Paulista Café

My favorite cafe in Oakland. I come here almost weekly now. Great selection of plates, pastels, bowls and beer. I recommend everything in their menu from the pão de queijo and queijo e presunto pastel to the feijoada and bobó de camarão. Their acaí bowls hit the spot on a hot day, salads are delicious, breakfast bowl amazing, coxinhas tasty and bite size, and they have a very large selection of beers on tap and in cans/bottles. I always leave with a few pastels to-go to munch on throughout the week. Can't recommend this place enough. Plenty of street parking too.

We were here on Monday (8/19/24) for lunch. The empanadas are delicious! You can order at the counter. Or, from the QR code at the tables. Server brings your oder to your table. Street parking and small dedicated parking lot around the corner. I door and outdoor seating.

Neighborhood fun place. 24 beers in tap. Hundreds beer cans. Friendly service. Subpar food in the evening. Spacious clean, a good place for friends gathering.

Paulista Café was a nice, spacious restaurant that offers both a restaurant and taproom. This experience I focused on the restaurant. The food came out fairly fast and the parking was easy, but could see where it may be hard if it was crazy busy. I ordered an iced vanilla late and Pão de Queijo (rice flour cheese balls) which was addicting! I’ve had them before, but I could eat those things all day. I also had the Feijoada (black bean meat stew with sides of jasmine rice, farofa, orange slices, and sliced collards). The stew was tasty and flavorful and the farofa added a nice bite to it. The collard greens and orange slices really brightened the palette, which was heavy other wise.

Paulista was a staple for my family and I but something has changed and the service has gone drastically down hill. In the past year we’ve had multiple issues with our food taking 35-45 minutes to come out and then the order being wrong on top of that. With two little kids in tow and the order consisting of kids beans and rice and chicken sandwich there’s no reason it should take so long other than short staffed kitchen or prioritizing take out orders over in house orders. I’ve tried to express my concerns and have had to get up and ask for our order and every time it’s “we had an unexpected rush”. If you’re always unprepared for a rush yet take out orders are still going out then something is off. I’ve been a very consistent, loyal paulista patron for years and years but for the price I can’t justify the risk of having two very upset little kids asking over and over where the food is. We won’t be going back which is really a shame.

What can I say other than the food selection and the location and service was wonderful. The molted chocolate dessert is what will always bring me back with a delicious espresso. Perfect place to go and relax and enjoy a small meal or large meal or just for dessert.

Give them points for authenticity and unique dishes on the menu. We visited on a late afternoon for a quick snack. The toasts were very tasty. Savory empanadas were lacking some basic seasoning. But the guava is a must try. The alcoholic drink definitely had a good kick to it. It was quiet and not crowded. We were attended to quickly. Our items came out fast. This place gets great light and the location is perfect. All in all, I'd visit again and try out some different items on the menu.

I've never been to a Brazilian place like this! Had all kinds of fresh, amazing stuff to try and even a bar on the other side of the restaurant. Next time, I'm going to try the beer. This day, we just stopped by for a smoothie, but I ended up with food cause it just looked too yummy to pass up.

Food was tasty - we had the Dadinho appetizer, it was so good I want to learn how to make it; I had the Salada de Rúcula with steak and avocado, my friend had a breakfast bowl, though she had to order in person since we couldn't find it in the app. The steak was juicy and flavorful and served with an olive oil sauce for dipping. The balsamic was carmelized and sweet. I also had the guava juice, which was refreshing since we had just gone hiking in Reinhardt park. Service was fast. Ambiance is minimal - this is fast casual with no music, you get your own water, and nobody came to check on us after we got our food. We had to ask for boxes for leftovers. Bathroom was clean. Parking in this area is difficult, I recommend finding a spot on Park up the hill, a block or more away if you can. Would definitely go back.

