I'd be lying if I told you I had an awful time at Bar Samba. In fact, the night I spent listening to energetic Samba music and watching dancers strut their stuff in this cozy Vila Madalena bar was my favorite night during my short trip to São Paulo.
Cover on a Friday night was R$35 (which is about $10 USD)...even though I'm not usually a fan of paying cover fees, this was worth every single real. When we got there are 9:30/10pm, Bar Samba was already packed. We had to wait for about 5 minutes before they let our party of 3 enter. Finally, as they let us in, they asked each of us for our names (luckily we had someone that could speak Portuguese with us, otherwise I'm not sure what would have happened to us). They wrote our names on a slip for each of us. It is VERY IMPORTANT to keep this slip with you while you are at Bar Samba! If you order anything (food or drinks) the servers will mark it on the slip. Then when you are ready to leave, you need to take that slip to the cashier in the back left corner of the bar (near the restrooms) to settle the bill and get a receipt that lets you leave Bar Samba.
At first we got seated on the upper mezzanine level in the back corner of Bar Samba, which is the same level as the bar. The staff make frequent rounds, so we were able to order drinks really easily. After some time had passed, we asked if it would be possible to switch tables to be closer to the samba band and dancing. The staff said they needed to check on reservations and such, but a few minutes later they came to take us to a new table. We got to sit right in front of the samba band, and let me tell you...it was one of the coolest things I experienced while in São Paulo! Even though I couldn't understand what the lyrics were, the music was very lively and upbeat. I was amazed by the samba dancers...their feet moved so quickly! Everyone was clapping and singing along, which made the atmosphere very cheerful and relaxed.
I only ordered caipirinhas, and they were solid. They also had various fruit and sake cocktails as well as several beer options. Most everyone at Bar Samba was drinking beer, but I had to enjoy my caipirinhas since I definitely cannot get them at home!
I would definitely recommend Bar Samba to anyone visiting São Paulo that is looking to get a cultural twist on nightlife. You will not be disappointed!
TL;DR - R$35 cover on Friday nights, reservations recommended, and live samba music and dancing! read more