São Paulo for Night Owls: Get to Know the Best of São Paulo’s Nightlife

If the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of party nights in Brazil is Rio de Janeiro, it’s likely that you still haven’t been to São Paulo.

With over twenty thousand bars, the economic capital of the South American giant is a city that does not sleep and knows how to enjoy the sunset.

Sunsets at Praça Pôr do Sol

The night begins at sundown and, in a city crammed with buildings, it’s difficult to sit and admire this spectacular show performed by nature. However, there is a place, a favorite among the people of São Paulo, where it can be appreciated in all its grandeur.

Officially called Praça Coronel Custódio Fernandes Pinheiros, but colloquially known as Sunset Square, it’s a public park located in the upper part of the district of Pinheiros, where locals and foreigners gather to drink a beer, organize a picnic or simply observe how the sun goes down.

Vila Madalena

São Paulo’s hipster neighborhood is also found in the district of Pinheiros. During the day, it’s worth walking through its alleys full of graffiti, art galleries and craft shops. At night, this is the destination because its streets —full of bars and restaurants— have the best atmosphere in the city.

Allow yourself to be seduced by one of the establishments or go directly to Olívio Bar and have fun with their peculiar drinks. De Boa na Banheira is a mix of rum, peach liqueur, orange liqueur, aerated water, Persian lime, coconut milk and Sicilian lemon foam, served in a bowl that resembles a bathtub and decorated with two rubber ducks. This peculiar “glass” is so attractive that it’s even for sale.

Rua Augusta

The avenue that connects the exclusive area of Jardins with the center of the city is equally famous —especially in its lower part— for the bars, food trucks and live music clubs located there. In the corner that forms with Oscar Freire, considered one of the most luxurious streets in the world, G&T Gin Bar, as its name suggests, is a bar that specializes in preparing gin cocktails.

Bar Brahma

The corner where the Ipiranga and São Joao avenues intersect, immortalized by Caetano Veloso in his melancholy hymn to the city, Sampa, is home to what is perhaps the most well-known bar in all of São Paulo.

Bar Brahma, the most famous beer in Brazil’s namesake, is a great place to go listen to live music, grab a bite and, of course, enjoy a good beer.

Bar Obelisco

On the rooftop of the building that houses the Museum of Contemporary Art of the University of São Paulo, there is an oasis for those who want to marvel at one of the best panoramas in the city. With an impressive view of the Ibirapuera Park, the Bar Obelisco is a popular meeting spot among the locals.

D. Edge

If electronic music is your thing and you’re passing through São Paulo, you can’t miss visiting D. Edge, a temple to this genre that hosts the best international DJs and boasts a spectacular design that has earned it international awards. As a plus, it has a terrace where more than one patron sits to watch the sunrise.

Love Story

Every day at midnight, except for Mondays, this eclectic club opens its doors, which don’t close until 8 in the morning. Members of all the urban tribes mingle in this place, located in the center of the city, in front of the iconic Copan building, to dance and drink until dawn.

Those in the know say that night owls who visit São Paulo are always eager to return. The only way to contradict them, or support them, is to experience a night in the most impressive city in South America. Do you dare to take the test?