongrass sauce or the shrimp with curry, jasmine coconut rice, and mango chutney. Another great choice is the octopus with wild potatoes, caramelized onions, and Provençal sauce.

Wine casks and bottles adorn the walls at this typical Bixiga cantina, located on a street so charmingly human-scaled you'll hardly believe you're still in São Paulo. You won't be alone if you order the ever-popular fusilli—either ao sugo (with tomato sauce) or ao frutos do mar (with seafood)—or the traditional baby goat's leg with potatoes and tomatoes.

TV host, author, and chef Carla Pernambuco introduces Brazilian elements to a multicultural array of recipes at her popular restaurant. The restaurant has a seasonal menu, which may vary according to the time of year.

A Casa do Porco reached the seventh position in the World's 50 Best Restaurants ranking in 2022, becoming the highest-ranked Brazilian restaurant on the list at the time. This achievement solidified its reputation as one of the top global dining destinations. The restaurant offers a relaxed and modern atmosphere. Its menu is a celebration of pork; the porco sanzé, a crispy and succulent pork belly crackling (called torresmo or pururuca) is a must-try dish that goes really well with a crisp, cold beer.

Regularly named among the best restaurants in South America and the world, celebrity chef Alex Atala's D.O.M. is synonymous with exclusivity in São Paulo's gastronomic circles—its popularity is limited only by a self-imposed cap on the number of customers served. The focus is on Brazilian fare with added flair, such as filhote (Amazonian catfish) with tapioca in tucupi (manioc root) sauce and sweet potato in a Béarnaise made from maté, a South American tea.

Humble-looking Degas owes its more than 50 years in existence to word of mouth among the residents of São Paulo's western neighborhoods. Its famed filet mignon Parmigiana has gained near-legendary status, attracting foodies from across the city.

Good and simple Italian food is what you'll find at this traditional spot. Choose from a great variety of pastas, salads, and meat dishes. Try the Gorgonzola bruschetta.

Mineiro dishes are the specialties at this modest eatery with plain wooden tables. The classic cuisine is served as a buffet only: more than 50 stone pots hold dishes like feijão tropeiro (beans with manioc flour) and frango com quiabo (chicken with okra).

A snug bistro on as secluded a street as you're apt to find in São Paulo's hip southern neighborhoods, Enoteca triples as a wineshop, restaurant, and live-music venue. The kitchen's specialty is a risotto with wine-braised beef, whose plain appearance belies its exceptional flavor.

The beautiful people hang out in the bar of this highly regarded churrascaria. The thinly sliced picanha (rump steak) is excellent; it goes well with a house salad (hearts of palm and shredded, fried potatoes), onion rings, and creamed spinach.

Quests for quick, cheap, and good food should start near São Paulo's origins at this greasy spoon that's open 24 hours a day. Estadão's recipe for staying in business for more than four decades is its succulent pernil (roast pork) sandwich, a staple of the local street food scene.

A family-owned Northern Italian classic tucked away behind the elegantly modern lobby of the hotel of the same name, this restaurant is as famous for its superior cuisine as for its exorbitant prices. In the kitchen, a 20-strong brigade of chefs, butchers, and bakers commanded by Luca Gozzani sends out exquisite, sinfully rich dishes like agnollottis of Angola chicken on heart-of-mozzarella cream.

A pioneer in bringing French cuisine to São Paulo, Freddy opened originally in 1935. Despite moving from its original location, Freddy has managed to retain the feel of an upscale Parisian bistro, thanks to a number of small touches as well as some larger ones, like the grand chandeliers hanging from its ceiling, and traditional French dishes such as escalopes Foie Gras au Porto.