I've been here twice and must admit the food doesn't quite cut it for me. I had the bobo de camaro (shrimp stew) and it was much too salty. I tried the acai bowl another time, but that didn't taste great either. The acai was not fruity or sweet enough. The empanadas weren't bad though. But what I really appreciate about this place and would come back for is the space, hours, and alcohol offerings. They have an amazing selection of craft beers which you can buy to-go or enjoy in the restaurant for a slight upcharge. They have a ton of beers on tap as well. There is plenty of table seating and a few outdoor tables as well. There is a small parking lot in the back.

This is a nice causal cafe. It's a nice place to hang out with friends. You order at the counter and seat yourself. I like that they have a lot of variety like smoothies, pastries, sammies, acai bowls, empanadas, and beer. I really like the feijoada.

Interior feels clean, bright, and airy. To order, scan the QR code on the table. This was convenient for my group because we didn't have to worry about the fuss of splitting the check after a meal. The food came relatively quickly. If you just want water, you can grab some from the side of the front counter. There is a good selection of items that are good for any meal (ranging from breakfast items, snack-like items, desserts, dinner). I chose the Minas na Tijela which is a grilled chicken bowl. It was tasty and well seasoned without it being salty, but I felt like it was something I could've made on my own. Given the convenience of the QR code ordering and great selection of food and beverages, I wouldn't mind coming back here again for a group dining occasion.

Overall Rating: 4/5 Food: 4/5 Service/Wait: 4/5 Price/Value: 4/5 Atmosphere/Uniqueness: 4/5 Ventured to Paulista seeking authentic Brazilian cuisine and left satisfied. The food, especially the Feijoada and Pão de Queijo, stood out for their taste and authenticity. Service was attentive and fast. There was a separate beer and bakery section. Pão de Queijo Rating: 4/5 The Pão de Queijo was delightful. It was cheesy goodness with a crisp outer layer. Tasted like typical Brazilian cheese bread. Feijoada Rating: 4/5 The Feijoada was a standout - hearty and flavorful black bean stew with bits of meat in it. Bobó de Camarao Rating: 5/5 The Bobó de Camarao was creamy and delicious. Perfect complement to the rice

Great casual Brazilian place in Oakland. Met up with friends who recommended the place. They have an extensive menu of small bites, toasts, omelettes, entrees and a ton of beer options. When you walk in, you can grab a paper menu to look at. Once you're ready, you go up and order at the counter, and they'll give you a number to bring to your table. We ordered the black bean stew entree, NY steak entree, an empanada, and those balls that taste of cheese with a mochi texture (I forget the name right now so please forgive me). Everything tasted amazing, especially the balls. My steak was cooked perfectly. For the table we also ordered wings and those were delicious. Super chill place to eat and catch up, all in all. Definitely stop by if you have time.

Overpriced and small portions. We ordered the large acai bowl and their size large is literally the size small in most places we've had! Also tried the Paulista breakfast sandwich which was good but it has more veggies than actual eggs and sausage. They skimped there. The salad it came with was good though. Overall cute cafe with lots of indoor and outdoor seating however I can't get behind how tiny the portion of acai was for the price. Located in a cute neighborhood in Oakland!

A not very organized establishment. Seems like the owners don't care too much ab customer experience with an order from register experience. Food doesn't taste fresh. The servers aren't very friendly or patient, and there was lots of dirty dishes on tables. The servers seem stressed and it feels like this is a very profit-driven business that might be on brink of collapse. Food is pretty bland, and not very good nor large in portion which feels kind of like a rip off. They have lots of different stuff like acai bowls, smoothies, coffees, beer, ice cream and food; but it seems like they're doing too much and everything isn't executed properly because of it.

Delicious breakfast/brunch options, large space so no need to wait for a table. Offerings range from healthy açaí bowls to a range of inspired avocado toasts, omelets and pastries

