With the warm wallpaper, leather seats and dim lighting, the Admiral has the feel of a…read moreprohibition-time 'speakeasy'. We spent some time here before heading downstairs to the restaurant (Sal Gastronomia - 2 stars for us). Our waiter was great and engaging. He suggested an excellent Italian Primitivo. We also had a (warm) Brie with blueberry compote and fresh, warm, bread. Delicious. They also have a very cool collection of whiskeys, but this requires deep pockets. Only small negative is that they don't have a 'sales agreement' with the restaurant. They did bring our bottle and glasses downstairs when a table opened up, but once seated, we couldn't order another bottle from the Admiral's wine list.

I went on a Thursday evening to see a jazz set and have a couple of drinks. I was disappointed when…read moreI got there because there weren't any tables available, but I discovered that the bar is the best place to sit. Half the fun in trying the drinks was watching the bartender meticulously prepare your drink, with great attention to detail. I admit it can get pricey depending on what and how much you drink, but it is a worthwhile experience.

Rabo di Galo in Sao Paulo is your reason to stop by the Rosewood Hotel. Located just beside the…read morerestaurant Le Jardin (which earned a 4/5 star rating and wholehearted recommendation from us previously), this bar has a vibrant and lively vibe while still giving you the warmth and intimacy of a world-class speakeasy. Upon entering, you'll feel like you've been invited to a private performance, where the guest list includes only a select handful of Sao Paulo's elite. The decor and limited seating reminded us of the roaring 20s with a modern twist. We've been fortunate enough to get a table here twice - both times having the great fortune of hearing Aline perform. If you see Aline on the lineup here, it's worth going out of your way as her charisma and talent light up the room. The drinks were expertly made and only enhanced the experience. Alongside your traditional cocktails, we tried the Aloa - a non-alcoholic offering. It was sweet and refreshing and the perfect sipping companion to the evening. For deserts, we had the Parfait and the Mil-Folhas which were middle-of-the-road and nothing to write home about. But to be honest, that's not what you're there for. What Rabo di Galo promises, it delivers in spades; a wonderfully unique and intimate setting, world-class talent, attentive staff, and drinks to wrap the whole experience together. Upon leaving, you'll wish you could stay til sunrise. Rabo di Galo was a surprising find for us and will be coming back soon. We rate this bar a 5/5 and give it a personal recommendation.

On one of my last night in Sao Paulo, I stopped by SubAstor for some late night drinks. Not to be…read moreconfused with Astor, SubAstor is located within Astor. You walk straight through the restaurant and then make a left to go down the stairs to bring you to this speakeasy. I've always been a fan of speakeasies. There's something special about the dim lighting, the craft cocktails made with care, the elegance, and the nod to Prohibition times. SubAstor delivered. We sat at a small table in the middle of the bar and the service we received was great. I tried two cocktails, one of which was gin-based, and they were both 5/5. If you're looking for a romantic bar with some great ambiance, SubAstor is a great place to check out. It was one of my favorite bars I visited during my trip to Brazil.

Located a floor under Astor, veiled in thick velvet curtains is one of São Paulo's most stylish…read morebars - SubAstor. The bar is very well decorated with hints of speakeasy inspirations, a beautifully lit bar balcony and comfortable seating arrangements. With decent ambience music and perfectly lit settings, the bar as all the makings of a winner but however when it comes to the drinks, it falls a tad bit short, especially if you have been drinking at some of the fantastic bars in São Paulo like Boca de Ouro & Frank. Recently the winner of the best drinks menu and under the supervision of an italian bartender, Fabio LaPietra, SubAstor is focussed to serving a stylish, albeit "lighter' & a more tropical version of drinks. They have a cube with around 24 drinks, all drinks on the cube priced at R$ 29 (as of 19/11/2015) most of which are house versions of the famous classics. I tried 2 drinks from the cube - Kentucky-Tivo (Bourbon based drink) and Ceará Vs. 007 (house version of Vesper) - the Kentucky-Tivo was beautiful to look at but a bit boring to drink with bourbon almost missing, the Ceará Vs. 007 was much better and definitely made up for the Kentucky-Tivo dullness. Just to try, I ordered a Manhattan with Woodford Reserve (they charge R$ 40 for this) and it was good, not excellent but it was good. SubAstir is a cool bar, a bar where you can hang out with friends who aren't so familiar with cocktails, you can bring a date here (get in early, if you want to sit) - however the popularity of the place leads it to getting overcrowded especially Thu-Fri-Sat and the due to overcrowding service tends to get a bit slow. Fabio is a great bartender but he is faced with a full house almost every evening and it gets difficult for him to make/supervise the bar 100%. I would recommend SubAstor to newbies, for dates, for a 'lighter' bar experience.