This was our favourite meal of the trip and we had some amazing ones. We were famished and so…read moreordered a lot of food, which was much more than we could handle. We ordered: -Guacamole with banana chips: this was a nice appy to start the meal, coming with very nicely seasoned guac and dehydrated banana chips. Great way to start the meal. Large portion. -Two different types of vegan quiche that were both decadent, rich and well-spiced. Great creamy texture and quite filling -Black risotto - one of the best risottos I've ever had. Very creamy, with lots of vegan mozzarella, mushrooms, pumpkin seeds, and plenty of microgreens on top. Absolutely divine. -Baião de dois (vegan). I hadn't tried one of these before, and man was it incredible. The main dish was a rice-based dish with vegan sausage, firm tofu, and veggies with a very complex flavour and wonderful textures. On the side was an incredible garlic-sauteed kale, fried banana, and a sort of polenta-like mash with hearts of palm/jackfruit(? - look up) that was sensational. Our server spoke no English, so we communicated via Google Translate. He was so kind, hospitable and friendly--told us he loved serving us at the end. Can't say enough good things about this place. You must try out Banana Verde.

Honestly, this place would be 5 stars if it wasn't for the SERVICE. I absolutely hate to identify…read morepeople but the older bald man who was our server was so nonchalant and absolutely rude. Not like outwardly aggressive type of rude but the kind of rude where he interacts like he couldn't give a damn about the table, the order, or his guests. I do not speak Portuguese but I try. I try so hard to speak Portuguese to a basic level, enough to order. He wouldn't even try to help me out. I know he didn't speak English (not his problem at all) but usually, I even asked for "agua" and he acted as if he couldn't understand me. I resorted to just pointing to items on the menu (which is fine as well) but then he acted like he could barely lean over to see/read which item I was pointing to or like having to come closer to read what I was pointing at was annoying for him. Honestly, we were so excited to come there and he just lets the air out of the room with his demeanor. One thing that wasn't his fault, the restaurant did not have NUMEROUS items that was on the menu. We ordered various items and multiple people had to select their second and third choices. Sounds small but again, when you don't speak the language (but trying your best), having to pick two and three times on the fly is not a nice experience. Food and drink - 5 Stars Ambiance- 5 Stars Service- 1

Meu bar favorito en Vila Madalena! It looks like a second…read morehand bookstore on the inside with authors like Bukowski and pictures of young Marlon Brando, drawing rad (but surprisingly not pretentious) people from all over Sao Paulo. Any given night of the week the whole bar/restaurant has people spilled out onto the street with buckets of ice cold original by their side. But don't let the crowd discourage you if you've come for a bite. They can always find seating for you inside after a few minutes. Friday nights are my favorite because they have a guy walking around with huge tray of fresh pastel. They taste amazing. Especially after that second caipirinha.

Mercearia is a cheap local dive bar with a great - and LARGE - crowd. The place is so popular with…read morethe locals that it's packed every night, and people just end up overflowing to the streets (and blocking traffic, but that's beside the point). It's a great place to chill out with some friends, or other local Brazilians in the area :)

Serviço rápido e eficiente, ambiente agradável e a comida excelente! Drinks incríveis também…read more Recomendo!

The mini tekkadon was surprisingly good--I am not a fan of mayonnaise drizzled on raw fish, but the…read moreearthy toasted sesame seeds underneath the creamy sweet mayo balanced each other. The ramen... broth was too salty and the noodles too squishy and starchy. Very pretty set up, but this is not the ramen shop I am looking for.