Diane and I met for lunch here today and I'm writing this update at her request because I reread my last review before we met to refresh my memory of what we had and was able to remind her of what she had and what changes she wanted to make. We arrived almost simultaneously, parked in their lot and walked to the restaurant together. When we got there there was a short line, which we joined. We looked at the menus they had by the front door and didn't see the breakfast bowl but by the time we got to the counter we could see the special menu in the rack that had the breakfast bowls. I ordered mine w/ salad and she ordered hers w/ potatoes this time. We shared an order of the Brazilian cheese bread and both had tea to drink, English Breakfast for me and Chai for her. We took our seats after ordering and they brought us the teas and the cheese bread. The cheese bread came 4 to an order. The texture was a little different from the ones that were made by Brazilian Breads, which used to be on Solano, a little spongier inside, but we both liked it. Next the breakfast bowls were brought, and they were delicious, my salad lightly dressed, a strip of bacon, a hard boiled egg, halved, sliced avocado, three plum tomatoes, cheese, cooked spinach. Diane's was the same, except she had potatoes rather than salad. After she finished she said that the potatoes were good, but that next time she would ask for half potatoes and half salad and that's why she wanted me to write the update. I used the bathroom after we finished and noticed that both stalls were available for use, which hadn't been the case previous since the pandemic. That's a good change. Needless to say, we will return.

I came in here during their first week opening, and it's beautiful to see the growth and consistency. The owner's are nice and always seem to remember me. Insanely elite line up of rotating beer options at all time. They offer flights as well so I usually get to try a 4oz pour of almost all of beer their offering. They also have great food options that range from traditional dishes and pastries like pan de quejo to full meals

I got a chicken salad and a beer. It is pretty filling! Plenty of tables! Staff was nice. Will definitely be back!

This place hits the spot at any time of day. Great breakfast and brunch items, solid coffee and pastries, light and delicious Brazilian dishes. I originally discovered this place through their beer selection and Brazilian cheese bread, but happy I stuck around to discover all of their other fantastic offerings. I believe they host trivia and other events here too. They have a small patio for outdoor seating, but there's not really a bad seat in the house here.

Ordered takeout. Ordered Floripa|Frango | VEGGIE | Grilled Chicken | chai latte| Everything I had was really good, didn't care much for the vegetarian empanada. Floripa; delicious, a thin patty though. The fries I chose instead of the house salad was really good. The Frango was better than the veggie empanada something bout the greens. Grilled chicken with veggies and rice just good overall and a pretty awesome chai latte, thank you . Wanting to go for a game day viewing and check out the taproom.

Great restaurant. I've been here 3 times and always left happy with my experience. The food is fresh and delicious. Clean restaurant and friendly staff. I recommend this place. I had the breakfast bowl and an empanada (not pictured).

My family and I stopped by Paulista's earlier this week and ordered a few menu items for us to share. We ordered chicken empanadas, carne empanadas, veggie empanadas, pao de queijo, coxinha and passion fruit juice. The chicken empanadas were salty. I saw reviews that said certain food items lacked flavor but this time it had too much salt. We didn't enjoy the carne empanadas either. The veggie one was alright. What we did like was the coxinha and pao de queijo. The passion fruit drink was also okay. The cup had half juice and half froth. The inside of this restaurant is very nice and clean.

Good stuff! A bit pricey, however, it's definitely worth it. Delicious bakery greet you add there designated section / hall. At the left part of the café you got a brewery which has variety on top as well as bottled and canned beer and wine. Corner building has plenty of windows and sunshine. Cute outside patio with a street view. Delicious, South American bakery was a bit salty, or from what average person could expect, however, had a very distant and special taste to it. Excellent service with the smiles and jokes throughout your Visit is a must. Thank you for the good times.

so fucking fire. it's expensive but delicious. i miss this place. i still think about it dont take this restaurant for granted. its fucking bomb

You don't have to have experienced the wonder that is Brasil to enjoy it here but if you have you'll enjoy it that much more. It's fast casual but it just makes it feel like any Rio cafe off the beach except there's ample seating in multiple styles; tables outside, booths or benches inside. They have a lot of taps but I'm there for the cuisine or popping in for an açaí bowl or pao de quejo which are so authentic you'd swear there's an Anitta concert to be seen nearby!

