Restaurants serving Brazilian food in São Paulo

Brazil is in vogue in Brazil. Ever since Europeans and Americans fell in love with all things Brazilian, from caipirinhas and bossa nova to Gisele and her Havaianas flip flops, Brazilians began to see their country with new eyes. With all the new restaurants in São Paulo proudly serving banana, black bean or coconut dishes, it’s hard to believe that up until recently, native products, like cachaça (sugarcane spirit), goiabada (guava sweet) and rapadura (hardened sugarcane molasses) were shunned by top chefs. Brazilians always enjoyed their local food at home or at their favourite pub, but fine dining had to be French or Italian-based. The more imported ingredients like saffron, funghi and aspargus, the better.
The first to challenge this view were French chefs who moved to Rio in the 80’s. Laurent Suaudeau and Claude Troisgros, amazed by the exotic fruits and vegetables, introduced them into their classical French cuisine. Now, a new generation of chefs in São Paulo is following their lead, and finding sophisticated ways of cooking with Brazilian ingredients that were once considered too pedestrian.

Shortly after opening D.O.M., in 2000, Alex Atala began pairing black beans with foie gras, and giving fresh fishes from the Amazon a place of honour on his menu.

Since then the trend picked up, with the recent opening of restaurants where local takes preference over imports. At the charming Maní (pictured above), model-turned-chef Helena Rizzo and her partner Daniel Redondo (ex-Celler de Can Roca) give the humble manioc royal treatment, with a drizzle of truffle oil. A sparkly cachaça jelly and Brazil nut shavings crown her foie gras terrine.

More food expert than chef, Ana Luiza Trajano opened early in 2006 Brasil a Gosto (pictured below, its bar area) – a high-design place on a leafy, secluded street - after a long exploratory voyage throughout the country to research regional recipes and customs.


She serves lighter, up-to-date renderings of traditional dishes such as fish stew (moqueca) with rice and also her own combinations of native ingredients, such as tucunaré, an Amazonian fish, served with manioc. And a starter of queijo coalho, a white cheese that is charred on the outside, commonly eaten as a snack at the beaches of the Northeast Region (Nordeste).




At Capim Santo, in the same Jardins district, young chef Morena Leite, from Bahia state, is turning fruits like jabuticaba and pitanga into sauces, and baking ritzier versions of the coconut and guava sweets of her childhood.

Now there are even newer restaurants specializing in Brazilian food. Dalva e Dito, for one, which I described in detail here. And soon-to-open Chafariz.

Brasil a Gosto: Rua Professor Azevedo do Amaral, 70, tel. 55-11-3086-3565, Capim Santo: Al. Ministro Rocha Azevedo, 471, tel. 55-11-3068-8486 D.O.M.: Rua Barão de Capanema, 549, tel. 55-11-3088-0761 Maní: Rua Joaquim Antunes, 210, tel. 55-11-3085-4148

Trancoso and Espelho, in Bahia: top 5 things to do

This top-five list is not meant for first-timers, since it doesn't include the obvious must-sees of Trancoso and Espelho, such as the beaches themselves or a stroll through the Quadrado for window shopping followed by drinks and/or dinner. Rather, this is a very personal list of the things I love to do when I'm there...

1- Spend a day fishing aboard the boat owned by local legend Calá
Calá is the legendary hippie who moved from São Paulo to his private paradise at Espelho. A ceramist and designer of amazing talent, he owns a stunning farm-cum-boutique-inn at Espelho das Maravilhas that is called, fittingly, Fazenda Calá. Perched on a cliff overlooking the azure sea, the whitewashed "casas" are reminiscent of Mykonos, if it weren't for the greenery surrounding them. All is decorated very tastefully, and rustically. What few people know is that Calá's boat is available for rent even for non-guests. After a day of fishing, the group can eat their catch for a late, lazy lunch overlooking the sea - sunsets at Espelho reflect on the water in a myriad colours and are spectacular, hence the name Espelho das Maravilhas, or Mirror of Marvels. The rental costs a mere 250 reais plus the cost of the meal, which is optional.



