7 Best Restaurants in Side Trips from São Paulo, Brazil

One of the specialties at this charming German restaurant and choperia in the heart of town is sauerkraut garni (sour cabbage with German sausages). The typical dish serves two and is almost as popular as Baden-Baden's cold draft beer from the attached brewery.

Located by João Zelante Square in what was once a department store, Café Boteco incorporates elements of the traditional Brazilian boteco (dive bar) in some of its recipes and decor, but the comparisons end there: smartly dressed, friendly waiters serve excellent picanha (rump steak) and costelinha com polenta (pork ribs with polenta chips), as well as salad and pasta dishes with a local twist. The owners also run a small shop next door selling souvenirs, fine wines, and cold cuts.

In a 1905 house, this restaurant serves regional specialties like feijoada and picadinho (steak stew served with rice and beans, farofa, fried banana, and fried egg). Salmon and boar ribs are some additional choices.

Sit in either the beautiful garden or the dining room with a fireplace at Embu's most famous restaurant, and then choose between Brazilian regional dishes such as the house specialty, moqueca de badejo (spicy fish-and-coconut-milk stew), and German classics such as eisbein (pickled and roasted pork shank). There is live music on weekends, but note that it stops at 10:30 on the dot, regardless of how much patrons might be enjoying themselves.

In a century-old ranch-style house, a hearty buffet lunch is served with dishes such as feijão tropeiro (beans with bacon, calabresa sausage, eggs, and farofa), dobradinha com feijão branco (intestines and white-bean stew), or galinha atolada (rural-style hen stew).