Feeling fancy? 7 restaurants to have dinner in São Paulo

São Paulo's food scene is famous worldwide, and it's a goldmine of options for all kinds of tastes and budgets. With amazing new spots popping up all the time, it's impossible to list every great restaurant. But if you're ready to treat yourself to a spectacular high-end meal at a place with a fantastic vibe, here's our shortlist of names you can't go wrong with.

Rubaiyat

This famous steakhouse in São Paulo offers the best cuts and side dishes. The Fraldinha (flank steak) and Chorizo are the highlights, but honestly, any meat there is wonderful. Be sure to order the Rubaiyat Farofa, Arroz Biro-Biro, and Batata Soufflée. If you don't like red meat, I highly recommend the Caixote de Camarões (Box of Shrimp). On Wednesdays and Saturdays, the restaurant also serves its famous feijoada. Rubaiyat has two main locations: one in Jardins ("A Figueira Rubaiyat"), a beautiful and elegant space with a century-old tree in the center of the dining room, and one on Faria Lima ("Rubaiyat Faria Lima"), a beloved spot for executives who work in the area during the week (this is also a great place for business lunches, by the way).

Price: US$80-120 per person

A Figueira Rubaiyat - majestic tree inside

Good barbecue with potatoes

Barbecue as the Brazilians like

Nakka

Nakka is one of the many Japanese restaurants that are a hit in São Paulo. It doesn't have omakase service, so you will order each type of sushi and fish you want from the menu. The fish is always fresh and delicious, and I suggest asking the waiter what the best fish of the day are and which sushi selection they recommend. Even so, I usually order the Rock Shrimp Spicy as starter - delicious and different from the regular sushis. Nakka has two locations: one in Jardins and another in Itaim Bibi.

Price: US$50-70 per person

Sushi sets with fresh fish everyday

Rock Shrimp Spicy

Trattoria Fasano

This restaurant from the Fasano group is located on Faria Lima, right next to the iconic Pátio Victor Malzoni Building, making it another great spot for business lunches. The Trattoria offers excellent Italian dishes and has a great wine selection. I highly recommend the lasagna and the polpettone, but you must ask for the dishes of the day and maybe be caught by any other delight they might have!

Price: US$50-70 per person

Trattoria Fasano Restaurant

The amazing polpettone

You must try the lasagna!

Maní

Maní is a contemporary Brazilian restaurant led by Helena Rizzo, which features many references from Brazilian cuisine translated in a sophisticated and, in some ways, simple manner. I love everything there, from the appetizers and starters (the cassava fritter, for example), to the octopus and fish cooked inside a banana leaf for main courses. But you absolutely must try the "egg" for dessert—a perfect example of what Maní has to offer.

Price: US$50-90 per person

The "Egg"- amazing dessert!

Maní Restaurant

Fish with farofa, beans salad and banana puré

Churrascaria Barbacoa

If you're a foreigner, experiencing a Brazilian steakhouse is a must. Barbacoa offers you this experience in a sophisticated way, with excellent meats and service. It operates in a "all you can eat" format, which means you pay a fixed price and can eat as much as you want — so go hungry. In addition to the barbecue served at the table, there's also a salad and side dish buffet, as well as numerous side dish options to order at your table. A true feast! The three locations in São Paulo are in Itaim Bibi, Morumbi, and the D&D Shopping, but you can also find Barbacoa in Salvador, Campinas, and Brasília.

Price: US$50 per person

Picanha cut at your table - true churrasco experience

Eat as much as you can

Huge buffet from Barbacoa

Goya Zushi

If you've read some of the posts on this blog, you've probably noticed that we love sushi. It's hard to list all of good high-end restaurantes here, but if you're looking for something fancy, Goya is a fantastic option. It serves a 15-course omakase at a set time, with only 12 seats per turn at the counter. The sushi is of extreme quality and perfectly executed. I remember when we went, the chef had a huge piece of aged tuna, which was the absolute highlight!

Price: US$90 per person

Set of Sashimi

Sushi

Goya Zushi

Sushi with tuna and roe

D.O.M.

D.O.M deserves a mention in this post, even though I've never been, because it's so well-known for its haute cuisine. It's one of the most renowned restaurants in São Paulo, run by chef Alex Atala, and was named one of the The World's 50 Best Restaurants. The dishes on the menu are always surprising and feature local Brazilian ingredients like jambu, tucupi, açaí, and even the famous Amazonian ant (a dish that made Atala very well-known). The restaurant offers a tasting menu and promises to be an incredible experience.

Price: US$150 per person

Alex Atala at D.O.M.

Dessert with Amazonian ant

This was just a small list of the fancier places we've been to and recommend, especially for dinner. All of these restaurants are well-known in São Paulo, but of course, there's an endless list of great places to check out in the city. I hope you enjoyed some of these tips, and if you go to any of these restaurants and have a great time, be sure to leave a comment here and let us know!