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São Paulo's nightlife options are seemingly endless, so knowing where to go is key. The chic and wealthy head for establishments, most of which serve food, in the Vila Olímpia, Jardins, and Itaim neighborhoods. The Pinheiros and Vila Madalena neighborhoods have a large concentration of youthful clubs and bars, and many trendy clubs have opened in Barra Funda. Jardins and Centro have many gay and lesbian spots, with the area around Rua Augusta catering to hipsters.
Most clubs open at 9 pm, but people tend to arrive late (around midnight) and dance until 5 or 6 am. Still, you should arrive early to be at the front of the lines. Don't worry if the dance floor appears empty at 11 pm; things will start to sizzle an hour or so later.
Clubbing can get expensive. Most clubs charge at least R$20 at the door (sometimes women are allowed in for free), and the most popular and upscale places charge as much as R$300 just for entry. At the hottest clubs, expect to wait in line for a bit, especially if you head out late. Expect to wait in line on the way out again, too—the system is usually that you charge your drinks on an electronic tab, presenting the card and paying upon leaving. It can mean long queues: smart clubbers think ahead and pay up in good time.
A word about happy hour: Unlike in some countries, where the term refers to those few early-evening hours when drinks are cheaper, happy hour (pronounced and written in English) in Brazil simply means the time just after the work day ends, around 6 pm, when you might head to a bar for a drink with friends or colleagues. Despite the lack of discounted cocktails, paulistanos love to use the term, and many bars are judged purely on their suitability as a happy hour venue.
A decommissioned bank vault inside the Altino Arantes Building, inspired by the Empire State Building in New York, has been transformed into an incredible and sophisticated bar offering excellent drinks and appetizers, making it perfect for a happy hour. One of the most striking features is the walls lined with 1,995 drawers that once held the valuables of the former Banespa bank's account holders.
The riffs heard at Madeleine place it in an exclusive stratum of São Paulo music clubs. But it's the mix of music, food, drinks, and atmosphere that lends the bar its comprehensive appeal. Jazz ensembles play in the exposed-brick lounge, which has clear sightlines from the mezzanine. Better for chatting are the candlelit tables in the well-stocked wine cellar, and the seats on the veranda, with its panoramic views of Vila Madalena. Wherever you sit, the gourmet pizzas go great with the craft beers poured here.
Tables here are as disputed as a parking spot in front of a downtown apartment. An intimate corner bar on a quiet cobblestone plaza, Veloso dispenses some of São Paulo's best caipirinhas, including exotic versions such as tangerine with red pepper, and coxinhas (fried balls of chicken with cheese).
People come here to listen quietly to good jazz and bossa nova in an intimate environment—there's even a CD store upstairs with more than 3,000 discs. Local musicians jam from 10 pm. The club gets crowded on weekends, when it's best to reserve a table.
The 1960s and 1970s bohemian-chic decor here sends you back in time. The quality draft beer and tasty snacks and meals mean that Astor is always hopping—the menu is full of specialties from classic bars in Brazil. Don't miss the picadinho: beef stew with rice and black beans, poached eggs, banana, farofa, and beef pastel (a type of dumpling). To finish up, head downstairs, where SubAstor, a speakeasy-style sister bar, serves the kind of cocktails that inspire you to attempt knockoffs at your next house party.
First opened in 1948, Bar Brahma used to be the meeting place of artists, intellectuals, and politicians. The decor is a time warp to the mid-20th century, with furniture, lamps, and a piano true to the period. This is one of the best places in São Paulo for live music, with traditional samba and Brazilian pop groups scheduled every week. Caetano Veloso immortalized the intersection of Ipiranga and São João Avenues, where the bar is located, in his 1978 song "Sampa." Cover fees range from R$15 to R$50.
More than 500 types of the rum-like liquor cachaça—the main ingredient in caipirinhas, Brazil's national cocktail—line a huge wall at this traditional Brazilian botequim. These casual bars generally specialize in cold bottled beer, snack foods, and caipirinhas.
In a huge colonial blue house in an old industrial neighborhood, Blue Space is one of the largest gay nightclubs in São Paulo. Every Saturday and Sunday, two dance floors and four bars, along with lounge and private rooms, fill with a large crowd, mostly 40 and over, interested in the house DJs and go-go boy and drag shows. Cover charges average R$30.
This is one of the busiest spots in Vila Madalena, always crowded, serving extremely cold draft beer. The famous bean soup is a must, and to accompany it, order the carefully seasoned and roasted beef ribs (that have cooked for 12 hours on a barbecue), along with cassava cooked in butter.
With a name right out of New Orleans, it's no wonder that Bourbon Street is where the best jazz and blues bands, Brazilian and international, play. Most performances start at midnight, but Sunday shows tend to start earlier. Cover fees start at R$45.
Disco balls dangle over the dance floor at gay Bubu, where shirtless is the new fully clothed. Drag performers strut their stuff at Sunday matinees, and the last Thursday of the month is girls-only night. Cover fees average R$50.
