Special Nights in São Paulo

São Paulo is my favourite city in Brazil. Not because it’s the biggest, or the economic heart of Brazil, but because of the multitude of interesting things you can do there. I had many great days there with memorable experiences. I will talk about four of the most special nights. Incidentally, they were all in June, my last month there. Two of them were a show and the other two were an epic dinner.

 

 

Fasano

The first one is the most amazing gastronomic experience I’ve had so far. It was some of the best food I’ve ever had and the best all-round experience. It was at an Italian restaurant called Fasano. I heard so much about it. It was in a hotel, and the street was named after it as well. I was welcomed by live piano playing and a very well dressed maître d'. The restaurant looked fabulous, and I couldn’t wait to try the food. As I looked through the menu, I saw a Caviar appetizer for $350! I had Cod risotto with pesto, and Tiramisu for dessert. The risotto was one of the best I’ve ever had, and the tiramisu was divine.

I took a trip to the restroom and it was also very elegant with granite walls. There was a little maze and you had to walk a bit before getting there. The restaurant’s ambience was extraordinary. Everyone there was calm and refined. It was almost as if I was in another city. By the time I finished the meal and the bill arrived, the restaurant had already justified the ridiculously expensive price. For what it offered, it was reasonable, and I’d say it was great value for money. In fact, I loved it so much that I went again!

Fasano
Cod risotto with pesto

Samba Suor Brasileiro

Next, I will talk about the show I watched in the building which is the background of this blog! Yes, it is the ‘Teatro Municipal,’ São Paulo’s beautiful theatre designed by Ramos de Azevedo. I watched a samba show called ‘Samba Suor Brasileiro’ or Sweet Brazilian Samba. I was more excited to see the building than the show. I had never seen it at night with the beautiful lighting.

Teatro Municipal
Right after the show Samba Suor Brasileiro

As I got there, I realized I was underdressed, but I didn’t care. I had visited the building before, and I knew where I had to go. I got my ticket and went up to the noble hall on the third floor. This hall was as glamorous as a hall in Versailles. It had beautiful chandeliers and paintings. There was also the obligatory grand piano which, to my disappointment, I was not allowed to play. The show actually beat my expectations. It had masterful use of light and costumes with great direction. As a bonus, it was also very Brazilian. I will always remember this very Brazilian show in the very beautiful Teatro Municipal, my favourite building in Brazil.

D.O.M.

And now, we up the stakes a little. I had been reading about São Paulo being the world’s capital of gastronomy, and I got a brochure for the 100 best restaurants in São Paulo. I checked online and found out that one of them was the fourth best restaurant in the world! I was definitely going; there was no question about it. I wasn’t about to let an opportunity like this pass me by. I tried all the other restaurants and left this until the end. I had to wait a little when I got there, but I hadn’t made reservations, so that was ok.
As a looked through the menu, I was pleased to find out that the food wasn’t $500 for a main course. It was actually very reasonable pricing for its reputation. It’s also cheaper than other restaurants around the world because it’s in Brazil and the currency is not as strong.

Anyway, the food was so amazing, no surprise there. I got a steak, and it was one of the best steaks I’ve ever had. The thing is, food can’t get much better after a certain point. Therefore, I was very pleased with my meal, but I had erroneously expected better. I had really high expectations. I thought I was going to eat the best food in the world. To be honest, my experience at Fasano was better, but this was still very special. It was especially delightful to meet the chef and talk to him. I found out that he was the owner and that he created all the recipes for the items on the menu.

D.O.M.
The fourth best restaurant in the world!

 The Ninth

Finally, I left the best for last. This was a night to remember forever. It was by far the best concert experience in my life. It was Beethoven’s 9^th symphony. This 75-minute epic was written by the greatest of the masters of classical music. It was his final symphony. He composed it in 1824, three years before his death. The 9^th is one of the best-known works of the Western classical repertoire. It is considered by some to be the greatest piece of music ever written and it has been adapted for use as the European Anthem. What is even more astonishing is that Beethoven wrote the whole thing while he was completely deaf!
I had told my boss at work that I was going, and she had invited many teachers, but only one other woman came, who was the coordinator for the school. So, there I was with my boss and my other boss, and it was all my idea. I felt proud of myself that I convinced them to come.
A few days before that, I took a tour of the building and they talked about everything. It was one of the best concert halls in the world. It had an adjustable ceiling for perfect acoustics. I had seen the building before, but it looked particularly beautiful at night with the big clock tower. The hall was enchanting. It was like going back to the 19^th century.

The concert blew me away. I had just witnessed something epic. The crowd went wild and there was an encore. Freude! I can honestly say that I did not think I would ever attend a show like this, especially at a young age. It was one of the best experiences I had in Brazil. I kept my ticket as a souvenir too

Sala São Paulo at the end of Beethoven's 9th. It was legendary!