Open air gastronomic fairs

Open air gastronomic fairs: good and cheap street markets in São Paulo

Street Markets. Image: José Cordeiro/ SPTuris.

“It’s cheaper with me. Beautiful ladies don’t have to pay, but they can’t take it home.” Phrases such as these are prominent in São Paulo’s street markets.

They traditionally exist since the mid-seventeenth century and are an option for many who wish to buy produce, fish and the traditional pastéis (typical Brazilian dish consisting of rectangle-shaped thin crust pies with assorted fillings, fried in vegetable oil).

Street Markets. Image: José Cordeiro/ SPTuris.

In 1915, seven fairs were counted, and today there are around 871, which happen every day throughout the city, except on Mondays. The complete list can be found on the City Hall website:  Feiramaps.

In addition to street markets, São Paulo has gastronomic fairs: they take place on several streets around the city and serve good food in the open.
One of the most traditional fairs is the one from Liberdade (created in 1975). At the exit of the subway station (Liberdade), it exposes, in addition to arts and crafts, stalls offering gyoza, yakissoba, takoyaki, among other foods typical of the oriental cuisine.

Street Markets. Image: José Cordeiro/ SPTuris.

At the Feira da República, besides the traditional pastéis, dishes from Bahian cuisine are served, such as acarajé (traditional dumplings made from peeled beans and fried in palm oil), vatapá (traditional dish made from bread, shrimp, coconut milk and palm oil, commonly eaten with acarajé) and as dessert: cakes, trifles, mousses, strawberry skewers, pies, among other sugary delicacies.

Street Markets. Image: José Cordeiro/ SPTuris.

In the Pari neighborhood, the Feira da Kantuta is known as synonymous with Bolivian culture and food in São Paulo. Even its name (Kantuta) is a reference to a flower from the Andean region.

Every Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., it looks like another country: people speaking in Spanish, tents with llama wool knitwear, clay pots, pan flutes and typical dishes: anticucho (beef heart on a skewer), api (purple corn juice) and salsipapas (sausage, onion, potatoes and plantain).

Services: 

Feira da Kantuta
Schedule: Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Address: Pedro Vicente Street, 625 – Pari – Eastern region – São Paulo.

Feira da República
Schedule: Sundays, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Address: Praça da República – República – Center – São Paulo.

Feira da Liberdade
Schedule: Sundays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Address: Av. da Liberdade, 365 – Liberdade – Center – São Paulo.