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Best Restaurants as Chosen by the Independent Panel

07/02/2013 - 17h27

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DE SÃO PAULO

Arabia (Best Arabic Restaurant)
For 26 years, Arabia has been serving the finest in Lebanese food. It is famous for the raw kibbeh: one of the most popular dishes on the menu, it can be ordered by the half-portion in order to leave room for mains like the Mechoui lamb skewers, best with a portion of Syrian rice on the side. In the winter you can order the 'labanie' and 'shish barak' kibbehs, served with a traditional yoghurt sauce, made fresh every day. Owners Leila Youssef and Sergio Kuczynski run three branches in the city with a reduced menu, in the Iguatemi shopping mall, the JK Iguatemi shopping mall and in Vila Olímpia.

R. Haddock Lobo, 1.397, Cerqueira César. Telephone: +55 (11) 3061-2203. Monday to Thursday: from12h until 15h30 and from 19h until 24h. Friday and Saturday: from 12h until 1h. Credit Cards accepted.

Mauro Holanda/Divulgação
Palette of lamb with fresh tagliatelle with sauce and vegetablesin Atiimo Restaurant
Palette of lamb with fresh tagliatelle with sauce and vegetablesin Atiimo Restaurant

Attimo (Best Newcomer)
Designed by David Libeskind, the architect behind the Conjunto Nacional, Attimo is avant-garde both in architecture and cuisine. Chef Jefferson Rueda fuses the techniques and ingredients of Italian gastronomy with those found in the cooking native to the countryside of São Paulo state. For an appetizer try the coxinhas (drumsticks made from dough and filled with chicken and herbs) with a fondue of catupiry cheese. Main dishes include arroz de suã (rice with pork) and stuffed pasta of braised suckling pig and a sauce of lentils and sausage.

R. Diogo Jácome, 341, Vila Nova Conceição. Telephone: +55 (11) 5054-9999. Monday to Saturday: from12h until 16h and from 19h until 24h. Sunday: from12h until 17h. Credit Cards accepted.

A Bela Sintra (Best Portuguese Restaurant)
In this grand, elegant restaurant, traditional Portuguese dishes arrive on the table covered by bronze cloches. The recipes - both of land and sea - are the work of Chef Ilda Vinagre. The bacalhau consists of slices of fish cooked in oil, then covered in a sauce of fish stock, cream and leek, accompanied by potatoes and a vegetable ratatouille. The lamb with white beans and rice is also recommended.

R. Bela Cintra, 2.325, Consolação. Telephone: +55 (11) 3891-0740. Monday to Thursday: from 12h until 15h30 and from 19h until 1h. Friday: from12h until 15h30 and from 19h until 2h. Saturday: from12h until 2h. Sunday: from 12h until 23h30. Credit Cards accepted.

Helena Peixoto/Folhapress
Chez Mis is one of the best restaurants in the city
Chez Mis is one of the best restaurants in the city

Chez Mis (Best Atmosphere)
Through the glass façade of this fashionable restaurant one can observe the goings-on at MIS, the Museum of Image and Sound. With a modern ambience and an emphasis upon organic food, the restaurant is true to the spirit of the other ventures of the Chez group, the restaurant Chez Lorena and the Bar Secreto. Some of the dishes are borrowed from Chez Lorena, such as the goats' cheese bruschetta and the famous rustic gnocchi. Others are exclusive to Chez Mis, like the lamb roasted with a sweet potato gratin. Chez Mis also doubles up as a café during the afternoons between lunch and dinner.

Av. Europa, 158, Jardim Europa. Telephone: +55 3467-3441. Tuesday to Friday: 12h until 1h. Saturday: 12h30 until 1h. Sunday: 12h until 22h. Credit Cards accepted.

Girrarosto (Best Italian Restaurant)
Eleven months ago, the chef Salvatore Loi (once of the restaurant Fasano) took over the kitchen at Girrarosto and went into business with the owners Paulo Kress and Paulo de Barros. He added to the menu starters like the caprese salad with herby pesto and frisella bread and mains such as the seafood risotto with concasse and chili pepper. The meats - such as the crispy porchetta (pork) with roast potatoes - are still roasted on the rotisserie that gives the restaurant its name. For dessert, try the creamy tiramisu.

Av. Cidade Jardim, 56, Jardim Paulistano. Telephone: +55 3062-6000. Monday to Thursday: 12h until 15h and from19h until 24h. Friday: from 12h until 15h and from 19h until 1h. Saturday: from 12h until 16h and from 19h until 1h. Sunday: from 12h às 17h e 19h às 24h. Credit Cards accepted.