When you call, ask to speak to Anderson.
Fazenda Calá: tel.(55-73) 3668-5112

2- Dinner at Il Mercato
If there are at least ten choices of places to eat on the Quadrado, Il Mercato is certainly the one with the best ambiance. A small façade leads to an immense interior on descending levels, with, at the end, an open lounge with day beds and gorgeous sea views.





Lamb risotto is nicely al dente, while the caprese salad is equally satisfying. But let's be honest: this isn't top-rate Italian food. But in this kind of magical, lantern-lit setting, who cares?
Il Mercato: Tel. (55-73) 3668-2250

3- Dinner at Maritaca
During high-season, which ends after Carnival, dining at Maritaca feels like being in a posh São Paulo restaurant. Kaftan and Havaianas-clad beauties air-kiss and gossip and half the place seems to know the other half - a bit of a club, if you get me. However, even first-timers who don't know a soul will appreciate the impeccable pizzas, the ice-cold chopps and the warm, comfortable room, with fans humming and delightful pizza aromas wafting from the wood-fired oven.



Rua Carlos Alberto Parracho, tel. (55-73) 3668-1258

4 - A beer and an empadinha at Capim Santo
I love Capim - a Trancoso classic which started as a restaurant and grew to be a top-notch pousada. My favourite thing about it is the early evening drink I like to have by the pool. Usually, cold beer with a portion of empadinhas, delicious Brazilian pastries filled with shrimp or heart of palm. It's right off the Quadrado and the owners Nando and Sandra are absolutely delightful hosts.
Tel. (55-73) 3668-1122


5 - Pull an all-nighter
You don't know Trancoso until you pull your first all-nighter. New Year's eve is a good time to start, but throughout the high season great little parties happen here and there, unofficially, broadcasted only by word-of-mouth. The receptionist at your pousada won't know about them: you'll just have to get to know a few of the right people...

Trancoso, in Bahia: the best restaurants

Il Mercato - Restaurant with the best ambiance

Right smack in the middle of the famed Quadrado - Trancoso's main square - Il Mercato is the prettiest restaurant in town. A tiny façade hides a sprawling multi-level interior, on levels descending towards the sea. The different rooms are filled with oversize pillows and Moroccan lanterns. The open patio at the end is the best spot for breezy, boozy dinners, and has three niches separated by billowy curtains. Lamb risotto is cooked to al dente perfection, while the Caprese fetuccini, crowned with plump, soft cubes of buffalo mozzarella, is one of the top sellers.
Tel. (073) 2668-2250

Capim Santo
Rua do Beco, next to the Quadrado
Tel. (55-73)3668-1122
One of the first restaurants of Trancoso, this classic sits at the entrance of the eponymous pousada and is a perennial favorite. It specializes in fish and seafood with typically Brazilian ingredients, such as mango, coconut and farofa. The best tables are the outdoor ones.

Silvana
Praça S. João (Quadrado)
Tel. (55-73)3668-1049
Right on the Quadrado, Silvana’s tables on the grass are perfect for people watching. Simple restaurant serving huge moquecas which are considered the best in town, and other hearty fish and seafood dishes.

El Gordo
Praça S. João (Quadrado)
Tel. (55-73)3668-1193

Hip and loungey restaurant serving pricey and ambitious food. Tables have ocen views and are squeezed on a patio next to this pousada’s pool. Menu is out of touch with the Trancoso vibe: dishes include rack of lamb with Dijon and honey sauce (65 reais), grilled salmon (55 reais), duck breast with caramelized apple (40 reais), risotto with lobster and aspargus (60 reais). Note: dishes and prices were accurate in February of 2008 and may have changed.

Maritaca
Rua Carlos Alberto Parracho
Tel. (55-73)3668-1258
Beautiful pizzeria with high ceilings and a wood-fired oven in the center of the room. Terracota roof tiles and bird prints on the wall give it a colonial feel. Frequented by posh paulistas and cariocas who flock here to see and be seen during high season. Great thin-crust pizzas – make sure to try the one topped with arugula, a specialty. Best draft beer in town.