My honest experience :) Saw this while driving on Park Street and turned around to find parking which was really difficult to no spaces at all and had to try their menu. Bathroom cleanliness was a 3 and it was around 2pm. Nice staff greeted me and set up is very modern and clean. Now the food is in sight as I got near the ordering counter and saw a glass case with empanadas inside but the lady in-front of me wiped out the beef empanadas so I got an entree instead. I saw a beef entree called Feijoada and ordered it. Looks good on the yelp photos and rated 5 stars so why not. . Well mine was bland inside the small bowl were 2 pieces of a 1/2 inch square cuts of tender beef, 4 pieces of sausage cut 1/4 in thick and was a round slice about 1/2 inch in size bit thin cut and the rest was black beans and cant tell what else. Served with a bowl of rice, collard greens and a yellow powder granules that mixed well with the whole meal but not sure what that was :). And 2 slices of orange that went well with this dish. I ate most of it coz i was really hungry but it was bland and only saw hot sauce on the table and no other condiments to give it taste etc. Expensive ? Yes too expensive for their portions. Delicious ? Not really :( Will go back ? Yes, I will to try other servings and give them a chance to redeem the food taste etc. Here are some photos.

Neighborhood staple with a great beer selection! Good sized menu and quality food. Also, weekly trivia. Layout allows for good outdoor airflow inside as well as people watching.

I have to be honest here and say this place is overall a rip off. Despite the good - not excellent - service I have received here and the fact that the owner is welcoming and supportive every time I was there, what you get for what you pay is an outrageous disrespect. I order de bobó de camarão- which is a shrimp dish - and I got a plate with a tablespoon full of greens, half tablespoon of farofa - a typical recipe with sautée mix made with flour - and 3 shrimps. I'm not talking prawns, that are big and meaty. I'm talking small shrimps. Most of the bobó was tomato and onions, I had to dig for the shrimp and literally choose my bites, so I could get some taste between bites. In the picture I had already ate one shrimp when I realized no more was showing up when pouring the sauce over the rice, so I hunted for them in the bowl and I was surprised and extremely disappointed at the meal I was served when I could only find 2 more small shrimps. I had to ask for more farofa because half tablespoon is not nearly enough to accompany the dish. Meal was expensive for the amount of food it offers. It was a rip off, and of course I won't come back here for meals, but I do enjoy their appetizers such as the coxinha, and empanadas, even though they're still overpriced, I find that what I get for what I pay is a little bit more fair than what I get for the actual meals.

Dog friendly both indoor and outdoor. Your order first then grab a number and they bring the food out to you. Their acai bowls are refreshing esp on a hot day. They also have all the good empanadas! Their fried chicken balls (forgot the name on the menu) is hella good esp with their chimichurri like dipping sauce. The chicken is well seasoned and not dry. It's shredded too, not in chunks. Definitely would come back and order some of their plates. There was so much to choose from and we just got done hiking so I didn't want a heavy meal; hence, only the acai bowl haha.

I was invited to meet a friend here on a Monday. I loved it so much that I came again on Thursday, then again on Saturday - in the same week! I ordered a bowl that had grilled shrimps with avocados, corn with bell peppers, mangos, potatoes, and lime. I also ordered their mocha coffee with oatmilk. Perfect place to casually meet friends and enjoy brunch! Food was excellent. Ambiance was welcoming. Service was great!

Such a good spot. The only place I've ever been to where you can meet people for a business meeting or take a zoom call, or just as well bring your kids to a place they'll enjoy. Also great for meeting friends or watching a sports game. Just a very awesome, jack-of-all-trades kind of bar/cafe. I like their açaí bowl and veggie panini.

Paulista is a great place for a good Brazilian style breakfast. The pastries are also very very good. Would highly recommend as it was not too crowded when I went on a weekend.

The food here is really amazing -- breakfasts toasts and smoothie bowls are on point. The empanadas are delicious. Make sure to ask for the green sauce! But my favorite is the Pão de Queijo. I could probably eat a bucket of these little doughy cheese delights. It's a more casual order at the counter establishment and they generally bring food out pretty quickly.

