When Rogerio S. told me about this shawarma place, I was very keen to try it - if done right…read moreshawarma is one of the best 'fast foods' that has come out of the Middle east..so with some high expectations I went to this place and I couldn't be more pleased. The place is really tiny - as Matthew C. puts it, it shouldn't be over 4m² but the tiny space is very well organised - there is rotisserie on one end, and a grill towards the inside of the store and a fridge with soft drinks and water options in the front. There is a table with 2 chairs on the sidewalk, so you can either sit & eat or just eat on your feet too. Ahmad, the owner, is very polite & patient and while I was there (first time on a Saturday afternoon), a few curious onlookers passed by and he would explain to them what a shawarma is. His 'simpatia' is a major bonus for this place. Regarding the food, he has 2 options - a deliciously spiced chicken shawarma and fabulous falafels - each for R$ 12 (price is another attractive factor). Both the options are really well prepared and served in a version of the thinner version of the 'Khubz' bread (i need to check this with him) along with the tahini and other toppings. Also Ahmad really rolls the shawarma & falafel in such a way that the sauce doesn't leak at the end and one can eat while standing or on the move without creating a mess. Both the shawarma & the falafel are very delicious and well served and even though you're like full after one, you just want some more. It's really good to see proper ethnic street foods being sold in Sao Paulo and Halabi is truly a gem - will definitely be returning more time.

A tiny little hole in the wall kiosk just off Paulista Av. The shop is no bigger than 4m² and just…read moreserves homemade chicken kebabs. The bread is made by a French Baker in SP and Ahmad makes the kebab meat. The kebabs are fresh and tasty. For only 12 reais you can't go wrong with this little place. After Pinati, this place would take my vote for 2nd best kebab in Sao Paulo.

I'd easily give a 1000 star review if I could. SMG is a gem of its own, really. Surrounded by small…read morebusinesses, tucked in Morumbi neighbourhood, right behind the cemetery. This hole in the wall wouldn't drag you in due to its simplicity, a few tables outside, small parking lot filled with cars, fluorescent lights, counter deli, and packed with people. Been here twice already and can't wait to go there again. As I'd mentioned before, this place is a gem, it's a mom and pop shop where owner Stephan greets all patrons and his wife takes orders. Why did I took so long to write a 1000 star review for a place like this? Simple, this place deserves a detailed review. Here we go, what did I eat? Glad you asked: Basterma, fresh curd: Have never tasted anything like this! Slices of cured meat with some paprika, rolled on some fresh zesty curd, topped off with pistachios. Got an extra sunny side up egg to enrich this experience. Bottarga: thin slices of cured bottarga. Thought that only the Japanese ate cured mullet roe... My bad! Must love fish, SMG's Bottarga is beautiful. Pungent taste although not overpowering. Esfiha de Cebola: onion sfiha. Two words to describe an amazing morsel of food! Sfiha bread is light and crisp, filled with a cream of caramelised onions, curd, topped with crispy fried onions. All sfihas here good, but this one is outstanding. Kibe Montado: steak tartare, baked kibe, steak tartare, fattoush like salad, fresh curd, crispy fried onions, mint. It's amazing how fresh each ingredient is and how it blends all together. Hans' couscous: Hey now, that's how Stephan calls it! Semolina couscous, prawns, shrimp, mussels, octopus, fish, squid. Just imagine all these fresh seafood cooked in slow simmered made to order with spices, herbs, tomatoes, peppers, than some semolina couscous to soak up all juices... Chocolate Mousse: damn. Semi sweet chocolate mousse topped off with crushed roasted pistachios. Damn. Knefe: ricotta, phyllo, angel hair, preserved apricot. An explosion of textures, softness from ricotta, sweet from apricots, saltiness from ricotta, and lots of crunch! Bolo de Pistache: (Pistacchio cake): pistachio crust, pistachio filling. pistachio syrup. A tad dry with all these pistachios, but great burst of flavour of... You've got it! Pistachio! Can't wait to return! Oh btw, this place is jammed packed, they only take reservations until 1 or 2pm and after that is pure madness, but worth the wait!

