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.

There is grocery paradise in São Paulo and it goes by the name of Empório Santa Luzia…read more I have been coming to this emporium for quite some time and have never left this place disappointed - you can get almost anything that you need her and they do a lot of their own imports guaranteeing you with delicacies from around the world and they also have a whole section dedicated to gluten-free food including an in-house nutritionist who can guide you if needed. They have a wonderful Rotisseria where you can pick up great in-house prepared meals or dishes as per your needs. Their fruits & veggies section also is great.One of Santa Luzia's greatest parts is their cafe upstairs - simply put, they serve one the best espresso macchiatos in the city. The management behind this emporium run it really well, the cashier counters, always full, are extremely efficiently managed - even on the busiest of days, I have never waited in line for over 10 mins to get to the cashier. The staff and the helpers are very polite and always around in case you need to find a products. So why doesn't everyone go to Santa - all the quality comes at a price, if you want to get your packaged commodities you are better off at other supermarkets but if you want good fruit, veggies, breads, cold-cuts, gluten-free products, Santa Luzia is where you should go.

Great grocery store! Really big but can be a bit crowded. I love the deli section, it's affordable…read moreand delicious. There's 2 floors but I found all my groceries and household goods on the first floor so can't say what's upstairs.

I stopped here to get a few souvenirs and I'm glad I did (the selection at the airport sucks and is…read morealmost twice the cost!). I purchased two bottles of Cachaca, around $13 each (77 reals total). They also had a nice bottle, around 130 reals which was a bit out of my budget but if you're interested in a good bottle, they have them. They also had a good selection Brazilian wines, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, all great gifts to bring home.

Groceries are tough in the city that never sleeps, though; this one is among my favorite places to…read moredo groceries. Their bulk section is great, fruits and veggies have great prices, though their quality is okay, great options for poultry, either raw or a big selection of seasoned poultry; fish is always a hit or miss... Just avoid their pork, and ground beef... Their ground beef is made of mysterious meat... Overall a good place to shop. Have you ever hear of the saying to not to go grocery shopping with an empty stomach? Well, that's one of their differentials that is actually a great plus, their cafeteria is actually pretty good and very well portioned.

My favorite supermarket in São Paulo ..... love the Koi pond ... good stuff variety and quality.read more