Very slow, disorganized, food not fresh, and the food is not good quality. It aims high but consistently fails. There is a 'we don't care, we only want your money' vibe. There are dirty dishes on tables, and there are all these guys hanging out behind the bar - but no one works. Not sure if the owner is not aware of this or if the owner is just lazy and oblivious to the fact this business is hitting rock bottom.

Friendly baristas and the menu is quite delicious, from the soups and salads to the Brazilian empanadas and cheese breads. They have a bright and open space, along with a curated tap selection. I often go here for coworking, although it can get quite lively and has a social atmosphere on certain days - especially when it's sunny outside!

I'm sad to say this place fell very short of my expectations. Brazilian food is one of my favorite ethnic foods and a staple in my diet. The mousse de maracujá was expensive for the amount you get and it didn't have great flavor. The açaí was extremely bland. I would not recommend the açaí to anyone. The overall environment didn't have a Brazilian feel at all. Will probably not return. Staff was friendly.

I didn't like the quality of the food nor the flavors. Brazilian food is so much better than that. The passion fruit juice tasted like dirty water. A few tablespoons of concentrated and the rest was water. I guess they think we don't notice how badly executed was every single item we ordered. I'm not coming back.

Delicious dishes, impeccable service, and a cozy ambiance make dining at Paulista a frequent visit for us.

We ordered a couple of Brazilian dishes and the portions were very very small. I was truly baffled by the little cup of rice and tablespoon of farofa on my plate. One of the dishes was also super bland, it simply lacked seasoning, which makes no sense in Brazilian cuisine. Just disappointing. It was hard to justify the prices. The service was friendly.

What a fun place! Beer, food, coffee, and dessert! All in a great location, too! And to add to that, they have wi-fi if you want to work, TV screens to watch sports ball, and great seating to chill and hang out. Honestly a great recommendation for anyone!

Food is well prepared unique and flavorful. Staff is attentive but not overly. Chill environment. Their menu changes, which keeps me checking them out from time to time as my first experience was very positive

This restaurant is great. I'm Brazilian from Rio de Janeiro. The "Feijoada" is very authentic and tasty! $17 is a good price for this individual serving size. The "Bobó de Camarão" did not have yuca in it (which thickens it), so it was more like a moqueca (like a simple stew), but it was still delicious! The smoothies (both the açaí and passion fruit ones) were really good. Service was great and the space is large and airy. Worth going, for sure!

This place is always higly recommended I decided to stop by late afternoon. It is is really busy and parking can be difficult. You order and then you are seated and the food is brought out to you. There is a bar seating area. I wanted to try the chicken empanadas but they were sold out, bummer! I tried the curry shrimp and it is to die for and so flavorful. I subbed the greens for beans the beans could've used some seasoning but I'd definitely be back to order more.

This was out first visit to this restaurant, prompted by a desire for a trivia night. Great selection of beers, pleasant (counter) service. The trivia was fun. Food was not so good. We're vegetarians so we were limited in what we could order since it's a meat-forward menu. The veg empanadas were not great-- they tasted like spanakopita. The yuca fries were stiff and tasteless. I'd come back for trivia and beer but not food. :-(

After moving away I haven't had any Brazilian food in a long time. The feijoada and pao de quejó here is delicious! Today I stuck with a smoothie and bought some beers for a friend. I sat and worked while waiting for my friends to get me. Great place to talk or work because the interior is calm and it isn't too loud. Vegan and gluten free options too.

I felt at home in the restaurant. Feijoada and bobó de camaro were delicious. Coxinha is a must try. There is also an amazing selection of beers. Try the caipirinha, you will definitely enjoy it. Friendly staff and a nice environment.

A friend of mine and I came up Paulista after our workout and it was the best decision. I like Paulista not only because it's a beautiful environment, but also has great service and AMAZING food. I ordered the Bobó de camarão as I've been wanting to try a dish with cassava. I was very happy with my choice. The rich, thick chowder was extremely flavorful. I loved the flavor and texture of the shrimp, all the spices worked well together. The greens were fantastic, I loved that they maintained the crispness and flavored them with garlic. The rice was good as well. I enjoyed the entire meal. A friend of mine ordered a burger, I unfortunately didn't upload the photo. She said it was good, but wanted it cooked a little more well. I've been to Paulista a few times before the pandemic and I'm happy to see that they are still open and serving excellent food. Till next time!