Ici Bistrô (Best French Restaurant)
Ici Bistrô celebrated its 11th birthday this year, under Chef Benny Novak and restaurateur Renato Ades (the man also responsible for Tappo Trattoria and 210 Diner). It remains faithful to its original mission: serving classic French recipes. The steak tartare is popular and can be ordered as a starter or a main. Also recommended are the escargot in garlic butter and parsley and the shrimp provençale. To finish, try the rabanada (Brazilian style French toast) with cream of pear.

R. Pará, 36, Consolação. Telephone: 3257-4064. Monday to Thursday: from12h until 15h and from19h until 24h. Friday: from 12h until 15h and from 19h until 0h30. Saturday: from 12h30 until 16h and from 19h30 until 0h30. Sunday: from12h30 until 17h. Credit Cards accepted.

Helena Peixoto/Folhapress
Jardim de Napoli: Green Fettuccini with funghi sauce
Jardim de Napoli: Green Fettuccini with funghi sauce

Jardim de Napoli (Best Italian Restaurant)
The polpettone alla parmigiana (meatloaf stuffed with mozzarella) is the specialty of Jardim de Napoli, originally opened by Neapolitan immigrants in 1949. While today the principle cantina is in Higienópolis, there are also other branches in the shopping malls Pátio Higienópolis, Market Place and JK Iguatemi. Famous not only in São Paulo but also throughout the country, the polpettone can be eaten alongside pasta dishes such as spaghetti al pomodoro or pappardelle with ragu. At the Higienópolis cantina you'll get a larger serving. The restaurant also offers a decent selection of antipasti and traditional pizzas such as the margherita.

R. Martinico Prado, 463, Vila Buarque. Telephone: +55 (11) 3666-3022. Monday: from 12h until 15h and from 19h until 23h. Tuesday to Friday: from 12h until 15h and from 19h until 24h. Saturday: from12h until 16h and from 19h until 24h. Sunday: from12h until 17h and from 19h until 23h. Credit Cards accepted.

Kaa (Best Atmosphere)
The floor of this sophisticated restaurant is decorated with a vertical garden and a reflecting pool, while the cuisine is a Franco-Italian fusion put together by French chef Pascal Valero. His creations include a seafood platter served with Moroccan-style couscous and grilled lamb's ribs with vermicelli in sage butter. For dessert, don't leave without trying the millefeuille of doce de leite (a milk-based caramel sauce) with cream of vanilla. For something to drink, try the Rossini. Made with sparkling wine and crushed strawberries, it is one of the house favorites.

Av. Juscelino Kubitschek, 279, Vila Nova Conceição. Telephone: +553045-0043. Monday to Thursday: from 12h until 15h and from 19h until 24h. Friday: from12h until 15h and from 19h until 1h. Saturday: from12h until 17h and from19h until 1h. Sunday: from12h until 17h. Credit Cards accepted.

Kinoshita (Best Japanese Restaurant)
Diners are greeted in Japanese here at Kinoshita, a tasteful establishment run by the restaurateur Marcelo Fernandes. Creations of Chef Tsuyoshi Murakami include pancetta in tonkatsu sauce with the yolk of organic Yamaguishi eggs. Dishes can be ordered either à la carte or you can choose two options from the tasting menu, with recipes created according to the fresh ingredients available. A sake sommelier is available to help you choose what to drink with your meal.

R. Jacques Félix, 405, Vila Nova Conceição. Telephone: +55 3849-6940. Monday to Friday: from 12h until 15h and from 19h until 24h. Saturday: from 12h until 16h and from 19h until 24h. Credit Cards accepted.

Le Jazz (Best French Restaurant)
This small but outstanding bistro of the Rua dos Pinheiros last year opened another branch in Jardins, which is every bit as popular. To avoid the queue it's best to arrive early. Both restaurants are unpretentious in style, with jazz-themed decoration on the walls, and serving timeless French standards such as mollet eggs and steak au poivre. The Jardins branch remains open between lunch and dinner. A reduced menu is available from 5pm to 7:30pm, which still nonetheless includes delicacies such as the terrine of foie gras with compote of orange and dry fruit.

R. Dr. Melo Alves, 734, Cerqueira César. Telephone: +55 3062-9797. Monday to Thursday: from 12h until 24h. Friday and saturday: from 12h until 1h. Sunday: from 13h until 23h30. Credit Cards accepted.

