Chefs dominate regions of SP and create a kind of ‘War’ of São Paulo cuisine

The gastronomic map of São Paulo is like a board in the “War” game, divided by territories. Certain chefs dominate some corners of the city. Other regions belong to other entrepreneurs, who are taking possession of neighborhoods, streets, blocks — in a game in which the main enemy is hunger.

The center of the capital, for example, saw the birth of an axis of bars, restaurants and other businesses by the duo Janaína and Jefferson Rueda. In a short walk, you can see A Casa do Porco, considered the seventh best restaurant in the world, but also the Bar da Dona Onça, the Hot Pork snack bar and the Sorveteria do Centro.

In the case of the Rueda, for example, the preference for the center was affective. “People asked me how I could open in a place that only had transvestites, prostitutes, crazy people. Sheet in 2021.

In addition, there is a practical issue: Casa do Porco is one block from Praça da República, practically the same distance that Janaína walks to the building where she lives.

Another classic of the region is the photogenic Avanhandava Street, dominated by Walter Mancini. There, you can choose from some of the family’s Italian cuisines — and take some pictures in front of a Kobra graffiti or at the water fountain decorated with little horses.

There are also those who gather all operations in a single property, thus forming a kind of Megazord of restaurants. This is the case of the Temperani family, who form the Vila Anália group, with six developments in the property of the same name in the Tatuapé region.

Originally from the north zone, they saw an opportunity to undertake in Anália Franco and ended up adopting the neighborhood. “We understand that gastronomy outside the route needs to happen. People cannot just move from here to the south zone or from the north zone to another place”, said Guilherme Temperani this year.

Meet the players of the gastronomic “War” of the capital of São Paulo and choose which territories to explore in the city.

SOUTH ZONE

1. Claude and Thomas troisgros

The French-Brazilian said he had his eye on opening an empire in São Paulo when he returned to the city in 2020, with Chez Claude. Since then, he and his son, Thomás, have opened Boucherie and Bar du Quartier — all three work in the same property in Itaim Bibi, called Le Quartier, on Rua Professor Tamandaré Toledo. The duo also plans to open a Mediterranean restaurant and a café at the same address.

Le Quartier
R. Prof. Tamandaré Toledo, 25

2. Rodolfo de Santis

In 2015, the Italian opened Nino Cucina on Jerônimo da Veiga street, in Itaim Bibi. Since then, it has opened another seven houses, all close to each other: there is Da Marino, with cuisine from the south of Italy, the Peppino canteen, the Giulietta, with a focus on embers, the Forno da Pino and the French Madame Suzette. This year alone, Aquiles Taberna and Vito were born.

Achilles Tavern
R. Pedroso Alvarenga, 909

from Marino
R. Jerônimo da Veiga, 74

Pino’s oven
R. Jerônimo da Veiga, 75

Giulietta
R. Jerônimo da Veiga, 36

Madame Suzette
R. Jerônimo da Veiga, 129

Nino
R. Jerônimo da Veiga, 30

cucumber
R. João Cachoeira, 175

vitus
R. Pedroso Alvarenga, 828

WEST ZONE

3. Mariana Fonseca

A specialist in Greek cuisine, the chef opened Myk in 2013, on the corner of Peixoto Gomide and Barão de Capanema streets, in Jardim Paulista. Then came Kouzina on the same road and Fotiá, about 500 meters away from the brothers. In the coming months, she opens the Rosé wine bar in Barão de Capanema and promises two more restaurants in the same region for 2023.

fotia
R. Father João Manuel, 964

Myk
R. Peixoto Gomide, 1972

kouzina
R. Peixoto Gomide, 1710

4. Eric Jacquin

Of the Masterchef judge’s businesses in the city, three are concentrated on a corner on Consolação Street, dominated by him. There are the Président, with French haute cuisine, and the Italian Lvtetia – which also hides the Bar do Vaticano. He still has houses in Pinheiros and Bela Vista, as well as a dark kitchen, just for delivery.

