AVENIDA PAULISTA - Walking Along

Here we are back to Av. Paulista… though we intend to explore other areas, Paulista can’t be beaten as the place to go for tourists to feel the atmosphere of the city. On weekdays, busy people hurrying to cross the streets and having lunch in 15min, men in their suits and women in high heels; on weekends, a completely different picture, the large avenue becomes a promenade where people walk leisurely heading to its movie theaters, cultural attractions, or a relaxing cup of coffee. Our proposal is to walk along the avenue and pinpoint some interesting features you may miss.

Starting from the beginning, at the Paraíso subway station (which is actually on r. Bernardino de Campos, before the beginning of Paulista), walk towards Paulista on the right-hand sidewalk and you’ll find Pça Oswaldo Cruz, which marks the very beginning of Paulista. On number 26 is Ponto Chic, a traditional sandwich bar with a 60’s feel, famous for the Bauru ao Ponto Chic, sandwich with roast beef, tomatoes and a gooey abundant mix of melted cheeses (R$ 17,90). Or go for my favorite, Seleto, which adds ham to that mix (R$ 22,10). To help it go down, ask for the lemonade; beside the large cold glass containing it they usually give you a small aluminum bucket of almost as much juice, all the precious liquid that was left in their mixer.

Make sure you order the sandwich; there is a version served as a dish, with bread aside.

It's more expensive and not the real deal.

Some steps ahead, now on r. 13 de Maio, lies the Shopping Pátio Paulista. The name is not written in large letters on its façade, but rather in small letters on a large Big Ben-like clock over the main doors. Though I talked about food courts in shopping malls here I don’t really believe a mall should be of much interest for tourists, but I also admit that many times while traveling I headed to one, especially when all I wanted was fast food and clean toilets. After a wide renovation, this mall offers a wide range of shops and fast food restaurants, and probably a dozen cafés (though I feel sitting on a table in the corridor of a mall takes away much of the charm of a café). Anyway, there are two things I recommend here. As you enter, turn left and take the escalators going down. Look for these:

- Freddo – a kiosk of the Argentine ice cream parlor. Ok, it’s Argentine, but their milk caramel (doce de leite) options are unsurpassable. A must, simply delicious. (R$ 8,50 for one scoop).

- Brigaderia – now for the local goodies… As I explained here, if you want a (very sweet) taste of local treats, brigadeiros are your article. Here you’ll find them with several different toppings, in extremely pretty and well-done wrappings.

IMPORTANT AND USEFUL INFO: On the same floor of the mall there is a Currency Exchange Shop, named Cotação Câmbio (câmbio being 'exchange' in Portuguese). Contact phone: 3285-4845; www.cotacao.com.br

 

Eating in SP - Brigadeiro

One of the most typical Brazilian sweets is the brigadeiro, a trufle-like bonbon. Originally it was a homemade treat  served basically at children’s parties, made with cocoa powder and condensed milk, cooked till a luscious creamy consistency was reached; recently  brigadeiros have become the new hype, earning exclusive shops, sophisticated wrappings and added ingredients such as pistachio, pepper, coffee, coconut, hazelnut, etc.

Some specialist shops are:

Maria Brigadeiro - R. Capote Valente, 68 - Pinheiros

Brigaderia - R. Treze de Maio, 1947 (Shopping Pátio Paulista)

Brigadeiro Doceria e Café - R. Padre Carvalho, 91 - Pinheiros

Brigadeiros by Cousin's - R. Cardoso de Almeida, 1371 - Perdizes

These shops, and also several restaurants or cafés may also offer a recent interpretation of the classic, the brigadeiro de copinho, in other words, the chocolate cream in a small  plastic cup, like you see below:

Many other delicacies are also inspired by brigadeiros, such as cakes, puddings, and ice creams.

