We love Sao Paulo for many reasons but a favorite might be the beautiful Jardins district with it’s lush gardens, incredible restaurants, and luxury shopping.  It also doesn’t hurt that Sao Paolo is home to more Italians than Rome.  Italian influence and style married with the Portuguese love of life make for a splendid  and beautiful union.
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Imperial Black Jardins Inspiration

 

 

At 20 million people plus  Sao Paulo can all be a bit much to take in.  The constant snarl of traffic is more than overwhelming and a well timed air taxi becomes the transport of choice.  Easy enough to pop in and out for meetings and always a moment away from visiting friends in our beloved Jardins district. Here is our mini Sao Paulo city guide to help you move through this vibrant city.

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STAY

 

Hotel Unique

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Architecture critic Paul Goldberger has called Hotel Unique “one of the seven wonders of the modern world.”

Is it a ship? Some kind of space vehicle?

Guests might never figure out what the massive, metallic semi-sphere is meant to be. But inside this best of São Paulo hotel there are plenty of interesting spaces in which to contemplate the question, including poolside on a rooftop deck that overlooks the lovely Jardins area of the city.

Hotel Unique, Avenida Brigadeiro Luís Antonio, 4700, Jardim Paulista; +55 (11) 3055 4700; from R$799 ($375);

 

Hotel Fasano

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Stepping through the entrance of the Hotel Fasano, you’re transported to the early 20th century, when a hotel experience was geared toward wealthy travelers expecting luxury.

Warm, wooden decor and a grinning bartender convince you that wherever you’d planned to rush off to can wait.

Guest rooms are no less alluring, a mix of modern and ’50s style mod, full of amenities like iPod stations, soaking tubs, towel warmers and panoramic views.

Outside its walls you’ll find all the additional luxuries of São Paulo’s best neighborhood on the famous street, Rua Oscar Freire, and surrounding roads.

Hotel Fasano, Rua Vittorio Fasano, 88, Jardim Paulista; +55 (11) 3896 4000; from R$1,318 ($615)

 

EAT

D.O.M.

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“Restaurant” magazine named this sophisticated Brazilian eatery, helmed by chef and author Alex Atala, the sixth best in the world.

Dishes use ingredients unique to Brazil, such as mushrooms from the Amazon and the medicinal beldroega from the Northeast. These delicacies are best enjoyed in a tasting-menu format so you can sample a maximum amount of flavors.

Make reservations as soon as possible — locals sometimes wait months for a table. If you don’t score a table at D.O.M., around the corner you’ll find Dalva e Dito, Atala’s other restaurant.

D.O.M., Rua Barão de Capanema, 549, Jardim Paulista; +55 (11) 3088 0761; Monday–Friday, noon–3 p.m., 7 p.m–midnight., Saturday, 7 p.m.– midnight, closed Sundays

 

Figueria

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A large and elegant restaurant where you get to eat outdoors, indoors! The dining room is built around an enormous fig tree and huge branches have been glassed in. Inventive architecture and interesting food. Very good fish and seafood (including Brazilian fish like the Tucunaré, Tambaqui and Pirarucu) plus serious steaks. A traditional feijoada – the heavy pork and black bean stew that is the national dish – is the special on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Very slick service and upper-middling prices.

• Rua Haddock Lobo, 1738, (Jd. Paulista), +55 11 3087 1399,rubaiyat.com.br/figueira

Sky Bar- Unique Hotel

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The Unique Hotel is shaped like a giant boat. Brave architecture and design are a feature of Brazil and this imposing building is truly striking. Take the lift to the roof and the Sky bar for some research into the caipirinha – Brazil’s most famous cocktail. There’s an amazing terrace complete with loungers, a pool and a stunning view of the city. At the heart of the true caipirinha is cachaça – a vicious spirit made from sugar cane. The Sky bar also makes a variant of the famed cocktail using sake, but it’s not as strong or as good as the original.

• Av. Brigadeiro Luis Antonio 4700, +55 11 3055 4710,hotelunique.com.br

Kinoshita

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There are 1.5 million people of Japanese origin living in SP so it should come as no surprise that there are hundreds of Japanese restaurants, from excellent cheap sushi joints to high-end places like this one. Kinoshita has won numerous Brazilian accolades and operates at the very highest level. If you want a benchmark, think Nobu, and were this restaurant in Europe it would certainly be Michelin starred. The more cutting edge dishes – like seared foie gras – are underpinned by ultra-fresh, ultra-traditional nigiri sushi and whisper-thin crisp tempura. The presentation is elegant in the extreme – for once you really do get a “picture on each plate”. Expensive but worth it.

• Rua da Gloria 168, +55 11 3105 4903, restaurantekinoshita.com.br

 

Shop

Boutique Daslu

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If your shopping objectives include Brazilian fashion, the best place to go is Boutique Daslu, where everything “in” is in the store.

The Daslu brand’s original style reflects the high-end trends of the city.

Boutique Daslu, Shopping JK Iguatemi, Avenida Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek, 2041, Vila Olímpia; see website for additional locations; +55 (11) 3152 6601; Monday-Friday, 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday, 2-10 p.m.;

 

Tools & Toys

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Need a new yacht?

Perhaps your helicopter is out of fashion?

Located in the ultra high-end Shopping Cidade Jardins, this best of São Paulo shop has plenty of big-ticket toys to choose from.

Even if you’re not in the market for a new Sea Doo or Ferrari, it’s fun to look around.

Tools & Toys, Shopping Cidade Jardim, 3/F, Av. Magalhães Castro, Morumbi; +55 (11) 3552 4000; Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday and holidays, noon-10 p.m.;

 

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Rafael Fassimoto