Masala
Rua do Telégrafo
Tel. (55-73)3668-1872

Portinha
Praça S. João (Quadrado)
Tel. (55-73)3668-1054
The place to go when in a hurry or very hungry. A small colonial house on the quadrado has been converted into this hugely popular restaurant where an obscene amount of food is placed on a buffet and sold “por quilo”, or by weight. The typically Brazilian dishes – think rice, beans, farofa, picadinho, etc. – are quite good considering they sit on a hot buffet for hours. A true bargain.

Pé na Praia
My absolute favourite place to eat on the beach in Trancoso. It doesn't really have an address. Simply walk down from the Quadrado to the beach and when you hit the sand turn right and walk for about 30 minutes until you're at the end of the praia do Rio Verde. Or, if you're lazy, get in a cab and say "eu vou no Peh na Praia, no rio Verde". Done.
There, you can grab a wooden table right on the sand, or a hammock. Service is fast and efficient, and the beer always served perfectly chilled. Great rice and beans, great chicken and beef skewers.


O Cacau
Praça S. João (Quadrado)
Tel. (55-73)3668-1266
Very famous restaurant with pleasant tropical-looking ambiance. Overpriced and overrated in my opinion. Annoyingly innefficient service.

Trancoso, in Bahia: beach, parties and glam

Every holiday weekend the Porto Seguro airport in Brazil’s sunny Bahia state is a hive of activity as São Paulo’s gliteratti flock en masse – many by private jet - to nearby Trancoso, which has gone from sleepy fishing village to the country’s most glam and exclusive beach destination. Big-name musicians and fashion types are often spotted walking the soft-sand beach by day, and by night, mingling at the open-air restaurants like the always lively Capim Santo (Praça do Beco, 55, tel. 55-73-3668-1122) and lantern-lit lounges which will soon outnumber the charming native-run fish houses. On a bluff overlooking the sea, the stylishly restored candy-colored colonial houses that ring the grassy main square (at right) sell everything from signature jewelry by Syomara Crespi (Praça São João, 78, tel. 55-73-3668-1814) to designer beachwear and jeans flown in from São Paulo at Etnia (Praça São João, 33, 55-73-3668-1669). Yet despite the hype Trancoso remains blissfully quaint, tranquil and free of crowds – at least for now.

Here is a comprehensive listing of hotels and pousadas:

Gorgeous mansion for rent in the Terravista gated development

While Trancoso has dozens of small pousadas - or inns - many in-the-know paulistas prefer renting luxury homes so they can have a full staff at their service and lots of room to entertain. One of the most gorgeous houses I've ever seen in Trancoso, in the Terravista gated development, is often up for rent. Overlooking the eponymous golf course, the house has a wopping 6 bedrooms, decorated with colonial-style furniture and bird prints with the help of neighbour and friend Sig Bergamin, one of Brazil's top interior designers. The mansion keeps it casual with whitewashed walls and boasts a beautifully landscaped inner courtyard. Wide verandahs with plus patio furniture face the gardens and pool.
For prices and more information, call (55-11) 3889-0019





Jacaré do Brasil
Pça. São João, 9 (Quadrado)
Tel. (55-73)3081-6109
Best location at the oceanside edge of the Quadrado, best ocean views, best vibe. Only a few rooms, all with their own kitchen. Incredible design. Absolutely unbeatable.
To read a full post about this pousada and to see photos, please click here.

Uxua
Just opened, also at Praça São João, which is the Quadrado's official name.
To read a full post on it click here.

Pousada Estrela d'Água
Estrada do Arraial (Praia dos Nativos), 1,5 km
Tel. (55-73)3668-1030

By far the best-known pousada of all, it's also a favourite beach hangout for Brazilian socialites: the beach bar serves food and drinks on the beach (above). The pool area is reserved for guests only (below). The hotel is a member of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux association.


Pousada Etnia
Rua Principal
Tel. (55-73)3668-1137
The location is far from perfect: it's on a busy and unattractive section of the cobbled main thoroughfare. But once inside it becomes clear why this is a favourite of Europeans: the Italian owners have designed each bungalow in a different theme, to stunning effect. Breakfast is served on a breezy pavillion overlooking the pool and gardens.