Eating in SP- Snacks

SALGADOS

A variety of salgados

Salgados, meaning “savory thing”, is a general term to refer to a wide range of items Brazilians eat when in a hurry, or when not willing to spend money on a proper meal. Most are stuffed pastries filled with things like ham and cheese, cream cheese, chicken, sausages, or other creative things. They are usually grab-and-go items, but in some places you may sit down to taste them, together with some juice, soda, or even beer.

I’ll introduce you to some of these:

COXINHA

A mouth-watering coxinha

The translation for coxinha would be ‘chicken drumstick’. They consist of chicken bits, seasoned with onion and herbs, coated by a layer of mashed potatoes; but as they are deep fried, be careful where you eat them, otherwise you might get something too oily. But in general they are quite tasty. A famous spot for coxinhas is Frangó, a bar which is completely off the beaten track for tourists, but well worth the visit, for their food is quite typical, they have a vast range of beer brands (Brazilian and international), and the location is quite picturesque. If you will not have the chance to see small Brazilian towns, this is the closest you can get from their feel inside São Paulo.

EMPADA

Crunchy and tasty empadas



Empadas are tasty small pielike salgados, consisting of a buttery pastry filled with either shredded chicken or palm tree core, usually well-seasoned with added tomato sauce to give it some color. Though you may find large ones, the typical empada can be eaten in three or four bites. It must look somewhat glossy and golden. Prices will range from R$ 2,00 to 5,00. Other choices of filling include cod or even shrimps.

Recently some specialized shops have come up, so if you come across one of them (named Rancho da Empada, Casa da Empada, Empadaria da Vovó, Empada Caipira, etc) you might go crazy and venture yourself in dozens of fillings like meat and cheddar cheese, pumpkin and dry meat, sweetcorn, or even sample sweet ones, filled with chocolate, banana, etc etc.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Most salgados can be found at your local padaria; the food chain Viena will usually have them in miniature sizes, in case you want to experiment a little. They have a kiosk right at the entrance of Conjunto Nacional (Av. Paulista, 2073), and a restaurant at the back, on the corner of R. Augusta and Alameda Santos.



TRANSPORT - Paying for the bus in São Paulo

BILHETE ÚNICO

This is a rechargeable card that allows you to travel in as many as 4 buses in the period of three hours, using the same fare. It can also be used in the subway system; in case you paid for a bus fare within a 2 hour-period, the subway fare will be reduced to R$ 1,65 (instead of the regular R$ 3,00). When purchasing the card for the first time, you must charge a minimum of R$ 15,00 (5 bus trips) - the card itself has no cost.

- Where to get your Bilhete Unico:

Several shops will display a sign like this:



Subway stations have selling points that look like this, where you may also recharge your card. Long lines are common at the main stations.

Most places will not sell the card, but recharge it, at least. Look for the logo with the words RECARGA AQUI or RECARREGUE AQUI.

One convenient place to recharge your card (you may try buying it also, but it will not always be available) are “Casas Lotéricas” (lottery shops) that look like this:





Check a complete list of addresses where you may recharge your card.

If you finally got yours and it is properly charged, then board the bus, approach the turnstile and place the card like you see on the picture below. A green light should then flash on the top of the equipment, allowing you to pass to the back of the bus.

Eating in SP - Cheap & Good

Ragazzo

You've probably heard, or soon will discover, that eating in Brazil has become quite expensive. Ok, maybe you have money to splash, so check where to go on official tourism guides. My intention here is to give you some options if you only intend to eat honest food at reasonable prices.
Recently I was amazed to discover Ragazzo, a fast food chain that offers a wide range of choices at incredible prices for São Paulo. Even regular fast food restaurants here will be quite expensive; it's impossible to spend less than US$ 10. Average spending would be around US$15 and above.
To begin with, though they may be called a 'fast food restaurant', you sit down and order your food from waiters, and pay the bill as you leave. Italian food prevails in their menu (pasta, pizzas), but also include dishes with grilled meat, sandwiches, salgados (see post here), salads (you pick seven ingredients from a list; the small one costs about US$3), soup (a bowl for less than US$2), juices and dessert. Nothing is exceptional, but good and surely clean. And quite cheap. See their complete menu here. Though everything is in Portuguese, the menu is plenty of photos that will surely help you out when selecting your choices.
When walking around Avenida Paulista, try this one:
Ragazzo - Alameda Santos, 2209, some steps from the corner with Rua Augusta (near Conjunto Nacional).
Subway station: Consolação
Buses: any bus running along Avenida Paulista, get off in front of Conjunto Nacional (southward) or near Rua Frei Caneca (westward).

