Nathalia Durval
Spread across cobblestone residential streets and among tall buildings at the top of hills, restaurants, bars and cafes in Santana have helped transform the neighborhood into the main gastronomic hub of the northern region.
According to a survey by Abrasel-SP (Brazilian Association of Bars and Restaurants), the hub has 1,022 food establishments, making it the fourth largest in the city.
Pizzas and crostini served at Salt ZN pizzeria, in Santana –
One of the people responsible for popularizing gastronomy in the neighborhood is the Mozzafiato group, which has been operating in the region for 40 years. It was founded by the family of chef Diego Sacilotto, winner of MasterChef Profissionais.
The first restaurant, Sargento Garcia, has been open since 1984. Later came the pizzerias Meime and Pizza e Pizzas. Sacilotto started working in his father’s business when he was still young, until he became a chef and opened his own restaurants, which merged with the group.
They are Seu Manuel, La Crosta and the new Bocca Cucina. With elegant decor, it follows classic Italian cuisine, with pasta made there, such as rigatoni à matriciana, with tomato sauce, bacon and burrata (R$77).
The chef will open other projects in the coming months: the Argentine Martin Carbon, a rotisserie and confectionery, a snack bar and a pizzeria.
Sacilotto says he received proposals to open restaurants in other neighborhoods, but they were all denied. “I never thought about leaving here. It’s a way of giving back what the north zone did for my family. We are very local.”
Another group that runs several restaurants in the area is Salt. Created by two partners who were born in the neighborhood, its portfolio includes the Salt ZN pizzeria, the Salt Burger hamburger restaurant and the more recent Salt Bakery. Located on a corner, the café has become a brunch spot, with recipes such as pancakes and red fruit jam (R$34.90).
The partners also have no plans to open businesses in other locations. “People are realizing that the northern zone has its value and its target audience. The region has grown, but there is still room for many good things,” says Pedro Antonelli.
Salt’s restaurants are located on Augusto Tolle Street, which is home to other dining options, such as Gallette Chocolates. You can try bars and chocolates, such as the jabuticaba one, for R$6.90. Another dessert option nearby is Dezato Gelato, which sells artisanal ice creams in flavors such as carrot cake for R$17.
The street is home to one of the most traditional names in the northern zone, Bar do Luiz Fernandes. In the neighborhood since 1970, the place is always busy with customers looking for the cocktails (R$11) and snacks like the famous meatball (R$6).
Another traditional restaurant is Casa Garabed, an Arabic restaurant from the 1950s. It is hidden in the garage of a residential street, and from the sidewalk you can smell the roast esfihas in flavors like lamb shank (R$21.20).
Lassú, located on the 28th floor of a building with panoramic views of the city, has become a tourist attraction. When it opened in 2019, the Italian kitchen attracted attention because it was built on a rotating platform.
The rooftops benefit from the neighborhood’s hills, which provide a privileged view from above. In this vein, the Una restaurant and bar is located in a three-story building with a terrace. The menu, featuring Brazilian food, was created by chef Paula Labaki.
Artisanal bakeries are also popular in the neighborhood. One of them is Beiu, which started out as a family business that makes sourdough bread. The baked goods include pastries and seasonal recipes like the Calabrian babka (R$27). The bakery operates on a buy-and-go basis, and the owners greet customers, most of whom are locals, by name. Demand has grown, and a café has opened in the building next door.
Nina Farina was created after the owner, Tais Gomes, noticed that there was a lack of bakeries of this type in the area. A year ago, she opened the space in an old renovated house. She makes her own breads and pastries every day—her signature dish is the brioche (R$31).
Among other new additions is Kimchi Handmade, one of the first Korean restaurants in the northern zone, which started out as a delivery service. One of the typical dishes is bulgogi (R$56), meat marinated in soy sauce served with side dishes.
1 – Luiz Fernandes’ Bar
R. Augusto Tolle, 610, Santana, @bardoluizf
2 – Beîu
R. Mal. Hermes da Fonseca, 486cSantana, @beiupaes
3 – Mouth Kitchen
R. Soror Angélica, 21, Santana, @bocca.cucina
4 – House Garabed
R. Jose Margarido, 216, Santana, @casagarabedoficial
5 – Dezato Gelato
R. Augusto Tolle, 279, Santana, @dezatogelato
6 – Gallette Chocolates
R. Augusto Tolle, 245, Santana, @gallettechocolates
7 – Handmade Kimchi
R. Emb. João Neves da Fontoura, 306, Santana, @handmadekimchi
8 – Julia Pizzeria
R. Francisca Júlia, 465, Santana, @julliapizzaria
9 – The Crust Bakery
R. Pontins, 52, Santana, @lacrostaforneria
10 – Lassu
Building K1 – r. Conselheiro Saraiva, 207, Santana, @lassu_ristorante
11 – Nina Farina
R. Ana Benvinda de Andrade, 42, Santana, @ninafarinapadaria
12 – Nosu
R. Maria Curupaiti, 414, Santana, @restaurantenosu
13 – Salt Bakery
R. Francisca Julia, 680, Santana, @saltbakery_
14 – Salt Burger
R. Augusto Tolle, 175, Santana, @saltburgernbar
15 – Salt ZN
R. Augusto Tolle, 135, Santana, @saltznpizzabar
16 – One Rooftop
R. Prof. Lourival Gomes Machado, 273, Santana, @unarooftopbar
Source: Folha
I have worked as a journalist for over 10 years, and my work has been featured on many different news websites. I am also an author, and my work has been published in several books. I specialize in opinion writing, and I often write about current events and controversial topics. I am a very well-rounded writer, and I have a lot of experience in different areas of journalism. I am a very hard worker, and I am always willing to put in the extra effort to get the job done.
