New in town: Restaurants

With restaurants opening every week in São Paulo, we're keeping track of them all right here, so all that's left for you to do is go, eat, drink, and tell us what you think. We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below, and watch out for the Time Out reviews when we make our visit. 

Chiado
Having cut his teeth in two of the city’s top Portuguese restaurants, A Bela Sintra and Trindade, the chef Arnaldo Eloi is going it alone with his own Iberian restaurant-cum-bar, named after the Lisbon neighbourhood. Rua Jurucê 776, Moema (5093 3523/ chiadorestaurante.com.br).

Ecully
A multi-purpose space for budding gourmets, Ecully combines restaurant, cookery school and shop, stocking recipe books, utensils and the like. The food – a blend of Mediterranean and Brazilian – can even be enjoyed in the company of your pooch. Rua Coxotó 493, Perdizes (3853 3933/ ecully.com.br).

Osaka
Fusion is the watchword here, with ceviche rubbing tails with sushi on a menu that also flirts with Chinese and Thai cuisine. The eatery, the latest to open on the super-smart Rua Amauri, is part of a chain that has taken off in Lima, Santiago, Buenos Aires and Mexico City. Rua Amauri 234, Itaim Bibi (30730234/ osaka.com.pe).

Peixaria
Giant fishy sculptures hanging from the ceiling, a coal grill inside a canoe, and a tree growing up through the ceiling are just a few of the quirky design features at this spacious, colourful restaurant-cum-fishmongers. Rua Inácio Pereira da Rocha 112, Pinheiros (2589 3963).

Sabores de mi Tierra
A diminutive Colombian food factory by day, garage restaurant by night, Sabores de mi Tierra has just two tables to squeeze onto. The low-key dining options include arepas (stuffed corn fritters) and Colombian-style empanadas. Rua Lisboa 971, Pinheiros (3083 3114).

ICI Brasserie
The latest gourmet addition to the shopping mall JK Iguatemi, ICI Brasserie brings together two titans of the city’s food and drink scene: the chef Benny Novak of 210 Diner and Ici Bistrô renown, and the team behind the upmarket watering hole Bar Astor. French classics such as boeuf bourguignon and pain perdu comprise the menu. To drink? The team have created their own beer, ICI 01 – a Pilsen brewed by the excellent São Paulo brewery, Colorado. JK Iguatemi, 3rd floor, Avenida Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek 2041, Vila Olímpia (3078 1313/ icibrasserie.com.br).

Balila
Decked out in turquoises, yellows and whites, this new Lebanese spot is aiming for an informal approach, both in its decor and on the menu, with sandwiches and falafel burgers alongside the usual Lebanese fare. Rua Maria Carolina 674, Pinheiros (3097 0802).

Benihana
Specialising in teppan-yaki, a Japanese griddling technique, this US chain’s latest branch to open abroad is set on one of Itaim’s most upmarket streets. The informal set-up remains, however, with diners sitting around one of 15 teppan grills. Rua Amauri 517, Itaim Bibi (3078 2549).

Jacarandá 
With tables arranged around a large jacaranda tree, this bright Pinheiros eatery has good credentials – it’s owned by the Argentinian restaurateur behind São Paulo steakhouses Martín Fierro and La Frontera. The menu includes pork ribs and roasted rabbit. Rua Alves Guimarães 153, Pinheiros (3083 3014).

Meats
Getting straight to the point, with its name writ large over the door in big yellow light bulbs, this new joint is pure carnivorous Americana, with burgers and pulled pork on the menu alongside fries, coleslaw and shakes. Rua dos Pinheiros 320, Pinheiros (2679 6323).

Nakka 
Joining the throng of Itaim Bibi sushi spots, the brand new Nakka is all dark decor, low lighting and air-conditioned calm – a retreat from the traffic chaos outside. Rua Pedroso Alvarenga 890, Itaim Bibi (2595 2577/ restaurantenakka.com.br).

TRE Expanding its remit beyond the classic Tuscan cuisine of its mamma restaurant Tre Bicchieri, the brand new TRE is the latest gourmet opening in the recently opened luxury mall JK Iguatemi. Taking interior inspiration from neighbouring designer stores, extravagant touches include a wall of 800 Venetian wine glasses, sculpted stem-to-stem. JK Iguatemi, Avenida Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek 2041, Vila Olímpia (3167 4004).

Almodovar Straddling a very fine line between cool kitsch and garish, this Spanish themed resto-bar is the latest addition to the bustling, gourmet hotspot Rua dos Pinheiros. A jug of sangria at one of the kerb-side tables is a good choice on summer nights. Rua dos Pinheiros 274, Pinheiros (3062 4455).

Casa Nero Just over a month old, Casa Nero is the latest gastro venture (and it replaces the now-defunct Chez Burger) from the team behind ever-busy eatery Chez Lorena. This is the steakhouse for the fashionable crowd, its dark, candle-lit interior already buzzing with bright, young things. Alameda Lorena 2101, Jardim Paulista (3062 8743/ chez.com.br/casanero). 

Aconchego Carioca The famous deep-fried bolinhos, craft beers and hanging hammocks of this fave Rio boteco have arrived in the heart of Jardins. Here’s hoping Aconchego Carioca, SP style, manages to reproduce that laid-back carioca charm too. Alameda Jaú 1372, Jardim Paulista (3063 2752).

Chifa Wok The Peruvian chef at this Vila Olímpia newbie has crafted a menu around the chifa concept – a blend of Peruvian and Chinese cuisine. Rua Ministro Jesuíno Cardoso 513, Vila Olímpia (4324 7868). Read our review of Chifa Wok

Gusto 24h Any place serving all-night nosh is a winner in our books, although Gusto 24h wasn’t yet running 24 hours as we went to press. Expect salads, pizzas and pastas in a bright, cheery space. Rua Doutor Renato Paes de Barros 125, Itaim Bibi (2387 8894/ gusto24h.com.br).

Jam Warehouse The Itaim branch of this tropical Brazil-meets-Japan sushi spot has reopened after being closed for over a year due to structural problems. Rua Lopes Neto 308, Itaim Bibi (3473 3273/ jamwarehouse.com.br).

Sakagura A1 Chef Shin Koike, of award-winning restaurant Aizomê, started out in São Paulo running A1, a tiny, long-closed and much-loved izakaya (Japanese gastrobar). Going back to those roots, the chef is opening a 1920s-style Tokyo sake bar. Rua Jerônimo da Veiga 74, Itaim Bibi (3078 3883). Read our review of Sakagura A1

Attimo Chef Jefferson Rueda will be using his Italian cooking know-how and blending it with the cuisine of rural São Paulo state at one of the year’s most eagerly anticipated restaurant openings. A self-styled ‘italo-caipira’ (hick-meets-Italian) eatery has opened in a space originally designed by one of São Paulo’s great Modernist architects, David Libeskind, and restored by Naoki Otake. Rua Diogo Jácome 341, Vila Nova Conceição (5054 9999/ attimorestaurante.com.br). Read our review of Attimo