TRANSPORT - Taking a bus in São Paulo

Buses in São Paulo are new, large, and good in general, but of course crowded in rush hours. But taking the correct bus in São Paulo is for those in the know. Few bus stops display a list of the buses that stop there, and those that do will only list the bus numbers and final destinations, giving no clue whatsoever to their itineraries… You may get some help checking the site of the local bus administration, http://www.sptrans.com.br/, but this is only in Portuguese.  Every time I suggest some place here, I’ll try and indicate some useful buses, where to take them and where to get off.

In any case, if you know which bus to take, these are the basics: Board the bus through the front door and get off using the back door. But watch out because most buses have doors on both sides, since the city has many ‘bus corridors’ in which the buses run on the left side of the streets. So you might be waiting to get off from one door and ‘miss’ your bus stop because the bus opens the other door (which is not directly opposite). This would happen to locals also.

Sao Paulo has no tourist fares or day passes, like so many large cities around the world. The fare for each trip is R$3,00. The best you can do is get yourself a card called “Bilhete Unico”, which will allow you to make some trips on the same fare (see complete post here).

All the buses in Sao Paulo have turnstiles and a guy that sits almost atop of them. Though most people now use the “Bilhete Unico” cards, you may still pay cash, so this guy will receive your money. (He is called a “cobrador”). Don’t you ever try to change more than R$10,00 to pay for a bus ride. They will not have (or not want to give) change for you. 

Eating in SP - Food Courts in Shopping Malls

If you are hungry and want to make it simple, maybe one option is to head to a Shopping Mall, where you’ll have a food court with lots of accessible options.

Once inside, follow the signs for the “Praça de Alimentação”, which is Food Court in Portuguese.

Most food courts in shopping malls will feature McDonalds and Burger King, and at least one Japanese fast food. Other common restaurants are: Vienna (a good quality kilo restaurant); Divino Fogão (kilo, typical Brazilian food; luscious sweets); Spoleto (the pasta is prepared in front of you with the ingredients you pick); Giraffa’s (reliable, simple fare); Casa do Pão de Queijo or Rei do Mate (café and snacks, see about pão de queijo here); Habib’s (cheap and honest fast food, mixing Arab food, sandwiches, and even pizza); Uno & Due (ready sandwiches in baguettes, nice juices); Seletti (healthy food; salads and other green stuff).

• Shopping Malls near Avenida Paulista:

Shopping Pátio Paulista - R. Treze de Maio, 1925 (just off Avenida Paulista).

Between the BRIGADEIRO and PARAÍSO subway stations.

Or take any bus on Avenida Paulista on the odd side of the street going to "Vila Mariana"; "Ana Rosa" or "Sacomã" and get off on the last bus stop on Avenida Paulista, near "Casa das Rosas".

Shopping Center 3 - Av. Paulista, 2064

CONSOLAÇÃO subway station.

Or take a bus along Avenida Paulista and get off almost in front of it.

Shopping Mall in Centro (downtown):

Shopping Light - R. Xavier de Toledo, 23 (the food court is on the fifth floor)

ANHANGABAU subway station.

Near several tourist attractions, such as Theatro Municipal, Viaduto do Chá, Vale do Anhangabaú, Galeria do Rock, etc.