Divulgação
Galician octopus skewer in Maní Restaurant
Galician octopus skewer in Maní Restaurant

Maní (Best Restaurant)
Maní is the project of the couple Helena Rizzo and Daniel Redondo, and in 2012 was chosen as the 51st best restaurant in the world by the British magazine Restaurant. In a laid-back atmosphere the two chefs serve a contemporary menu with a notable emphasis upon presentation. Some of the treats on offer include palm noodles with a sauce of parmesan and white truffle oil, and Chinese rice with flank steak and sausage, a reworking of a dish native to south Brazil. It was also chosen by the panel in the category 'Most Varied.'

R. Joaquim Antunes, 210, Pinheiros. Telephone: +55 3085-4148. Tuesday and Wednesday: from 12h until 15h and from 20h until 23h30. Thursday: from12h until 15h and from 20h until 24h. Friday: from12h until 15h and from 20h30 until 0h30.
Saturday: from13h until 16h and from 20h30 until 0h30. Sunday: from13h until 16h30. Credit Cards accepted.

Ritz(Most Varied)
Little has changed since the Ritz was inaugurated in 1981: the revolving door and the red sofas remain, as well as the famous hamburgers. Besides the classic Ritz burger, be sure to try the Jubileu, consisting of 200 grams of flank steak, emmental cheese, arugula, tomato and hot sauce. If burgers are not your thing there are also other options such as the penne with ham and asparagus. The branches in Itaim Bibi (tel: +55 11 3079-2725) and in the Iguatemi shopping mall (tel: +55 11 2769-6752) offer the same menu as the original restaurant in Jardins.

Al. Franca, 1.088, Jardim Paulista. Telephone: +55 3088-6808. Monday to Wednesday: from 12h until 15h and from 20h until 0h30. Thursday and Friday: from12h until 15h and from 20h until1h30. Saturday: from12h30 until 1h30. Sunday: from 12h30 until 1h. Credit Cards accepted.

Rodeio (Best Steakhouse)
While the original Rodeio was opened in Jardins back in the 1950s, a new Rodeio, designed by the architect Isay Weinfeld, can now be found in the Iguatemi shopping mall. When it comes to the meat, the picanha fatiada remains the choice cut. On the side you might like to try the arroz rodeio (rice with eggs, bacon, herbs and crispy fried potatoes); farofa com ovo (toasted manioc flour with eggs) or the roasted palm hearts. Fish is also available, either cooked over the grill (sea bass, salmon and catfish) or on the griddle (sole, cod and shrimp).

Shopping Iguatemi. R. Angelina Maffei Vita, 200, Jardim Europa. Telephone: +55 2348-1111. Monday to Friday: from 11h30 until 15h30 and from 18h30 until 24h. Saturday: from11h30 until 24h. Sunday: from 11h30 until 22h. Credit Cards accepted.

Helena Peixoto/Folhapress
Spot, best atmosphere restaurant
Spot, best atmosphere restaurant

Spot(Best Atmosphere)
With its characteristic glass façade, Spot has been a favorite with diners who like to watch the world go by since 1994. From your table you can look out to the fountain in the square outside and even observe the commotion of the Avenida Paulista, just half a block away. As well as the penne with ham and melon, other tempting possibilities include the veal scallopini with an orange-and-lemon sauce, and, for dessert, the nut-and-fig cookies. If you're in the mood for an aperitif be sure to try one of barman Alexandre D'Agostino's famous Bloody Marys.

Al. Min. Rocha Azevedo, 72, Cerqueira César. Telephone: +55 3284-6131. Monday to Friday: from12h until 15h and from 20h until 1h. Saturday and Sunday: from12h until 17h and from 20h to 1h. Credit Cards accepted.

Tordesilhas (Best Brazilian Food)
Mara Salles has been studying Brazilian cooking techniques and ingredients for more than 20 years. She puts theory into practice in her restaurant Tordesilhas, originally opened back in the 90s and now with a new home on the Alameda Tietê as of May 2013. The restaurant now offers a new menu, including starters like the zucchini spaghetti with a sauce of cheese from Minas Gerais; and mains such as the moqueca capixaba, a seafood stew served in a clay pot; as well as the lamb casserole. For dessert, try the coffee-and-chocolate trifle with chili crystals.

Al. Tietê, 489, Cerqueira César. Telephone: +55 3107-7444. Tuesday to Friday: from 17h to 1h. Saturday: from12h until 17h and from19h until 1h. Sunday: from 12h until 17h. Credit Cards accepted.

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