The Concrete Monolith

The business hub of Brazil, São Paulo has a wide selection of dining experiences including local fare and a wide selection of international cuisine.

Quick Tips:

Although the rate of street crime in Brazil has steadily declined from it's peak in the last decade, caution should be taken when travelling, especially if travelling alone. Avoid flashy jewelry or expensive clothing and carry money and do not carry all your money or valuables in one place on your person.

Best Way To Get Around:

São Paulo has one of the best reputed subway systems in the world, but public transit buses should be avoided. Overcrowded and often dangerous taxis are preferred. Several different kinds of taxi services are available.

Located at West 46o, 39' 55.5' - South 23o, 33' 29.6', or for those less latitudinally inclined, in the Jardim district of São Paulo, O'Malley's walking in you could swear you were in Dublin... until your waitress speaks to you in Portuguese.

O'Malley's touts itself as São Paulo's favourite Irish bar & gringo hangout, and that very well may be true. Pub fare that would seem standard in Ireland or England or North America becomes fantastic in this São Paulo pub if you're missing a taste of home. Atmosphere is friendly and fun, the music is good, even if it's not always celtic, and they have 28 varieties of beer on tap. There are nights where they favour the best of the 60's or the 80's depending on who's behind the bar.

If you're staying at The Maksoud Plaza, Paulista Wall Street, Crowne Plaza, Della Volpe, Ceasar Park, Sheraton, Intercontinental, Hilton, Brashilton or the Renaissance (or I suppose anywhere near there), O'Malley's will even pick you up and, as they put it, drive you to drink. They offer services such as classified and referrals for expats and visitors for English speaking professionals in the city.

The bar does have a home page, but regrettably, it's a bit cretinish. If you like you can go at your own risk to: www.gomalleys.com

'The refined flavour of meat' is the motto of this restaurant area. The churrascaria experience is a divine one for carnivores. A flat dinner rate at about R $ 25.00 (Brazilian Reis), salad and most vegetables, side dishes including paella, salmon, deep sea crab and sushi are available on a buffet. Back at the table, an indicator is available for you to signal to the waitstaff that you would like to be served. When it is turned towards green waiter after waiter will bring around long skewers of roasted meat. A vast variety of cuts of beef and pork are featured, as well as some chicken and turkey. I am not a red meat eater, and sometimes find churrascarias to be light on the poultry side of things, but this one has a nice balance of meats and cuts in a pleasant, but casual atmosphere.

Like thousands of little nightclubs that dot the city, Mosteiro is hidden in a quiet little side street. The building is an unassuming little place that looks more like it might be a restaurant than a Live Music Drinking and Dance house. It's just far enough down Rua Cunha Gago that you're sure you must have gotten the address wrong, but a little black and yellow sign in an funky font tells you you've stumbled upon it. Inside, the terra cotta brick walls that are so common in all of the construction in Brazil are left bare. A small bar that no one sits at and a wider area with tables, a modest dance floor and a small stage. The bathrooms may be unkempt, the bar may be small, but the best part about it is the frequency of Live Music. Often showcasing bands that do a mix of National Samba and covers of American music, audience members are often welcome onstage to perform with the band. A great place for the after work decompress or a birthday celebration.

A stylish cigar and martini bar, The Havana Club, located in the Renaissance Hotel, exudes the style, grace and charm of Havana in the 1940's. Beautifully designed with sections for dining, cigar smoking, lounging and a lovely elivated circular dancefloor. It's worth the exorbitant cover charge if your idea of a romantic evening out includes dancing to Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Brazilian croon. Alternately it would make a great location to shmooze a client over a wet lunch.

Three kind of taxi services are available to get around São Paulo (and Brazil in general; Standard, Radio and Luxury. Although many taxis do have a roof ornament that identifies them or writing on the side, it is not a uniform practice, as one would find in North America, taxi drivers are required to purchase a special kind of licence, and registered cab services should always have red licence plates.

Standard cabs are boarded at 'Ponto do Taxis' around the city. These stands are found on every other block in the central districts of the city and are hard to miss. Radio taxis are slightly more expensive and must be called in. Luxury cabs are substantially more expensive and require an advance booking or long term contract.

The subway system (Metro) in São Paulo is clean and safe to use, they run regularly and dependablbly and most stations have some form (mural, statue) of local art. Buses on the otherhand should generally be avoided, as they are often overcrowded and sometimes dangerous in certain areas of town.

The major problem with navigating through São Paulo is the traffic which never seems to diminish. Traffic jams are not uncommon at four o'clock in the morning, and gridlock frequently occurs throughout the city during peak periods 6-10 am and 4-8 pm. Taxi rides can end up quite expensive as fares are calculated between distance and time occupied, and driving through the sometimes steep and often badly kept roads of the city can be a nightmare.

Most Bars and Nightlife in São Paulo do not charge a 'cover' or entrance fee. Rather, a mimimum consumtion charge is required. Standard pub, bar or nightclub M.C. is R$5.00, high class lounges can range in the R$30.00 range. Generally patrons are assigned a number, given a swipe card or a tally sheet at the door of the establishment. Any purchases you make are allocated to the card or sheet and payment is made before exit. Sometimes, a testament to the bureaucratic nature of Brazillian society, once your payment is made a second card is issued to you allowing your exit. A word to the wise: loss of the tally card or exit card entitles the establishment to charge you a *maximum* consumption fee that is usually worth hundreds of Brazilian Reis.

A great diversity of accomodations exist in São Paulo. For long term stays, the vast variety of flat services, particularly in the Jardim district are recommended.

More will be added later. Until then, for short term or vacation purposes, the Hotel Circuit is attached below.

Word to the wise: It is best to research both your hotel and the neighbourhood you will be staying in. In a city as vast and complex as this one, location *is* everything, including safety.