Inside the colorful cardboard boxes by Martins Cafe, you’d expect to find retro wind-up toys. However, once you tear off a flap from the robot-printed package you’re hit with the rich smell of ground coffee instead. The unexpected element marks the idea behind the playful presentation of Brazil’s Martins…
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Furniture design described through various thematic lenses in a new book from the Brazilian design duo
by Felipe Meres São Paulo design duo Luciana Martins and Gerson de Oliveira of Ovo have recently released Mobiliário_OVO, a book about their furniture design, iconic objects and art projects. For more than a decade the designers have developed an array of exquisite and clever pieces that are at once…
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Sao Paulo’s micro-roastery embraces the evolution of coffee culture in South America
While the U.S. is going through an artisanal coffee movement, Brazil—already the world’s largest producer of coffee—is seeing a revolution of its own, with shops like Sao Paulo’s new Coffee Lab at its center. Working with one roasting machine and a crew outfitted in jumpsuits inspired by mechanics’ uniforms, Coffee Lab turns out almost 2,000 pounds of roasted beans per month in a former residence that’s been renovated into a bright, charming cafe. The beans are then incorporated into various flavorful blends served by the cup or available to bring home.
The winner of Brazil’s first National Barista Championship, owner Isabela Raposeiras says that one of the keys to making excellent coffee lies in how she keeps the beans. She stores them separately from the bags in which they’re sold, which is actually a rare practice in the business.
Raposeira also maintains a strict and rigorous process in the roasting and selection of the beans. For the latter, she works to form relationships with Brazilian coffee farmers all over the country. “I look for sustainability, social responsibility and traceability,” she says. “When it was harvested, how long it took to dry, how long it rested and in which silos—everything has to be traceable. The flavor profile has to be very high-scale, and I look for nice people. Because even if they have it all but they’re not nice to talk with and aren’t generous, I won’t work with them.”
Besides the standard espresso drinks, the Lab’s real draw is coffee prepared in an AeroPress, a system that exploits the full potential of the beans. This process involves steeping the coffee for around 10 seconds before forcing it through a paper microfilter, resulting in a smooth brew that’s velvety in taste and texture. Coffee Lab has plans to add the pour-over method sometime next year.
Raposeiras takes her quest to show the depths of Brazilian beans far beyond her shop, traveling around the world to enter her coffee in international competitions. “These great roasters outside of Brazil, they’re always cupping my coffee and giving me amazing feedback,” she says. “They tell me, ‘I never saw Brazilian coffee tasting like this.'”
Our tips and tricks on where to shop, eat and sleep in Brazil’s largest city
Our newest installment for the Cool Hunting Local section, the São Paolo guide features ten of the best “jumping-off” points for those visiting the tropical city. Here is a taste of the insider tips we feel will help you prepare for a memorable tour of this colorful and culturally rich destination spot.
For an authentic shopping experience, we recommend the famous artisanal market, Benedito Calixto. While São Paulo is famous for its outdoor markets, or feiras, the Benedito Calixto is among the most popular. Although shopping is the main focus here, socializing comes in close second. Friends catch up over jam-packed aisles of vintage clothing, sunglasses and vinyl, antique tchotchkes, and costume jewelry. Stop by the outdoor food court tents later for a beer or coconut juice to wash down the feira favorite, pastel, a fried pastry stuffed with various fillings, from cheese to ground beef. Taking advantage of the local young demographic, the organization behind Benedito Calixto hosts cultural programs, ranging from live chorinho music in the food court to capoeira demonstrations in the courtyard of its east side building (no. 112). The surrounding bars and boutiques have flourished as a result of the influx of people. For more shopping, a covered market on the west side of the plaza features indie designers slinging items like purses, dresses and handmade soap made with exotic fruit.
A cutting-edge boutique that serves up delicious food in addition to fashion, Surface to Air turned the location of its boutique into a quietly beautiful restaurant, where good-looking fashion types trade gossip and news on their latest projects. Set in a long room with whitewashed walls reminiscent of a rustic, medieval-era castle, Lorena 1989, features a wall of dripping candles in the back, rope lights wrapped around beams and natural light that streaming through a glass ceiling. These elements provide the perfect setting for a menu of modern takes on international comfort food like risotto and filet mignon milanesa, also served on the front patio near the bar. Next to the restaurant is the Surface to Air boutique, ground zero for cutting-edge clothes, accessories and shoes by such Brazilian indie and São Paulo Fashion Week designers as Neon, Juliana Jabour and D’Arouche.
Set in the heart of the chic Jardins neighborhood, Hotel Fasano is a luxury hotel designed by Isay Weinfeld and Marcio Kogan is just a stone’s throw from São Paulo’s hottest spots. While the hotel harkens the elegant style of 1930s architecture, the design has an updated feel that is pleasant and warm. Fireplaces and leather arm chairs invite guests to relax and enjoy the retro ambience. This experience is carried into the private rooms conceived by Philippe Starck, which feature beautifully finished hardwood floors and custom mirrors by Starck himself. While only guests have access to the high-design fitness center on the hotel’s top floor (with such amenities as an indoor pool, spa baths and saunas, and sophisticated exercise equipment), others gain access to the Fasano experience by visiting its renown restaurants and bars. There, patrons can feast on both Italian cuisine and the spaces’ elegant interiors.
Make sure to check out our Local section for the rest of our São Paulo recommendations.
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