Vatican bar
R. da Consolação, 3,585

Lvtetia
R. da Consolação, 3,585

president
R. da Consolação, 3,527

5. Renata Vanzetto

Among the chef’s small obsessions are the letter “M” and Rua Bela Cintra, in Cerqueira César. One block down the street has seven of her businesses: the authorial Ema, the Matilda cafeteria, the MeGusta bar, the Mé tavern, the Asian Mi.Ado, the Mediterranean Mico and, phew, the familiar Muquifo. The latter worked on Rua da Consolação, but moved closer to his family earlier this month.

Emma
R. Bela Cintra, 1,551

Matilda Snacks
R. Bela Cintra, 1,541

I like it and me
R. Bela Cintra, 1,551

Mi.Ado
R. Bela Cintra, 1,533

mico
R. Bela Cintra, 1,533

muquifo
R. Bela Cintra, 1,569

CENTER

6. Mancini Family

Alone, he turned a street into a tourist spot in the capital. Known for its fountain, architecture and small lights, Avanhandava street has been Walter Mancini’s territory since 1980, when he opened the Famiglia Mancini canteen. Today, it also houses the Pizzeria Famiglia Mancini and the Walter and Madrepérola restaurants.

mother of pearl
R. Avanhandava, 22

Pizzeria Famiglia Mancini
R. Avanhandava, 25

sweet mamma
R. Avanhandava, 16

Trattoria Famiglia Mancini
R. Avanhandava, 81

Walter Restaurant and Music
R. Avanhandava, 126

7. Henry Family

The French La Casserole has roots since 1968 in Largo do Arouche. But the business led by Marie and Leo Henry, mother and son, began to become an ecosystem in the center in 2019, when Leo opened the Térreo drinks bar, across the square. A year ago, it was the turn of the ultramodern Infini, hidden in La Casserole, and the discreet waiting bar at Mercado das Flores, opposite the restaurant.

Despite not being a family member, chef Dani França Pinto also has a small domain in the region: she is a consultant at Casserole and Infini and signs the menu of the newcomer Cineclube Cortina, on Rua Araújo.

Bar das Flores (Waiting for Infini)
Largo do Arouche, s/n.

infinite
Largo do Arouche, 346

La Casserole
Largo do Arouche, 346

ground floor bar
Largo do Arouche, 77

8. Janaína and Jefferson Rueda

Although they are no longer a couple, the duo maintains the partnership that established the current gastronomic hub around the Copan building. The building houses the Bar da Dona Onça, which is about 200 meters from the seventh best restaurant in the world, A Casa do Porco. Nearby, the Hot Pork snack bar and the Sorveteria do Centro, owned by the same group, still operate.

The House of the Pig
R. Araújo, 124

Bar da Dona Onça
Copan Building – Av. Ipiranga, 200, stores 27 and 29

hot pork
R. Bento Freitas, 454

downtown ice cream shop
R. Epitacio Pessoa, 94

EAST ZONE

9. Fellipe Zanuto

With him, almost everything ends up in pizza. The chef is in charge of one of the 100 best pizzerias in the world, A Pizza da Mooca, and Onesttà, which makes rounds in the São Paulo style, in addition to running the Hospedaria restaurant — all in Mooca. But he is starting to expand the boundaries of the board and also has business in Pinheiros and, soon, in Itaim Bibi.

Mooca’s Pizza
R. Da Mooca, 1,747

inn
R. Borges de Figueiredo, 82

onesttà
R. of the Oratory, 113

10. Temperani Family

The family has some entrepreneurs in the gastronomy business —Marcus Temperani, for example, runs houses like Dizzy and Compadre in the North Zone. A third generation group decided to follow the same path and created their territory in the Anália Franco region. It started in 2015 with the northeastern Macaxeira, today with seven addresses in the capital. Then came Uru Mar y Parrilla and, in 2022, the Vila Anália complex, which brings together six restaurants in a single building.

cassava
R. Emília Marengo, 185

Uru Mar y Parrilla
R. Emília Marengo, 109

Vila Analia
R. Cândido Lacerda, 33