São Paulo is a city that never really stops and has enough eateries to keep a foodie busy for a lifetimes. Our feasting tour of 12+ tastings explores the neighbourhoods of República and Santa Cecília, two districts where old-school bars, street vendors, and neighbourhood institutions reveal the flavours that keep the city. Led by our team of tastemakers, you'll discover a side of the city that many visitors never see. Before we get started, our tour reflects the local cuisine and the limitations of street food vendors means we unfortunately cannot cater for every dietary restriction. Here's an honest appraisal for the tour so no-one is disappointed: 
✘ Unsuitable for vegan, vegetarian, no pork diets, halal diet, and lactose intolerance as the tastings would be very limited. ✔ Pescatarian diets and gluten intolerance are possible though some tastings do not have alternatives available and the menu would be more limited. ✔ Suitable for no seafood diets and mild nut allergies.

We begin with one of Brazil's sweetest success stories. The brigadeiro was created in the 1940s during a political campaign and somehow became a national obsession. Paired with a cinnamon-spiced coffee, it's the perfect introduction to a city fuelled by caffeine and sugar in equal measure. As we wander República's lively streets, the curves of Oscar Niemeyer's Copan Building rise above us. More than just an architectural icon, this giant concrete wave is home to thousands of Paulistanos and has become one of the defining symbols of modern São Paulo. Not far away, we pause to explore another Brazilian treasure: cachaça. Distilled from sugarcane for centuries, it predates many of the world's most famous spirits and helped build fortunes, fuel celebrations, and occasionally start a few fights. We'll sample a flight of three styles, from the classic unaged spirit to versions matured in native Brazilian woods.

Opened in the 1960s and still largely unknown to foreign visitors, our next stop is a true neighbourhood institution. Locals squeeze in shoulder-to-shoulder for what many consider one of the finest sanduíches de pernil in the city. Slow-roasted pork, juicy, messy and impossible to eat elegantly, arrives alongside golden coxinhas, Brazil's beloved chicken croquettes shaped like little teardrops. A few streets away, a bakery showcases another national addiction. Warm pão de queijo emerge fresh from the oven, their crisp exterior giving way to a stretchy, cheesy centre. Like most visitors, you'll probably wonder why every country doesn't have these.

Street food is woven into the rhythm of São Paulo, and we wouldn't dream of skipping it. At a local vendor, beef skewers sizzle over hot coals before being rolled through toasted cassava flour, adding crunch and a distinctly Brazilian touch. Then comes another national favourite: the pastel. Crispy, blistered pastry envelopes savoury fillings that have fuelled market shoppers for generations. We'll sample both beef and heart of palm versions, paired with a fiery homemade chilli sauce that locals apply with varying degrees of bravery.

A short Metro ride carries us into Santa Cecília, one of São Paulo's most characterful neighbourhoods. Long favoured by artists, musicians, students, and old-school residents who refuse to leave, it's a district where faded mansions, trendy bars, and family-run eateries comfortably coexist. Here we dive into dishes that tell the story of Brazil's Northeast. Baião de dois combines rice, beans, cheese, and dried beef into a deeply comforting dish that punches far above the sum of its parts. Alongside it comes rich black bean broth and impossibly crisp torresmo, the pork crackling that Brazilians treat with almost religious devotion.

We finish where many of São Paulo's best evenings begin: at a neighbourhood botequim. Cold chopp beer arrives alongside modern takes on Brazilian classics, including beef rib croquettes and tender chicken gizzards coated in bright green salsa verde. There's more to this São Paulo food tour than the food itself. It's a glimpse into the bars, bakeries, immigrant influences, and neighbourhood institutions that have shaped South America's largest city. While it's possible to eat well on your own in São Paulo, you'd be hard-pushed to uncover these stories, flavours, and local favourites without our tastemaker guides.