El Gordo Pousada

Praça S. João (Quadrado)
Tel. (55-73)3668-1193
The Achiles heel of this overpriced pousada is the fact that its pool (at left) is crammed between the restaurant-lounge (shown below) and the reception, offering zero privacy to sunbathing guests. Great location, spacious rooms, tastefully decorated.

Mata N'ativa Pousada
Estr. do Arraial (Praia dos Nativos)
Cute pousada very near the Nativos beach (not the best beach). Down a steep hill - hence walking distance - from the Quadrado.
Tel. (55-73)3668-1830


Pousada Capim Santo
Rua do Beco, Pça. S. João (Quadrado)
Tel. (55-73)3668-1122
Where I always stay. Love the airy bathrooms (at left). Enough said.


Hotel da Praça
Pça. S. João (Quadrado)
Tel. (55-73)3668-2121
Lovely airy lounge area and restaurant facing lush gardens make up (almost) for the cramped rooms and lack of pool. Great location, right on the Quadrado.

Club Med
Fazenda Taípe, Estrada Municipal, km 18 (Praia de Taípe), 8 km
Tel. (55-73)3575-8400
This is actually not in Trancoso, but a bit North of it, in Arraial d'Ajuda. The pros are the unbeatable infrastructure (especially for families) and the Terravista golf. The cons are being isolated and far from the action of the Quadrado, which is a 20 minute cab ride away, and having to walk down a million steps to the beach, since the hotel sits on a high bluff (photo below).



Puerto Bananas, a.k.a. Porto Bananas
Quadrado, Tel. (55-73) 3668-1017
Cute little pousada right on the Quadrado and next door to Cacau, one of the better restaurants of Trancoso. No pool, but lots of gardens. Best rooms are on the second floor of the bungalows - airier, better view, less noise. Very popular with the São Paulo crowd.


Villas de Trancoso
Estr. do Arraial (Praia dos Nativos), 2 km
Tel. (55-73)3668-1151
Owned by an American and very pricey.

Bahia Bonita Club
Rio Verde beach, Tel. (55-73) 3668-1565
Set right on the best beach there is, so perfect for those who like to lounge by the sea all day long. Great feel, thanks to, among other things, full integration with the surrounding greenery plus a "floorless" lounge area set right on the sand. Some suites have A/C, others use fans and ocean breezes for cooling. During the high season (Christmas until after Carnival) the beach turns into a "beach club", serving pricey food and drinks and playing ounge music.


Pousada Calypso
Parque Municipal
Tel. (55-73)3668-1113


Pousada Mundo Verde
R. do Telégrafo, 43
Tel. (55-73)3668-1279
Slightly tacky for my taste, but very clean and proper little rooms with balconies. The pool (at right) has ugly plastic chaises but gorgeous views of the sea below. Secluded and quiet yet only a 5-minute walk from the Quadrado.

Pousada Encantada
R. Joao Vieira de Jesus
Tel. (55-73)3668-2024


Pousada Ramona
Rua Jovelino Rodrigues Vieira, 100
Tel. (55-73)3668-1103


Café Esmeralda
Praça S. João (Quadrado)
Tel. (55-73)3668-1527

Casa Itália
Alameda dos Colibris
Tel. (55-73)3668-1062
Small pool, lush tropical gardens, only half a km from the Quadrado.


Pousada do Bosque
Rua Bom Jesus (Caminho da Praia)
Tel. (55-73)3668-1040


Pousada Hibisco
Rua Bom Jesus
Tel. (55-73)3668-1117


Pousada Jardim das Margaridas
R. Jovelino Rodrigues Vieira, 230
Tel. (55-73)3668-1108


Pousada Quarto Crescente
R. Principal
Tel. (55-73)3668-1014


Pousada Som do Mar
Estr. do Arraial (Praia dos Nativos), 1 km
Tel. (55-73)3668-1812
The location, right by the Nativos beach, is not great.