Authentic and with good deals for lunch, plus it is in a less chaotic part of Vila Madalenaread more

This is the best sushi restaurant that must exist outside of Japan. In a word, tonight's meal was…read moresimply sublime. This neighborhood spot in Vila Madalena doesn't look like much from the outside, and its modest interior also might not suggest the amazing fish that awaits, but let it be known, Tanuki is the best I've ever had. We saddled up to the sushi bar while 4 expert sushi makers handled each fish with delicate care; I loved getting a front row seat to the beautiful display of filets. We ordered sake, miso soups (drink it from the bowl, not with a spoon), and the Combinado de Sushi e Sashimi Individual platter (despite having no idea what fish would arrive, we found the order to be spot on). 18 pieces came out of which 10 were sashimi (mixed between salmon, tuna and another fish), 4 nigiri (salmon, tuna and a white fish), and 4 uramaki (salmon on the inside and rice on the outside with sesame seeds). After our eyes rolled back into our skulls (from being so blown away by the first bite), we added another 8 uramaki rolls (tuna) to the order. If you're looking for something safe, you should just copy our order and if you don't speak Portuguese, ask for the English menu! The fish was so freaking fresh it didn't have that fishy taste you often associate with, well, fish. It was tremendous. I also don't typically like salmon and I managed to scarf down every piece that was presented to me... and then want more. Other things to note: this place is small so might not be best for a large group (or perhaps call ahead) and we arrived without reservations and were easily able to grab 2 seats at the bar around 8:30pm. As for the meal, Jiro, you have your work cut out for you!

Amazing food. Small plates ("not tapas" we were told) met the chef! A special treat. The…read moreatmosphere food and wait staff were all exceptional. Highly recommend.

Wanna have GREAT middle eastern food? Try Saj, est their freshly baked bread, their hummus, their…read moretahini, and everything else they serve. Good option for lunch as they have an executive menu that is super diverse and for a great price. All their umits are awesome

Great service; the restaurant space and atmosphere are nice. My dish was good but the portions are…read moresmall so you need to order a few things. It's expensive!

Great food. The beer was good on a hot day. The vibe is very hipster reminds me of Portlandread more

This is one of those places that after the second bite I open yelp, fore square and trip advisor to…read moreleave them reviews because they deserve them. Kick ass burgers

Come here to enjoy the best Arroz de camarão you've ever had…read more They have ice-cold chopps and quality red wine by the glass. They are also open for lunch when you can be served up a pretty prato do dia while you sip on a refreshing suco de abacaxi and gengibre (pineapple and ginger juice). The space is airy and open. How come I don't come here more often?! The servers are all tatted-up and friendly - very Vila Madalena.

Sabiá is a very good option in Vila Madalena if you're looking for a place to catch up with…read morefriends, enjoy a libation and/or have a nice bite to eat. It's a little bit away from the crowded bars you'll find two blocks down the road, so it doesn't get quite as crazy on the weekends. This is a restaurant bar, with good, simple appetizers and food. While the dishes are simple, they are executed and presented well, with a good attention to detail and a decidedly modern touch. The draft beers are always cold, and some are very good! The atmosphere is pleasant and conducive to conversation, and the wait staff is friendly and helpful.

A quantidade de torneiras é inversamente proporcional ao tamanho do local…read more Mas, tem uma seleção invejável de cervejas, sobretudo nacionais, para tomar frescas, direto da chopeira (Tap house?). Inverteram meu pedido na primeira vez em que fui, mas OK. Detalhe: Os chopps poderiam sair um pouco mais gelados. Não precisa ser muito gelado, mas não estava tão calor quando fui, e os chopes sairam um pouco a temperatura ambiente. No mais, ótima opção pra tomar uma (ou varias) cervejas especiais.

One night we went in search of drinks, and literally stumbled across the São Paulo Tap House while…read morewalking along the central road. The interior décor is modern and very cool; the location is great. That said, the best reason to visit this place: the BEER! SPTH serves more than 40 different beers on tap, and most are so good it's very hard to pick a favorite handful :-) The service here is wonderful - there are several staffers who speak good English, and helped us figure out what was where. We were encouraged to try a broad range of beers, which gave us a decent sense of what to order. Each of us ended up choosing different beers, but we all went away satisified. Even though we didn't really eat that night, the food looked and smelled very good; next time we'll have to not only drink, but eat too :-)