Top 10 exotic places in São Paulo

São Paulo is a city that includes and embraces diversity. With a wide variety of touristic points and restaurants, besides a bustling nightlife, the city will surprise you with places and routes that you only find here, in the largest metropolis in the Southern hemisphere.

We made a special list with ten exotic attractions in the city, for those who are looking for fun and unusual stay in Brazil.

Restaurante Tantra. Foto: Divulgação.

1 – Tantra Restaurant

Tantra is the only restaurant in Brazil specialized in Mongolian cuisine, as well as Thai dishes. Asian Tapas (shark carpaccio), Rota Asiática (coconut-covered shrimp) and other exotic dishes such as the Mango Shrimp (shrimps flambed with Absolut Mango, vegetables, mango and aphrodisiac herbs) can be ordered in this restaurant. There are also tarot consultations and theater presentations at the show “Misery”, which is a mixture of circus, theater, dance and fire eating accompanied by lyre, fabric and trapeze. Tantra has two units in the city – in the South Zone, Vila Olímpia and in the East Zone, Tatuapé.

2 – Khan El Khalili

The traditional Egyptian tea house Khan El Khalili have been for decades offering the sensations of the Arab world for costumers. Located in the Vila Mariana neighborhood, the house invites the visitor into a world of enchantment and magic through music and dance. It is leisure for the whole family, and it is possible to watch live performances savoring culinary delights. The house was inaugurated 32 years ago.

3 – Cemeteries

Consolação cemetery Photo: Caio Pimenta/ SPTuris.

Consolação is the oldest cemetery of São Paulo and has sculptures made between the 19th and 20th centuries. The most prominent work is “É o Sepultamento” [The Burial], which was awarded in 1923 by the Salon d’Automne. Tarsila do Amaral, the famous Brazilian painter, and the Marchioness of Santos are also buried there. Another option to enjoy funerary art is Araçá Cemetery, located in the Clínicas region, nearby Pacaembu and Pinheiros neighborhoods. Opened in 1887, the mausoleums, richly adorned with sculptures of Christian influence, belong mainly to the traditional families of the former Brazilian coffee elite.

4 – Eu Tu Eles

Bar innovates with Bonfim ribbons for the decoration. Photo: Eu Tu Eles/ publicity.

Eu Tu Eles Bar located at Brigadeiro Faria Lima avenue has a different proposal – from its lighting design to the menu variety. What really call one attention is the decoration: the counter is a rereading of the San Telmo bars (Buenos Aires), and one of the main environments has more than four thousand Bonfim ribbons hanging from the ceiling, bringing luck and a lot of colors for all customers.

5 – Cold beers in a tub

Beers in a Japanese tub. Photo: Pobre Juan/ publicity.

Pobre Juan Chophouse offers visitors their best beers in a unique and surprising way: in a tub. The bottles stay freezing in a Japanese tub. Moreover, the Chophouse features a menu with a wide variety of dishes.

6 – Cochilo

How about taking a nap during the day? Photo: Cochilo/ publicity.

“A place to replenish your energies, with all the comfort and privacy needed”, summarizes the service offered by Cochilo, at Antonio Prado Square. The space provides minutes of sleep, in one of the busiest places in town. The visitor can choose from 15 to 60 minutes, and rests in a special, acoustically isolated cabin. After the sleeping period, the client is waken up with bed vibrations and flashing lights. He can also have a cup of coffee to complete the experience.

7 – Amoa Konoya

Amoa Konoya. Photo: publicity.

A store specialized in Indigenous art and clothing, Amoa Konoya represents more than 60 tribes. Several items are for sale: sculptures, basketry, toys, weapons, musical instruments, ceramics, masks, among others. The store is the place of lectures and other events, bringing indigenous culture to the fore.

8 –Tubaína Bar

Some of the soda brands that can be ordered in the establishment. Photo: Tubaína Bar/ publicity.

Located in the West Zone of the city, nearby Avenida Paulista and Rua Augusta, Tubaína Bar is exactly what the name says: a bar specialized in Tubaína, soda manufactured in the São Paulo countryside, very popular in since the 1950s. The menu is full of options for all tastes: from pork sandwich and tidbits, such as the unique bean filled Coxinha (a famous Brazilian deep-fried croquette normally filled with chicken), to vegan and vegetarian options.

9 – Panoramic flights

View of the Octávio Frias de Oliveira bridge (one of the main cable-stayed bridges of the city). Photo: Caio Pimenta/ SPTuris.