Eating in SP - Kilo Restaurants

DOWNTOWN AREA (Centro) - Estação República

This kilo restaurant, near the subway station of the same name, is a pleasant surprise. On a nearby side street, discreet and without a nameplate on its front, it is a safe haven for many of those who work in the area. A huge old house, somehow saved from the rage of destruction of São Paulo's progress, which insists in building ugly tasteless grey buildings, had all its internal walls removed; the resulting large saloon surely accomodates almost 200 people. The place may be busy, yet it is a reconforting site considering the location and surroundings. Most important of all, the food is quite good, and goes beyond the regular dishes offered in simpler kilo restaurants. The day I visited had a delicious cheese strudel, chicken medallion in a walnut sauce, and beef with dijon mustard, among other out of the common choices. As you may guess, the price is a little above average, but it is worth it.
Tourists usually go to Praça da República, where a crafts market is held from Friday through Sunday. The market has some food stalls, but I wouldn't really trust in their hygiene and quality. So this is a nice place to eat, rest your feet and mingle with people, as the atmosphere is quite welcoming.

Estação República Restaurant - open from Monday through Friday
Address: Rua Aurora, 964 - just off Rua do Arouche.
Next to the REPÚBLICA subway station.
Or get off your bus behind 'Caetano de Campos'.
Tel.: (011) 3331-2160

Eating in SP - Kilo Restaurants

Kilos (or in Portuguese, Quilos) are self-service restaurants in which you help yourself at a buffet and pay for the amount of food you picked. Typically you’ll stand on a line and get a tray and a dish (cutlery may be either near the dishes or given to you at the end). Usually the buffet starts with the desserts (paid for separately), then you walk along to find salads and then proper food. At the end of the line you’ll find an employee who will use a scale to weigh your plate, write down the number of grams it contains (discounting the weigh of the dish itself), note down if you have taken any dessert and ask you if you want anything to drink. Some restaurants leave soft drinks and juice cans available for you to grab, others will have a waiter taking them to your table.

This is a very popular system around town, especially for lunch. Street ‘kilo’ restaurants will not open for dinner, only those located inside shopping malls, which operate all day long.

Most kilos are reliable places to eat, and healthy too, for they usually offer a good range of salads and hearty food. Some will even have quite sophisticated options among their options for the day. But in any case, be sure to check the overall cleanliness of the place. Prices will range from R$ 24,90/29,90 at the simple kilos, to more than R$40,00/kg at the fancy spots. Only try something cheaper than R$ 24,90/kg if recommended by someone you really trust!

Eating in SP - Padarias

The translation for “Padaria” is bakery, but these institutions in the city of São Paulo have developed a new concept that encompasses almost everything concerning food. If you discover a good padaria next to you, you may rest assured that this will be your safe haven in times of hunger. Some so-called mega-padarias will offer you everything from bread, cakes, patisserie to sandwiches, breakfast, lunch (by the kilo), pizza, soups (a buffet for a fixed price that includes 4 or more types of soups, different kinds of bread, salads, sweets, fruits), and in some cases even ice creams, Japanese food, etc etc.

I’ll post the names and addresses of nice ones and how to get there. Be sure to come back to check it out!

TRANSPORT - Taxis from the Airport

All the taxis that operate at the airport belong to a co-operative called Guarucoop (their site has versions in English and Spanish). They have booths right outside both terminals and in theory their attendants and drivers are all bilingual. You’ll be charged according to your destination (their website promises an online table with fares will soon be available). Fares will be around R$100,00. Cash and credit cards are accepted. Holding the ticket as a proof of your payment, head for the taxi line (yes, yet another line) and wait for your turn. It is quite safe to use these taxis.

AVENIDA PAULISTA - MASP

Travel guides will surely tell you this is the most important museum in São Paulo, etc. etc. If you're not that into the arts, it is still worth a visit to the area:

- See the cutting-edge architecture of the museum, supported by columns over a 74-meter freestanding space. This area is famous as a location for every kind of protests and public demonstrations.

- On Sundays, an antiques market is held under the museum.

- If you are not interested in the collection, you may check if the auditorium is holding some musical performance, they are usually free.

