Brazil – São Paulo

First thing’s first: São Paulo is huge! With about 20 million people and being the largest city in South America, what did you expect? Therefore, it’s kind of intimidating and, unfortunately, that not pretty. Smog, traffic, enormous roads, it’s a real urban jungle that is everything except welcoming, especially to tourists. But I just spent little time here so maybe it might grow on you if you stay longer, who knows?

The city has about 100 museums, 280 movie theaters, 140 libraries and around 40 cultural centers. Take a walk on the Avenida Paulista, the main avenue with full of things to do and a favorite destination for both tourists and locals. It’s an ideal spot for people-watching from one of the numerous sidewalk cafes, shopping and just wondering around. Make a stop in the small Trianon Park, allowing a break from all the city noise, or at the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), if you have the courage to wait in line for hours (which we did not).

But with my younger brothers joining me, we were not in the mood for intellectual stuff, so we decided to stay and spend most of our time in Vila Madalena, the bohemian neighborhood. We stayed at the Viva Hostel, which I really do recommend. It was clean, welcoming, cosy, and very well situated. Rua Girassol, 1262

The story of graffiti art in Brazil began around 1970 during the dictatorship oppression. Silenced by the drastic censorship, the graffiti art came up as a new voice. You’ll find in Vila Madalena the main reference graffiti art in São Paulo. Take a walk between the Gonçalo Afonso Street and Medeiros de Albuquerque Street, and admire the open sky graffiti art gallery known as Beco do Batman (Batman’s Alley). Along these narrow streets, you will find enormous graffiti on the walls, fantastic view for those who love urban street art and perfect for your new Instagram picture.

I don’t know if you’re the kind of person that likes to check reviews of bars and restaurants but I strongly recommend doing here: there are so many places and it seems to change fast. Here are some of my recommendations:

• Coffee Lab: nice place for coffee lovers, won a lot of awards and is super cute. The only problem, the place is so cozy, you want to stay for hours and so it’s always super packed. R. Fradique Coutinho, 1340
• Bolo da Madre: cake, did you say cake? Delicious cakes, including Dulce de leche! You can buy a slice (around 15 reales) or the whole one, they all look delicious. Rua Girassol, 185
• Banana Verde: great vegetarian and vegan food. Very tasty, the place is super nice, with a wooden-zen atmosphere. You can also order craft beers and fresh juice. Rua Harmonia, 278
• Guacamole: I strongly recommend this Mexican place! I know, it’s not local, but it’s so good. The drinks, the food, and they even have gluten-free fajitas that taste just like regular ones! And you get to order your food on an iPad, which is always fun. Rua Girassol, 354
• Tastemade: best breakfast in a long time. Sure, the servings are quite small and a little expensive, but it’s so good and nicely served. Rua Harmonia, 661
• Deliparis: nice bakery with a lot of choice of bread, pastries and savory dishes. I have to say that the service is a bit slow and unwelcoming. Rua Harmonia, 484
• Pira: pretty good poke bowls (38 reales) and burgers, and a super cute terrasse for people-watching. Rua Wisard, 130

 

To grab a drink, you’ll have plenty of places but we really enjoyed:

• Astor: great cocktails, fancy yet affordable place. It has a very good vibe, welcoming and the service is good. There’s also food but haven’t tasted it. Rua Delfina, 163
• De bruer: small bar with artisanal and home made beer. The manager is super friendly and will gladly talk about the beers and his life with you. Beers are also pretty good!