São Paulo has the largest number of helicopters in the world, with a fleet of 411 registered aircraft, according to Abraphe (Brazilian Association of Helicopter Pilots). About 800,000 flights are made yearly in the city. Moreover, the city also has 375 helipads, many of them private and some belonging to companies that provide comfortable tours over São Paulo and special packages ranging from 15 minutes to 1 hour. Helimarte, a flight company located in Campo de Marte, is one of the responsible for these tours in the city. The prices vary and flights are made every day, including weekends.

10 – Night tour in the zoo

The night tour, provided by the São Paulo Zoo since 2003, allows visitors to get in touch with nature, giving the opportunity to observe and get to know better various species of crepuscular habits animals, such as bats, owls and skunks. There also other attractions: a presentation with birds of prey, in which visitors can learn more about these animals and the importance of this training for environmental education. It is worth remembering that the tour happens fortnightly and has pre-established dates. To schedule a visit call (11) 5073-0811, extension line 2119.

Servicios:

Tantra Restaurante – Unidade Vila Olímpia
Address: Rua Chilon, 364 – Vila Olímpia.
Opening hours: consult the website.
Phone: (11) 3846-7112

Tantra Restaurante – Unidade Tatuapé
Address: Rua Itapura, 721 – Tatuapé.
Opening hours: consult the website.
Phone: (11) 2157-2891/ (11) 2157-2892

Tantra Restaurante – Unidade Pinheiros

Address: Rua Amaro Cavalheiro, 168 – Pinnheiros
Opening hours: consult the website.
Phone: (11) 3437-3235 / (11) 3815-6233

Khan El Khalili

Address: Rua Dr. José de Queirós, 320 – Vila Mariana
Check the website.
Phone: (11) 5549-7989

Cemitério da Consolação

Guided visitation days: Tuesdays and Fridays.
Tuesdays and Fridays, at 9 am or 2 pm, lasting 1:30.
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, from 7 am to 6 pm.
Address: Rua da Consolação, 1660 – Consolação.
Free entrance.
Phone: (11) 3256-5919.

Cemitério do Araçá

Opening hours: from 8 am to 6 pm.
Address: Av. Doutor Arnaldo, 666 – Cerqueira César.
Free entrance.
Phone: 3256-6486.

Eu Tu Eles

Address: Av. Brigadeiro Faria Lima, 2902 – Itaim Bibi.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday, from 6pm to 12 pm. Saturday: from 4 pm at 3 am. Sunday: 4 pm to 1 am.
Phone: (11) 3071-4535

Pobre Juan – Vila Olímpia

Opening hours: lunch – from Monday to Thursday: 12 am to 3 pm Friday: 12 am to 4 pm Saturday: 12 am to 12 pm Sunday: 12 to 11 pm – dinner: from Monday to Thursday: 7 pm to 12 am – Friday: 7 pm to 12 am
Address: Rua Comendador Miguel Calfat, 525.
Phone: (11) 3845-4965

Pobre Juan – Cidade Jardim

Opening hours: lunch – from Monday to Thursday: 12 am to 3 pm Friday: 12 am to 4 pm Saturday: 12 am to 12 pm Sunday: 12 to 10 pm – dinner from Monday to Thursday: 6:30 pm to 12 pm – Friday: 6:40 pm to 12 am
Address: Cidade Jardim Shopping Mall – Avenida Mabel Castro, 12000 – 3rd floor.
Phone: (11) 3552-3150

Pobre Juan – Higienópolis

Opening hours: lunch from Monday to Thursday: 12 am to 3 pm Friday: 12 am to 4 pm Saturday: 12 am to 12 pm Sundays and holidays: 12 am to 10 pm – dinner from Monday to Thursday: 7 pm to 12 pm
Address: Rua Tupi, 979.
Phone: (11) 3825-0917

Cochilo

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, from 7 am to 7 pm.
Address: Praça Antonio Prado, 33 – Downtown
Prices: R$12 for 15 minutes; R$ 14 for 30 minutes; R$ 17 for 45 minutes; R$22 for 1 hour.
Phone: (11) 3796-5444

Amoa Konoya

Address: Rua João Moura, 1002 – Pinheiros – São Paulo.
Opening hours: from Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 6 pm.
Phone: (11) 3061-0639

Tubaína Bar

Address: Rua Haddock Lobo, 74 – Cerqueira César – Downtown.
Opening hours: from Monday to Friday, from 6 pm to 12:30 pm. Friday: from 6 pm to 2:30 am. Friday: from 6 pm to 2:30 am.
Phone: (11) 3129-4930

Helimarte

Location: Campo de Marte airport
Address: Av. Olavo Fontoura, 1078 − Santana − São Paulo.
Phone: (11) 2221-3200

Zoológico de São Paulo

Address: Av. Miguel Estéfano, 4241 – Saúde– São Paulo.
Opening hours: daily from 9 am to 5 pm.
Phone: (11) 5073-0811