Mocotó Vila Medeiros

The 35 Essential São Paulo Restaurants

"José Almeida came to São Paulo from the sertão, a region in northeastern Brazil, and opened Mocotó in 1973. Today his son, chef Rodrigo Oliveira, runs the restaurant, revising traditional sertaneja recipes with modern, inventive touches. His creativity is evident in everything from the iconic mocotó (cow’s foot broth) that gives the restaurant its name, to favada (fava beans cooked with sausage, bacon, and jerked beef). To make the wait more manageable (there’s always a line), order the famous dadinhos de tapioca (cheese curds with tapioca) and one of the 350 cachaças served at the bar. Pro tip: Mocotó is located in Vila Medeiros, a working-class district far from downtown São Paulo, but it’s close to the airport, so consider visiting on your way in or out of the city." - Rafael Tonon