Shrimp in pumpkin and cosmopolitan: see where to eat dishes to relive the 1990s in SP

The 1990s are back — just look at movie premieres and see the number of films showing that are derivatives of titles that were successful in those years, or open a streaming service and check out revamped series, or check the music schedules and see pop punk groups and boy bands reigning again.

If gastronomy is the talk, fans of sun-dried tomatoes, coconut cakes wrapped in aluminum foil and prawns in squash are not left out either — these fads, which never went away, can still be easily found around.

Good news for nostalgic people from São Paulo: you can relive this decade in the city by visiting restaurants, bars and pastry shops. See below how to celebrate this decade. And, if you want, start your tour with a trip to Galeria do Rock to do everything in character.

coconut smoothie

Trendy bars in São Paulo recently rescued the tasty mixture of alcohol, coconut and condensed milk. At Bagaceira, located in Santa Cecília, for example, the drink costs R$25 and at Moela, in the same region, it costs R$20 per bottle.
Bagaceira, at @barbagaceira Gizzard, at @barmoela

coconut cake in aluminum

The cake with a taste of a 1990s party gained momentum — including the aluminum foil wrapping part and the way it was served, chilled. One of the brands that offer the delicacy is Carole Crema, for R$ 14.90 a unit.
Carole Crema, at carolecrema.com.br

Shrimp in the pumpkin

A dish of coastal cuisine, the mixture of shrimp and catupiry that uses the squash itself as a container can be tasted for R$ 134 at Mexilhão, a Bela Vista restaurant opened in 1970.
mussel, in restaurantemexilhao.com.br

Crab cone

Nobody can quite explain why, but since these appetizers have become ubiquitous on menus across the country, they are always served in a shell — even though crabs are crustaceans, not molluscs. That’s exactly how they are served, at R$62, the Tatini cones.
Tatini, at @tatinirestaurante_oficial

Cosmopolitan

The mixture of vodka, cranberry juice, orange liqueur and lemon juice served in a glass seemed inseparable from the figure of the character Carrie Bradshaw for anyone who followed the adventures of the friends of “Sex and the City”. The original version and the reboot of the production, from last year, can be seen in the streaming, and the drink can be ordered at the Riviera, which works
24 hours a day, for R$31.
On HBO Max and Riviera at linktr.ee/rivierabarerestaurante

Papaya cream

One of the legends says that the journalist and chronicler Silvio Lancellotti, specialist in sports and gastronomy, was the inventor of the delicacy, very popular in the 1990s. But another story, more believable or not, says that the dessert was created in the 1970s, in Churrascaria Rodeo —where it is still sold today, for R$53. In any case, the fact is that you will hardly find the cream in a more gourmet restaurant. However, the dessert made with papaya, cream ice cream and finished with blackcurrant liqueur (with chorinho) remains classic in steakhouses.
At Rodeo, at rodeiosp.com.br

Stroganoff

The classic dish that brings together cubes of beef, straw fries and rice (R$ 82) is one of the most popular recipes in Brazil and also at Bar da Dona Onça, in the central region. It also has a special appeal for chef Janaina Rueda, who used to celebrate birthdays with the recipe, prepared by her mother.
Bar da Dona Onça, at @bardadonaonca

Fran’s Café

Long before the large, disposable cups at Starbucks, The Coffee and co., there was Fran’s. Coffee was born in the 1970s, in Bauru, but became popular in the capital in the 1990s, when it became a franchise. With many 24-hour units, or close to it, it has become a meeting point for young and old couples, serving large, varied coffees, iced, hot, with ice cream or whipped cream. Competition from endless cafes was cruel for the chain, which closed most units, but is now experiencing a revival with
the name Fran’s Café Origin.
At Benedito Calixto, on 1/25

Petit Gateau

Credited with bringing the dessert to Brazil, Frenchman Érick Jacquin serves the cupcake at his restaurant Président for R$45. In addition to this, another recipe is the gâteau with dulce de leche and vanilla ice cream (R$35) that has been served for almost three decades at Carlota Bistro.
Président, at @president_jacquin, and Carlota Bistrô, at @carlapernambucocarlota

sushi all-you-can-eat

As soon as Japanese food became popular, someone had the idea of ​​serving it the style of steakhouses, on an all-you-can-eat basis. At Aoyama’s nine units in São Paulo, founded in 1997, at the height of this wave, adults pay BRL 129.90 for a full all-you-can-eat buffet, which includes spicy options, such as spicy tuna, and truffle options, such as salmon belly niguiri.
Aoyama, at @restauranteaoyama

dry tomato

An absolute sensation of the early 1990s, sun-dried tomatoes appeared everywhere—pizzas, sandwiches, salads, parties, birthdays. Those who want to immerse themselves in the past and in olive oil can go to Carlos Pizza, which serves zucchini in the countryside for R$48, with buffalo ricotta, pecan nuts, parmesan, parsley, basil and, of course, the famous tomatoes.
Carlos Pizza, at guiacarlospizza.com.br