The bars that you'll find scattered throughout the city depend largely upon the neighbourhoods that they're in for their character. Some of the liveliest, a few with live music, are found around Rua 13 de Maio in Bixiga (Bela Vista), and in fashionable Vila Madalena and Pinheiros.

All of Jazz , Rua João Cachoeira 1366, Vila Madalena. Nice intimate place with excellent live jazz.

Balcão , corner of Alameda Tietê and Rua Melo Alves, Cerqueira César. Pleasant neighbourhood bar attracting well-heeled trendies.

Bar Brahma , corner of Avenida São João and Avenida Ipiranga, Centro. Cheap beer in one of the city's oldest bars.

Bar do Sacha , Rua Original 45, Pinheiros. Open from noon and located on a hill, this is a particularly pleasant place to come for a drink on a sunny day.

Barnaldo Lucrecia , Rua Abilio Soares 207, Paraíso. An instantly recognizable yellow house, this place attracts a young crowd. Especially lively on Fridays, and live music most evenings.

Cachaçaria Paulista , Rua Mourato Coelho 593, Pinheiros. A great place for sampling cachaça : there are over 200 kinds here and it's open from 6pm until the last customer leaves.

Café do Bixiga , Rua 13 de Maio 76, Bela Vista. Excellent chopp and a carefully nurtured Bohemian atmosphere.

Charles Edward , Av. Pres. Juscelino Kubitschek 1426, Itaim Bibi. Popular with people in their 30s and 40s, this bar also has live music and dancing.

Fidalga , Rua Fidalga 32, Jardins. Live jazz and Brazilian music during the week, and its own small bookstore.

Finnegan's , Alameda Itú 1529, Jardins, and Rua Cristiano Viana 358, Pinheiros. Irish-theme bars, busy late into the evening, often with live blues and jazz. Hugely popular with English-speaking residents.

Original , Rua Graúna 137, Moema. A carefully maintained 1940s atmosphere, this place started a trend in "traditional" bars.

Pirajá , Av. Brigadeiro Faria Lima 64, Pinheiros. Trendy and attractive "traditional"-looking bar serving tasty Spanish-style tapas.

Ritz , Alameda Franca 1088, Cerqueira César. During the day a quiet restaurant serving hamburgers and sandwiches, at night a lively bar for young people, popular with the gay crowd.