Great portions and tasty menu options. Their cocktails are good pairing to any of their dishes, will definitely come by more often

We used to highly rate this place. But the fejoida has been skimpy on beans the last few times. Their chicken sandwich used to be the best in the East Bay, and now it is below average. Other things seem to be holding steady, but I feel like they are on the decline.

Spacious, lively but still good for work, empanadas are kept warm up at the register. I'm partial to Chilean style empanadas, and these are close enough to hit the spot (Could use more egg & olive). This place is tasty, chill in the afternoon, and worth checking out for a range of experiences. A lot of folks are working here while sipping delicious looking beers and delicious seasonal kombucha.

Cute eatery in the Glenview area with both inside and outside seating. I was able to bring my dog as a result. You have to go into the restaurant to access the patio area. I ordered an iced coffee and empanadas which were warmed up for me. Lovely place. I like that the inside seating by the windows with the windows wide open creating a nice draft. At 3pm, they had a fair amount of customers working/studying. I would like to try the waffle with açaí scooped on top. Sounds healthy and interesting.

Had the Chai and Steak Sandwich to go. Both very delicious. The steak was grilled, tender and very moist and flavorful. It came with grilled onions and bell peppers and cheese on a really good french roll. And the fries I ordered were medium sized and very well seasoned. My lunch was so good that I wanted to come back the next day.

We ordered chicken empanadas, a Romeo and Julieta empanada, a floripa sandwich and the empanada with the heart of palm in it. The sandwich was DELICIOUS!!! The chicken empanada was good, the Romeo and Julieta empanada was excellent. I did not care for the empanada with the heart of palm in it. I will definitely return and try more things.

It was good to revisit this wonderful neighborhood restaurant in the Glenview area of Oakland. Oakland is so fortunate to have a huge array of restaurants with such a wide variety, and so happy to see many making it through the pandemic. Paulista has delicious food and a varied, casual Brazilian menu. Don't expect the notorious classic Brazilian steakhouse type restaurant here, this is far more laid back and cafe oriented. I ordered online for pick-up. The menu is extensive so be prepared to pursue, and the options are good. If you want a meat dish, they will have it on a different scale than a slab of meat, and if vegetarian they have it too, i.e. good salads and empanadas. The web site was thorough but I found not that easy to navigate. I never know, for certain, if it's the site or my internet connection, so I lay blame nowhere. It just wasn't easy and kept jumping around on me. I ordered 6 empanadas (2 "Frango" chicken, 2 "Palmito" hearts of palm, 2 "Veggie" spinach; all with other ingredients) + 2 Cilantro dipping sauces; Salada de Rucula; Salada de Palmito; and two smoothies (1 Tropical, 1 Ilha Bela). When I went to check out it noted I couldn't get the pickup time designated and had to be an hour later. Not a problem, but within much less time I got a text message that told me it was ready. Service was friendly and I was readily off with my bag of food goodies, and smoothies in a carry container. (They kept the smoothies refrigerated until I arrived). All was good but I broke my learned cardinal rule to check everything before driving off... when I got home the 2 Cilantro sauces were missing. UGH! Oh well, $5. down the drain. Things happen. The salads, an arugula and the other a hearts of palm were delicious, fresh and very good. Chocked full of a variety of ingredients they were well worth the $11. each, and big portions. The empanadas were equally good and nice sized, and one didn't stand out over the other. The crust was nice and flakey. Perhaps they were a bit dry... the Cilantro sauce would have helped! The smoothies were refreshing and delicious! Well worth getting one on its own. The berry one was flavorful, but tasting the Tropical one I found it more refreshing on a hot day. Both are good. Paulista is a great place and I need to frequent it more. They have breakfast and all day service. The vibe is relaxed and easy going. Well worth a visit.

Awesome Peo de quijo (spelling?), friendly service, nice neighborhood vibe. I enjoyed the Portuguese wine.