This is absolutely the best middle east cuisine in town. You must get there for early lunch…read moreotherwise the waiting will be too long. They don't have many tables. They also have great sfihas for take out.

This is a little spot in the mall we were craving something to eat late night and it was delicious…read more We had the keyboard and the SV have and it hit the spot. The waiter was friendly. The food came out fast and it's clean. It's nice in the shopping mall.

O restaurante estava bem cheio, sentamos na mesa do fundo e logo o garçom veio nos atender…read more Recebemos o menu escolhemos o que queríamos. Pedimos o kibe cru, Kibe assado, charuto de folha de uva, 2 esfihas abertas de queijo, 2 de carne e 1 esfiha fechada de carne com queijo coalho. Os pratos vieram relativamente rápidos porém separados. O Kibe cru estava muito bom porém nada surpreendente, a textura foi o que mais me agradou. O Kibe assado estava com o gosto e tempero bom mas bem seco. As esfihas foram a melhor parte, as abertas estavam bem macias e fofas, já a fechada estava desmanchando e super aguada, não gostei. O charuto tinha textura boa mas faltava algo no tempero, estavam nadando em óleo o que eu achei horrível. O preço foi um absurdo e na minha opinião não valeu a pena.

This is a great place if you want good quality, unpretentious and awesome price. All that with…read moregreat taste and a nice ambiance. They accept Grubster and that shaves off 30% of your bill, so totally worth it.

Amazing hummus, Falafels and salads. The number of option in each are humongous. The ambience is…read morelaid back and relaxed and probably that's why you can see lots of people choosing to come here at any time of the day.

Seriously good esfihas. Although im not an expert with esfihas, I could say these were the best ive…read moretried in SP. They have a few over meals on the menu such as omeletes, Armenian rice anf kaftas. There is a buffet for $4.69 100g during lunch as well which I didnt see. The desserts arent up to the standard of the esfihas unfortunately.

With so many restaurants in the area offering Mediterranean food, it can be confusing to know where…read moreto eat. I'd read about Baruk on prior trips to Sao Paulo, but always ended up deciding to eat other places. I wish I'd been here earlier! My co-worker and I went twice during my business trip, and I almost never go to the same restaurant twice during a trip! We ordered the rodizio, which included small plates of many of the dishes they offer. It was a great chance to try a lot of different things and only get refills on the items you like best. Of course, I wanted refills on almost everything! :) They have an English menu, so it made ordering easier despite the staff speaking very little English. They were patient with us and we were able to communicate without any issues, so if you don't speak Portuguese you can still enjoy this restaurant. Everything was fresh, seasoned well, and incredibly tasty. We enjoyed it so much that we both agreed we wanted Baruk to be the restaurant we visited on our last night in Sao Paulo. I'm already looking forward to my next trip to the area so I can go back!

It's quiet. Cozy. Casual. It is Arabic, not Brazilian, but it is located in Brazil. Rumor has it…read morethat Florida has a similar one as well? As next year rolls around, I'm heavily excited to finally visit some of my friend's family in Brazil next summer. I have a good friend who has an aunt who absolutely adores this place and sometimes will send us ideas so we can make our own versions at home. These cafes are extremely popular in areas of São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo and more. They are fast food, but more restaurant based as it's better to dine in. The cafes are targeted in mostly for a dessert or snack bar of those who have a sweet tooth. But don't be let down by just the sweet tooth side, they are serious in serving some hummus, vegetable rolls, Kibe Assado, sandwiches, steaks, entire entrees of them. It is exciting. We don't have this my state. The inside of the restaurant is very, very, big and very casual. It's a spacious place to really just enjoy a place to eat. I recommend anyone to try this cafe asap if you're flying out to Brazil!!!