Seldom do we think of São Paulo as a holiday destination, especially when making a special trip to Brazil. Most of the time, you’d spend a day there then move on the beach areas. This time, I got to spend an entire week in the New York of Latin America and let me tell you.. I loved it and cannot wait to go back.
Of course while preparing for the trip I received advice from many people, local and not, to be cautious, not to bring any visible valuables (no iPhone, jewellery, brand purses…) as the city is known not to be the safest. So as the good listener that I am, I left all these things behind and went onto my journey trying to be as relaxed as possible. It’s amazing the impact that fear can have on the psyche. If no one had said anything at all, I would have been cautious of course, as I always am, but not to detriment of my experience. The first couple of days, I paid extra attention to my surroundings then by day 3, once I had my bearings down, I was much more at ease and open. Staying at the best and most unique hotel in town certainly contributed to that.
Now onto the nitty-gritty of my trip!
About São Paulo:
- Cosmopolitan city, home to the largest Arab, Italian and Japanese Diasporas
- In 2016, there were over 200 different countries represented in the single city of São Paulo
- After Tokyo and New York, it’s the third largest city in the world.
- “The city has more than 6,000 pizzerias that produce more than 1,000,000 pizzas per day or 720 per minute”. (The Culture Trip)
- “It has the largest openly gay community in Latin America, and every year hosts what is considered to be the largest Gay Pride Parade in the continent.” (The Culture Trip)
- 7th worst traffic in the world!
Our hotel: truly Unique
We stayed at the best hotel in town, one that allies perfectly business and pleasure. I seriously didn’t know what to expect aside from having been highly recommended by everyone we knew. I was just concerned that it would be a party hotel where night owls would camp all night. To my surprise and relief, although it does attract the fun seeking crowd, it’s also designed to protect those needing peace and quiet before their big meeting in the morning.
Beside the stunning and truly unique architecture, the views, the red pool and the gastronomy, what I remember the most is the service we received. By far one of the best one (and if you know me, you know how much I travel!) From the moment we checked in to the moment we left, we were to feel as if we were the most special guests they ever had. Although maybe true, I’m sure we weren’t the only ones 🙂
We got greeted with Veuve Clicquot Champagne while waiting for the check-in to be done. Then, and that’s probably the best feature of all, we received an extra phone which served as our WiFi connection. Not having to worry about having service while there was a huge relief. We could roam freely everywhere and be connected at all times!
I can’t finish this paragraph and not mention first the “hostess with the mostess”, the beautiful, colorful and forever smiley Fatima. From our first day there until the last, she remembered all of our names by heart and always inquired when one of us was absent. Wow, that’s impressive! Of course the entire staff was amazing with a special shout out to our cleaning lady who always left special treats by our bed side (I’d like to think it was only for us!).
MY TOP THREE PLACES
Restaurants / Bars
Restaurant Tanit
Housed in one of the hippest neighbourhood in São Paulo, the Oscar Freire area, Tanit is the Not to Miss experience. “Mediterranean cuisine with a Catalan soul” by Chef Oscar Bosch. Traditional and slightly revisited tapas to share in an atmosphere of fun and bustle. The who’s who of town gathers there. If you don’t have a reservation, I highly recommend to show up before the opening.
Baretto Bar at Fasano Hotel
Ranked by Wallpaper magazine as the number one bar in the world, Baretto offers an experience like no other. A private, exclusive yet welcoming setting where guests get to relax, mingle and enjoy beautiful jazz tunes by world-known artists in the likes of Caetano Veloso, Jamie Cullum, Terrence Blanchard, Maria Rita, Bebel Gilberto, and Chico Buarque among others. I didn’t know where to focus my attention most – the guests or the musicians. The creme de la creme of São Paulo can be spotted there – dressed to perfection with an air of charisma which is so palpable.
MYK Restaurant
If you love Mykonos as much as I do and can’t really go there on a daily basis, MYK becomes a great alternative. Located in the heart of Jardins , the simple and cosy restaurant offers a delicious and pretty extensive menu. What I loved the most if I may be totally honest, was people watching especially during lunch time. I felt like I had been teleported to another world, the one of Telenovelas! (which by the way happened on many occasions while I was there). The entire restaurant was buzzing with ladies in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s, all dressed to impress. You could tell none of them had ever worked and occupied their time getting pampered then showing off the results to their friends. I so enjoyed watching and observing them, check each-other out then share their inner thought from the corner of their mouth.
I will be back very soon São Paulo!
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