São Paulo's cocktail scene is the deepest in Brazil and arguably in Latin America after Mexico City. Guilhotina is on every Latin America 50 list. SubAstor has been pouring serious drinks for over a decade. The 10 below cover Itaim Bibi, Pinheiros and Vila Madalena.
Part of our 50 Best Cocktail Bars in the World listThis article is one chapter in our larger global guide. See the full pillar with every featured city.
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The 10 best cocktail bars in São Paulo
01 · São Paulo
Itaim Bibi
$$
Industrial · Loud
São Paulo's most consistent serious cocktail bar. The cachaça program alone is worth the night. Latin America 50 fixture.
Order: Caipirinha with their selected aged cachaça
02 · São Paulo
Vila Madalena
$$
Below Bar Astor
Below Bar Astor. The classical cocktail bar of São Paulo. Long bar, no gimmicks, just craft.
Order: A Manhattan, made properly
03 · São Paulo
Itaim Bibi
$$$
Hotel bar · Maksoud Plaza
At Maksoud Plaza. Long bar, cellar-deep cocktail program, the most polished hotel-bar experience in SP.
Order: A Sazerac
04 · São Paulo
Higienópolis
$$
1949 · Restored
Operating since 1949 in a beautifully restored room. Classic SP institution that takes itself seriously.
Order: A negroni + a paulistano
05 · São Paulo
Vila Olímpia
$$$
Italian-Brazilian · Modern
Italian-Brazilian fusion cocktail bar. Inventive aperitivo program built on Brazilian ingredients.
Order: A spritz with cachaça base
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06 · São Paulo
Vila Madalena
$$
Modern · Counter
Modern Vila Madalena cocktail counter. Younger crowd than the Itaim institutions, modern Brazilian-spirit cocktails.
Order: A drink built around aged cachaça
07 · São Paulo
Pinheiros
$$
Speakeasy · Hidden
Hidden Pinheiros speakeasy. Reservations only. Modern Brazilian cocktail technique.
Order: A signature with Brazilian-distilled spirits
08 · São Paulo
Barra Funda
$$
Club · Cocktails
Late-night Barra Funda club with a serious cocktail program. SP's bar-and-club crossover.
Order: A whisky cocktail at 2 AM
09 · São Paulo
Vila Madalena
$
Casual · Cachaça
Vila Madalena casual bar. Deep cachaça list, simple food, neighbourhood feel.
Order: A flight of three aged cachaças
10 · São Paulo
Jardins
$$$$
Hotel rooftop · Pool
On top of Hotel Unique. Red-painted pool, glass walls, sweeping view of Avenida Paulista. The defining SP rooftop.
Order: A caipirinha at the pool's edge
More SP cocktail barsThe full SP cocktail-bar index by neighbourhood.
See the full list
How SP cocktailing fits its city
São Paulo is enormous and the cocktail bars are spread across multiple neighbourhoods. Pick one neighbourhood per evening. The cachaça programs are taken very seriously here. The 10 above represent the modern peak.
