Forever brooding in the shadow of knockout sis Rio, São Paulo rarely makes it onto Tonya tourist’s bucket list. But then, that’s all the more reason to go…
Beyond the snarling traffic and forbidding concrete facades, the City of Drizzle (a moniker which, let’s face it, should’ve been nabbed by London) secrets away gastro wizardry, fab Braz fashion, edgy street art, a thumping nightlife, and so much ‘tude it makes Kanye seem like a kitten.
If you want all of the above in one neat nabe, dogleg it to boho enclave Vila Madalena, perched in the hilly west of sprawling Sampa.
Note: all decent hotel options are located in upmarket Jardins (and for maxi style points, we suggest the Fasano). Wait for the rush-hour heave to die down before cabbing it to VM, which should take around 15 mins.
Start your day – as would any self-respecting Brazilian – with a darn good cuppa joe. Our hands-down fave is Coffee Lab, a gorgeous leafy courtyard-cum-caff with an in-house roaster, knowledgeable staff and experimental coffee rituals that will blow your Starbucks-saturated mind. No lattes here, Lil.
Art collectors, have your chequebook at the ready: there are two heavyweights in the area, each with a very different edge, but both packing some serious punch. Fortes Vilaça is a clean boite of major contempo names (and is flanked by a few other interesting galls); while Choque Cultural, in a converted townhouse next to jaw-dropping graffiti-spattered alleyway Beco do Batman (another must), is a rather more grit-cool urban collective. Or if your budget is modest and you’re on the market for some mind-bending original prints, A7MA is a cute lil’ corner filled with young artists – grab a perch, post-purchase, for a beer and a chinwag with the friendly proprietors.
Can’t stop the shop? Although sadly lacking in pocket-tingling gents’ attire, Brazil has a wealth of homegrown talent running an eye over the female form, with many labels, by some miracle (or huge oversight), only available locally. For a sophisticated but modern take on the urban palette, established label Uma offers clean-cut, structured womenswear, while the youth set should beeline to Heloisa Faria for retrofied silk frocks and bold accoutrements.
Another bafflingly overlooked facet of Brazilian culture is the food. Amüse carries a weird and wonderful cache of infused olive oils and butters, and other house-made treats, and just across the road, Empório Sagarana has wall-to-wall regional craft ales and a dizzying display of rare cachaças.
But if shopping’s not your bag, rock up to Vila Madalena later in the day (and we mean Latino late, as in post-10pm) for the bubbly ambience spilling out of any number of the botecos lining Rua Aspicuelta. For smarter sips, slink over to deco darling Astor for a knee-weakening selection of 14 martinis (the passionfruit and chilli combo is to die for), then brace yourself for sweaty, grinding rump-to-rump rowdiness, shimmying to a live Chorinho soundtrack well into the wee hours at LUXE fave, Ó do Borogodó.
But this is merely skimming the surface: a sprawling, profound city begs a tightly curated guide, so arm yourself with a LUXE São Paulo and we’ll show you only the very best of beautiful, beloved Sampa. Opa!
Fasano, Vitório Fasano 88, Jardins. +55 11 3896 4000. fasano.com.br
Coffee Lab, Fradique Coutinho 1340, Vila Madalena. +55 11 3375 7400. coffeelab.com.br
Fortes Vilaça, Fradique Coutinho 1500, Vila Madalena. +55 11 3032 7066. fortesvilaca.com.br
Choque Cultural, Medeiros de Albuquerque 250, Vila Madalena. +55 11 3061 4051. choquecultural.com.br
A7MA, Harmonia 95b, Vila Madalena. +55 11 2361 7876. a7ma.art.br
Uma, Girassol 273, Vila Madalena. +55 11 3813 5559. uma.com.br
Heloisa Faria, Harmonia 342, Vila Madalena. +55 11 3081 7733. heloisafaria.com.br
Amüse, Aspicuelta 288, Vila Madalena. facebook.com
Empório Sagarana, Aspicuelta 271, Vila Madalena. emporiosagarana.com.br
Astor, Delfina 163, Vila Madalena. +55 11 3815 1364. barastor.com.br
Ó do Borogodó, Horácio Lane 21, Vila Madalena. +55 11 3814 4087. facebook.com
For more insider insight into São Paulo, nab a LUXE São Paulo Guide.
– posted 8th August 2016