- You may also try UNI, a restaurant located in the basement of the museum (entrance through stairs leading underground, same way to the auditorium). Fixed price buffet: R$ 32,30 (Mon to Sat) and R$ 35,00 (Sundays).

- Right behind the museum, on R. Carlos Comenale, 97, you’ll find one of the noisiest bars in town, Bar Opção. If you want to see and mingle with locals, it’s a nice suggestion. Or maybe you just want to see how noisy a bar can get around here…

- Right across the street, there’s a nice park, called Parque Trianon (just don’t venture inside after dark). On the sidewalk, on Sundays, a crafts market is held.

SUBWAY STATION - Trianon, on the Green Line
or take any bus running along Avenida Paulista, and get off right in front of Parque Trianon (southward buses) or on the block after the museum (westward buses).

AVENIDA PAULISTA

Avenida Paulista is one of the main arteries of the city, but more than that, it is the beaten track for tourists in SP for it gathers several interesting places. We’ll make this a special category so we can tell you about the not-so-famous sites that won’t be on the guides, but those that will make your visit interesting and colorful.

TRANSPORT - Buses from the Airport

These are comfortable, air-conditioned and expensive buses which will take you to several parts of town. Get out of the terminal and follow the signs indicating “buses”. They are semi-hidden between the terminals. The tickets cabin is inside a room. Check timetables here. The price is R$ 31,00 per person. After you buy your ticket, go outside to get on the bus. Check carefully if the bus you want to take is parked outside; it may not have arrived yet or you may board the wrong bus. Indications are not clear.

This is the bus you'll see... check its destination before boarding!!

CHOOSING YOUR BUS - Click here for the complete timetable and different destinations

Among the lines offered to you, one is the ‘hotel circuit’, which serves some selected hotels. You might be lucky…

Otherwise you may be advised to take the buses that go to Barra Funda or Republica, as these are subway stations, but please read below:

Barra Funda is not only a subway station, but a train station and bus terminal, which could be helpful for you to go somewhere in town. But bear in mind that you get off the bus somewhere outside the complex and to get in you have to face lots of awkward and confusing stairs,  completely inappropriate for someone carrying heavy bags. Only head to Barra Funda if you are packing light.

República, another final stop, is home to a subway station of the same name, which could come in handy for you. But I must say it’s not really advisable if you arrive late at night. Also, subway stations close at midnight. Other than that, I must also say that subway stations may not have escalators in every station, the trains have no reserved spaces for luggage, and are packed in the rush hours. As a final (but extremely important) warning, DO NOT take the subway if you need to change lines, with luggage and all, at the Sé Station. Believe me, it’s simply impracticable.

TRANSPORT - Leaving the Airport

São Paulo’s international airport is the Aeroporto de Guarulhos, a.k.a. Cumbica. Be ready to face incredibly and overwhelmingly long lines at the customs, especially if your flight lands early in the morning, but try to keep your spirits up.

After getting rid of the customs, reaching for your baggage and maybe a visit to the Free Shop, you’ll finally see yourself in the outside world, namely the airport lounge. Guarulhos is a city in the northeast of the Greater Sao Paulo area, some 30km from the center of São Paulo.

If you are not one of the lucky people who get to have someone to pick them up, these are your choices:

- bus - there is a regular bus line running from the Airport to the Tatuapé subway station (East Zone of São Paulo). Fare is R$ 4,05. An option for those who know their way around the city, or are really going to this part of town.

- special bus (a.k.a. Airport Service). Air-conditioned, comfortable buses at R$33,00 per person. A good option for a lonely traveler. See complete post with tips, destinations and timetables here.

- taxis – this would be the best choice for a foreigner, though of course much more expensive. However, if you are in a group of three people and will share the fare, you’ll pay approximately the same as for the bus, and be left right where you want. See complete post here.

If your place of stay is in the city center or south zone (more common as tourist addresses), your journey will take at least 40 minutes, if you are lucky and it’s not the rush hour anymore. Otherwise it could take you as long as 1h30 to finally be able to rest in your room.