Latin Finance - April 2008 - 39

Brazil São Paulo Brazil’s sprawling financial and economic capital is also its cultural center and packed with gastronomic delights. It can be dauntingly difficult to navigate, so leave plenty of time between meetings. Pomodori. Small simple dining room belies the top-notch Italian food. Brutally expensive – with wine list pricing starting where others end – the pasta is as good as you’d get in the mezzogiorno. Delicate, sophisticated and complex flavors. (Rua Doutor Renato Paes de Barros, 534, Tel: +55 11 3168 3123). Nagayama. Large Japanese community means there’s great sushi in town. Small, popular place serves Japanese cuisine with a twist. (Rua da Consolação 3397, Jardins, Tel: 55 11 3064 0110. Also at Rua Bandeira Paulista 369, Tel: 55 11 3079 7553). Eating Readers’ Choice Copacabana Palace. A legendary meeting place for the rich and famous since 1923. Sophisticated and enchanting with a beachfront address – if, perhaps, no longer the “right” beachfront. Rooms on executive floors offer butler service and Penthouse suites have a private swimming pool. Rooms start at $575. www.copacabanapalace.com.br Satyricon. Long-standing, seafoodspecialty favorite. Pargo baked in rock salt is a specialty. All the fish is fresh, tasty and somewhat pricey. Try the steamed king crab. (Rua Barão da Torre 192, Ipanema. Tel: 55 21 2521 0627). Antiquarius Award-winning Antiquarius serves up versions of classic Portuguese dishes, including 50+ varieties of bacalhau. Elegant dining room, extensive wine list. Reservations advisable. (Rua Aristides Espinola 19, Leblon, Tel: 55 21 2294 1049). Sleeping Readers’ Choice Grand Hyatt. In the Marginal Pinheiros financial district, the infrastructure and meeting rooms basking in natural sunlight make this a hit with event planners. Rooms decorated in wood and natural stone minimalism. Bathrooms feature menu of 19 soaps made from Amazonian products, deep soaking tubs and over-sized showers. Average room rate $315 for a Club King. www.hyatt.com Hotel Fasano. Sleek, comfortable and spacious rooms, spa and gym, heated indoor pool with marvelous views of Sao Paulo. The hotel restaurant is one of the city’s best. Average room rate $540. www.fasano.com.br Renaissance São Paulo Hotel. Luxurious bedding and an a-la-carte pillow menu make this more than your standard business hotel. Anytime and anywhere breakfasts, transfers, butler service. Suites start at $435. www.renaissancehotels.com/saobr Drinking The bohemian chic Astor bar is great for nibbles and chopp (Rua Delfina, 163). Skye Bar on the roof of the Unique hotel – voted best bar/lounge in São Paulo by our readers – is an ideal spot to sip martinis and take in one of the most spectacular views of the city. (Avenida Brigadeiro Luís Antônio, 4700). Rio de Janeiro Lush vegetation, oceans of water and HQ for some of Brazil’s most important companies, the center of Rio moves ever southwards – from Copacabana, through Ipanema to Leblon, now onwards to Barra. Drinking Readers’ Choice Melt is voted best bar/lounge bar in Rio by our readers. Its none too interesting until late when you take your caipirinha upstairs and check out the sexy crowd grooving to music ranging from samba to techno and trip-hop. (47 Rua Rita Ludolf, Leblon). Sleeping Sheraton Barra Hotel & Suites. The best choice in the fastest growing area of Rio. All rooms at this oceanfront, five-star hotel have private balconies. Average rate for an executive king is $225. www.starwoodhotels.com Eating Readers’ Choice Figueira Rubaiyat. Built around a magnificent fig tree, Figueira is an old favorite and still a top-notch lunch spot, specializing in excellent meats, mostly raised on the owners’ fazenda. Fish dishes are weaker. Strong wine list, attentive service. Reservations recommended. (Rua Haddock Lobo 1738, Jardim Paulista. Tel: 55 11 3063 3888). Downtime Belem: Crowne Plaza Curitiba: Crowne Plaza; Holiday Inn Express Fortaleza: Fortaleza Natal: Holiday Inn Express Porto Alegre: Holiday Inn Recife: Holiday Inn Rio de Janeiro: InterContinental Salvador Bahia: Holiday Inn São Paulo: InterContinental; Crowne Plaza; Holiday Inn; Holiday Inn Express; Staybridge Suites Sao Paulo: Fazenda Dona Carolina. Tennis courts and other leisure favorites abound at this 19th century coffee fazenda in the wooded town of Itatiba, an easy one hour trip from São Paulo. Do it like a real Paulista – arrive by helicopter. www.donacarolina.com.br Museu Brasileiro de Escultura (MuBE). This museum – designed by architect, Paulo Mendes da Rocha. www.mube.art.br 2008 LATINFINANCE 39

http://www.copacabanapalace.com.br http://www.hyatt.com http://www.fasano.com.br http://www.renaissancehotels.com/saobr http://www.starwoodhotels.com http://www.ichotelsgroup.com http://www.donacarolina.com.br http://www.mube.art.br

Latin Finance - April 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Latin Finance - April 2008