Where To Find The Best Coffee In So Paulo

São Paulo is full of good coffeeshops – places with charming decor, delicious cakes, beautiful views and quiet spots to sit and get some work done. But that’s not what we are interested in today. The cornerstone of any truly great coffeeshop is – surprise, surprise – the coffee. Here are 10 places to visit in São Paulo for an unforgettable cup of joe.

1. Coffee Lab

Cafe, Brazilian

As the name suggests, Coffee Lab takes coffee very seriously indeed. Take a seat at one of the tables inside the charming semi-detached house in Vila Madalena and you’ll be presented with a detailed menu, offering dozens of different Brazilian coffees with explanations about each one, including flavor profiles and provenance. Coffee lovers pick the bean of their choice, before selecting their preferred brewing method, from a simple filter drip to modern coffee-making techniques, many of which you are unlikely to have seen before.

2. Café Floresta

Cafe, Coffee

In the same spot (and with the same decoration) for the last 40 years, Café Floresta is a must-visit for coffee lovers and all other visitors to São Paulo. Located inside the famous Copan building – the 35-story apartment block designed by Oscar Niemeyer in the 1950s – Café Floresta hasn’t really changed much since it opened its doors in the 1970s. There are no tables, only a single counter with a line of stools, and the coffee comes in the classic dark-brown ceramic cups which were all the rage back then. Speaking of the coffee, Café Floresta serves up what is probably the best espressos in São Paulo. Not to be missed.

3. The Little Coffee Shop

Cafe, Coffee, Tea , Vegetarian, Brazilian, Street Food, Fast Food

If you thought Café Floresta was small, you should check out The Little Coffee Shop in Pinheiros. With the clue being in the name, The Little Coffee Shop is absolutely tiny, little more than a hole in the wall with a handful of stools and an awning for customers to queue under. The menu is simple, serving excellent coffee for low prices in small paper cups, but they also like to mix things up, offering an Espresso Tonic (coffee, tonic water and ice) and their new invention, the Espresso Sub, which is an espresso served alongside a small fruit popsicle.

5. Sofá Café

Cafe, Coffee

The motto of Sofá Café, one of the best renowned coffee shops in São Paulo, is that “the best place for coffee is on the sofa”. The idea of the establishment, opened in 2011, is to serve quality coffee in a comfortable, homely environment. As well as paying great attention to the decoration and atmosphere of the café itself, Sofá Café are meticulous in the selection, roasting and preparation of the beans they serve.

6. Fora da Lei Café

Cafe, Coffee

Every weekday, just off Paulista Avenue, the good folks at Fora da Lei Café park up their van and serve some of the most delicious coffee in the region. With a name translating as “Outlaw Café”, their menu options are all named after famous criminals. There’s the Al Capone (espresso), the Bonnie & Clyde (double espresso, geddit?), the Pablo Escobar (coffee with powdered milk) and several others. Behind the gimmick, however, the quality of their product is excellent. A great place to stop off for a quick, cheap and delicious coffee.

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