Octavio Café, São Paulo
Brazil, the largest coffee producer in the world, and we hadn’t mentioned a café in the blog yet. It’s time to make amends.
The Octavio Café is a coffee shop that in its short existence has gained the reputation of being the best café in São Paulo. It is found in the Jardim Paulista upper-class neighbourhood, near the exclusive Rua Amauri.
As you approach the café, the first surprise is provided by its external shape – resembling the form of a coffee bean.
Inside, the café is separated in three big areas: one for smokers, one for non-smokers, and an open-air section. Thankfully, non-smokers got the best part, a beautiful space right in front of the bar.
While you sit on extremely comfortable sofas, you can watch the time go by while you take pleasure in smelling the coffee aromas that permeate the building. The ramp going up the lavatories is full of surprises. From the top there is a wonderful view of the café.
As it is to be expected, the Octavio has a extense coffee menu. Your basic order is a expresso Octavio (R$3,80), the cheapest drink you can order.
There is an extremely tempting Degustação de Cafés (Tradicional, Especial Octavio e Café Importado) (Coffee Tasting) on the menu, costing R$11. However, we’ve been to the Octavio twice and the tasting wasn’t available both times. We wonder whether it’s worth including an attractive item on the menu only to let customers down when they order it.
If you want coffee prepared on a different fashion, you can order coffee prepared on the cafetera francesa (cafetiere, costs R$5,10), a Turkish coffee (R$4,90) or the very traditional café de coador (colander coffee, R$4,90) shown on the next photo. The three coffees serve two cups.
Our only word of warning, beware of the Black Coffee, described on the menu as hot chocolate with coffee. It costs R$7,10 and if you want to feel conned, order it. You can’t say I didn’t warn you.
Other than that, the Octavio Café is a place worth visiting. Its coffee is not cheap, but then a cup of coffee is unlikely to wreck havoc on your budget.
Octavio Café. Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima, 2996. Jardim Paulista. Website.
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This post has 6 comments
October 21st, 2008
Hi Tony,
I hope you don’t mind (if you do, let me know!), but I linked to your story on Octavio from my site and included a small screenshot of the beginning of the article.
http://eyesonbrazil.wordpress.com/2008/10/21/high-class-coffee-in-sao-paulo/
Great post, by the way!
October 21st, 2008
Don’t mind at all, Adam. Good to see you around. All the best!
December 6th, 2008
I went there with some friends last May 2008 . The huge seats makes the place less cosy as you have to almost shout at each otder to be heard. However, the quality of coffee as well as the service is very high . For my time and money I still prefer Santo Grao at OSscar Freira in Gardins . It is just right in every espect .
December 7th, 2008
Hi Mike, my experience with Santo Grão in Jardins is quite the opposite, when I went there the crowd was so big that it made the time we spent there quite uncomfortable. That just goes to show that different times of the day make up for different experiences. Had coffee from Santo Grão at the shopping Cidade Jardim and it was just perfect.
Agree with your point about the huge seats at Octavio!
December 7th, 2008
Hello Tony ,
I note your comments about the big crowd at Santo Grao and I agree with it. They have large space at the back and a bar which is not utilised fully . Most people prefer to sit at the front for people watching and the sunshine . I will be going to Sao Paulo again at the end of December the fifth visit this year . I will be visiting both places at various times of the day to re-evaulate them.
December 8th, 2008
Mike, I’ve been three times to the Octavio and one thing that annoys the hell out of me is that when you order the “coffee tasting” it’s never available. Why bother putting it on the menu then? Anyway, these are good times for coffee lovers in São Paulo, I had never seen so many excellent places to drink coffee in the city, the last 3 years have seen a complete revolution with the arrival of dozens of gourmet cafés.