At what's widely considered the best place in town to dance forró (music/dance from Brazil's Northeast), you'll find people of different ages and styles coming together on the dance floor. Xiboquinha is the official forró drink, made with cachaça (a Brazilian sugarcane-based alcohol), lemon, honey, cinnamon, and ginger. The doors open at 8:30 pm Wednesday and Thursday, and 10:30 pm Friday and Saturday; the hours on Sunday are from 7 pm to midnight.
Cariocas are people from Rio de Janeiro, and Carioca Club has the decor of old-style Rio clubs. Its large dance floor attracts an eclectic mix of up to 1,200 college students, couples, and professional dancers who move to samba, gafieira, and pagode from Thursday through Saturday starting at varying times. Cover fees average R$70.
Giving new meaning to the concept house party, Casa 92 was fashioned out of a converted domicile. The living room has been fitted with disco lighting; the patio and terrace each have bars. An upstairs dance floor resides where a bedroom otherwise would. The music is eclectic with an emphasis on (what else?) house. Cover fees average entry R$50.
Cine Joia takes the form of a resurrected vintage cinema, minus the seating but with the added attraction of a top-notch video-mapping system. See the site for live dates, or check out regular club nights like Talco Bells, where you'll hear soul classics. Cover fees average R$60.
Electronic music is the main attraction at this popular club with a Death Star–meets–Studio 54 appeal. As many as nine DJs, often including internationally renowned turntablists, spin music several nights a week. The terrace here has views of a park of Oscar Niemeyer design. Cover charges starts at R$20 but sometimes exceed R$100.
Put your name on the list ahead of time or arrive early to pay a discounted rate, depending on the event.
The bar offers a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, perfect for a lively night out with friends. The snacks, such as the feijoada balls, are tasty and well-prepared, while drinks like a good caipirinha enhance the experience. Live music, ranging from samba to MPB, adds a vibrant and festive touch.
Rock and pop cover bands perform at this Down Under–themed pub. Seven international draft beers and happy hour specials make Kia Ora popular after businesses close. Cover fees average R$60.
Extremely rustic and humble, with live samba and MPB music every night, this packed little club is a local favorite and provides a reliably good time, every time for those looking for good Brazilian music.
In addition to live music every day, the bar offers great caipirinhas in various flavors, such as cashew, to accompany a delicious dadinho de tapioca—tapioca dices with coalho cheese, baked or fried, served with pepper jam, in a lively, Brazilian-style environment.
A self-proclaimed "gringo" hangout, this is a good place to catch international sporting events, perhaps that major one back home it's killing you to miss. O'Malley's has three bars, a game room, and more than a dozen TVs spread across two floors. Seven beers are on tap, along with more than four dozen by the bottle. Bands play nightly, so there's always a cover after happy hour ends. Cover fee averages R$20.
One of four comparable and fashionable bars at the corner of Mourato Coelho and Aspicuelta streets, Posto 6 pays homage to Rio de Janeiro and its Botafogo soccer club. The bar gets gold stars for its chopp and escondidinho de camarão (a lasagna-type dish with shrimp).
Salsa, merengue, zouk, and Latin pop predominate at Rey Castro; and during the breaks between live performances, you can take dance classes. The Caribbean-influenced drinks and snacks include mojitos and ham croquettes. Cover fees range from R$22 to R$70.
For a great Saturday afternoon into the evening in the bohemian city of São Paulo, Tatu Bola is an excellent choice. With its laid-back atmosphere, live music, ice-cold caipirinhas, and delicious snacks, you'll have a blast dancing to various Brazilian styles like pagode, MPB, and sertanejo. Tatu Bola boasts five different locations around São Paulo, making it easy to find a spot to enjoy its vibrant atmosphere.
You wouldn't imagine there's a hidden bar inside this old and poorly maintained building, with karaoke rooms that you can reserve for a fun night of singing. There's also a lively rooftop nightclub that attracts people of all styles, especially the young, by playing POP, Brazilian music, hip-hop, and Reggaeton. Snack options available.
A major lesbian hangout in Itaim, this venue offers dining, live music, and dancing. Ten acts divvy up the showtimes from Wednesday to Saturday; on Sunday a nine-piece all-girl samba band takes the stage. When the bands stop playing, DJs spin music late into the night. Cover fees average R$20.
This is the place to dance to American country music and sertanejo, Brazilian country music. The huge club has a restaurant, bars, shops, game rooms, and a big dance floor. The decor is strictly Old West. Cover fees range from R$40 (women) to more than R$100 for special events.
Occupying a nearly 6,000-square-meter (64,500-square-foot) space, this club popular with gay men has two dance floors, three lounge rooms, a deck with a swimming pool, six bars, and a massage bed. Several DJs playing house, electro, and techno animate an often shirtless crowd on Friday and Saturday night. Cover charges average R$100.
Most patrons stop at Empanadas for a beer en route to another Vila Madalena bar. It's a good place to "warm up" for an evening out with a quick drink and a bite to eat on the bar's sidewalk tables. Appropriately, the empanadas (filled pastries) are particularly appealing.
Indie rock—live or recorded—is on the musical menu at two-story Funhouse, though these days the focus is more on DJs than on bands. The place is often near empty, but sometimes it hosts cool, well-attended parties.
