Jess R.
Yelp
Wow - this place is great! If I lived over here, I think I'd be at this cafe all of the time.
Also - this is yet another reason why Yelp is so great.
My husband has been commuting to São Paulo for work. He is originally from here and lived here for 25 years, but now we live in LA.
During the days while he is at work, I find myself doing literally nothing all day. I'm without a car, tethered to Wifi to use my phone and maps for communication... It's a drag man.
I dial up Yelp to see what's walking distance, and lo and behold I find coffee lab. Great photos, great reviews, a great hot chocolate?! Ok, let's try.
On arrival, I was a little confused. There is indoor and outdoor seating, and a bunch of people milling about in the know. I awkwardly asked where to order from someone after asking "Fala ingleis?" (I hate having to do that.) The main grabbed me a menu in English, then told me where to order. The menus hang on the inside of the door you use to enter, which slides open. Don't push and pull like I did for 10 seconds. Look for the colorful binders, and there are some in English!
I walked to the kitchen and ordered my hot chocolate and the povilhos. The hot chocolate actually comes with a shot of espresso on the side, but I turned it down since I don't actually drink coffee. The povilhos are the best - they're one of my favorite snacks in Brasil, and here they come with salted cream cheese! Genius.
Oh, once you pay, grab a seat. They will bring you your order, and a laminated ticket that you bring to the register to pay on your way out.
I enjoyed sitting on the patio, enjoying my snack and watching the clock, waiting for Marcelo to get off work. Big bonus is free wifi! That's how I'm writing this Yelp review...
Anyway, great cafe, great snacks, great space, great ambiance.