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São Paulo's dynamic social scene centers on dining out, and among the 12,500-plus restaurants, most of the world's cuisines are covered. The most popular options include Portuguese, Japanese, Italian, French, and Lebanese; contemporary fusions are popular and plentiful. The city also offers a massive selection of pizza and hamburger joints with some world-class offerings. Most places don't require jacket and tie, but paulistanos tend to dress to European standards, so if you're going to pricey establishments, looking elegant is key.
On the domestic front the Brazilian churrascarias are a carnivore's dream, with their all-you-can-eat skewers of barbecued meats and impressive salad buffets. For in-between times, just about every bar offers a selection of grilled meats, sandwiches, and deep-fried favorites for casual grazing. On Wednesday and Saturday, head to a Brazilian restaurant for feijoada—the national dish of black beans and pork. Ask about the other traditional and regional Brazilian dishes as well.
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.
This Italo-French restaurant with a partially enclosed garden isn't just a place for businesspeople and impresarios to see and be seen. It also has some of the best food in town and is one of the most classic restaurants around. Popular dishes include the pan-seared foie gras over apricot and dried fig chutney, and grilled shrimp with curry sauce, saffron risotto, and pine nuts.
Even the fabulous people have to hang at the bar before being shown to a table in this large, sleek dining room; but especially for vegetarians, dishes such as the tofu and vegetable curry make the wait worthwhile. The decidedly eclectic menu includes Italian, Brazilian, Bahian, and even Thai cuisine.
A few blocks west of MASP, this quaint yet futuristic glass-encased diner occupies a lonely single-story building tucked between government skyscrapers. Entrées—Argentine beef is a favorite—don't come with sides, so you'll have to order a dish such as rice with broccoli to fill the plate.
