Among the best perks of my job is the opportunity to indulge my passion for perusing foreign…read moregrocery stores. I love combing the aisles for snacks, soaps, salts and other lovely non-liquid items that I can consume immediately or take back in my carry-on luggage. Quitanda is São Paulo's to Whole Foods. I was a fan before even stepping inside having sampled their fresh-pressed juices (especially the abacaxi com hortelã!) at a friend's place. Pay attention to the exotic (if you're not from Brazil) fruit selection at Quitanda - I found two of the biggest passion fruits I've ever seen there (and I used one to make maracujá #infusedwater - so good!) I was also impressed with the array of soap and picked up a local honey scented one to take home. This Pinheiros grocery store is definitely worth a nosey if you're curious what healthy Paulistas feast on.

My favorite place to buy groceries, Quitanda has bucked the trend of filling the center of the…read moresupermarket with crap and hiding the fresh food on the sides. Going there you can't help but leave with bags full of fresh produce which is beautifully displayed front and center in the store. At lunch they serve a healthy buffet which is a bit over priced, but I can overlook that, because I am the type who would rather buy one of their sushi to go plates and go eat it in the park. They have a great selection of frozen foods for celiacs and vegans in the back next to the organic foods. The bakery is pretty good, and the juices are awesome. It's the closest thing I've found to Trader Joe's in Brazil.

A wonderfully curated selection of Brazilian cheeses and knowledgable staff on hand to help put…read moretogether the perfect cheese plate. A nice selection of gifts for the cheese lover in your like. Particularly enjoyable when the Los Menditos wine truck is parked out the front.

Gourmet and frozen food are rarely in the same sentence. But Donnabella has pulled it off. I know,…read moreI couldn't believe it either. But then I tried their Carrot Ginger Soup. Now it's something I crave. Do your freezer a favor - Go to Donnabella and pick up a bunch of their gourmet frozen foods and stock your fridge. Then when you're home late from work and still want to eat well, you'll have a gourmet meal waiting for you. They also have a cute area to enjoy a pastry that is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the mouth.

Great location, cool vibe. I loved this place and will be back in my next trip to Sao Paulo, the…read more"Caipis de caju" so good!!

I had an acai bowl and tea. They had many options for healthy food and a great vibe. The place was…read morevery crowded on a Saturday afternoon. Everything I saw other people eat also looked delicious. Especially the salmon bowl.

I was on the hunt for coffee when I was staying in Vila Madalena and walked here one day. I had…read morejust arrived right before it started to down pour. I almost walked past the entrance from the street. They have a few different areas one could find a seat - every place had a covered ceiling so when it rains most every spot can be filled up. Lots of plants. I sat in the tiny room with the A/C with windows that faced the street - right behind the coffee bar. It kind of felt like I was inside a treehouse - it was nice to be there when it was raining outside. It was really peaceful I wish I had brought a book or my journal with me that day. When you walk inside through the glass doors, turn to your right and walk towards the coffee bar that looks like you're in a kitchen workspace. This is normal as this is where you will place your order. After you order, you can find your seat and it will be brought out to you. The entire space gives a semi-modernized artsy atmosphere. There is a larger space with sofa, accent chairs and tables near a bookshelf filled with different bags of coffee you could purchase as well as various coffee tools and accessories. They have more indoor/outdoor seating down the corridor you walk down when you first turn in from the street as well. Since I love espressos, I had to try the espresso tasting where they give you one small cup and one larger cup of espresso - both brewed the same way, just presented differently. Stir the smaller cup fast with the spoon and slower with the bigger cup. When you taste them, you will notice a difference as one will be more bitter and the other will have that fuller taste. I preferred the smaller cup as it had more of that dark espresso flavor. The staff are super friendly. There was someone there who helped me decide what to order and explained to me how to drink it when he had brought it out. It was also helpful that he knew a little bit of English. I wish I had came here more than just one time and I regret not buying a couple bags of coffee as the packaging is what drew me to the merch, but I was already overflowing with items in my suitcase.

Fun little coffee shop that is worth a visit if you are in the area…read more It is a good spot for bringing a laptop and doing some work. The food is nothing special, but the coffee is worth going for.

A neighborhood cultural center that, at least during weekends, gets transformed in to a market…read morewhere you can buy everything from clothes and jewelry to snacks, artisanal foods and sweets. Thus, a great place to support local artists and eat some nice food. When we visited there were also 4-5 food trucks parked outside. We shared a delicious pasta with a glass of wine that we consumed in the beach chairs outside. Great to combine with a visit to the Beco do Batman 'graffiti lane'.