Where to eat, drink and stay in Brazil's most populous city. EAT Z Carniceria A butcher shop turned bar and eatery, Z Carniceria - one of the nightlife impresario Facundo Guerra's projects - is in Rua Augusta, a former red-light district that is filling up with nightclubs and bars. Ban In Liberdade, an area that is home to São Paulo's huge Japanese immigrant community, Ban is one many izakayas, or Japanese gastropubs. The chef Masanobu Harugachi, whose wife runs nearby Izakaya Issa, serves delicious udon noodle soup. Rua Thomaz Gonzaga, 20; 011-55-11-3341 7749 Chou On the border between the neighborhoods of Vila Madalena and Pinheiros, Chou is a small restaurant built into a house with a romantic, covered garden. The owner, Gabriela Barretto, serves Mediterranean-inspired food with an Argentine influence. Maní In Pinheiros, Maní is run by two chefs, a husband and wife who met while working at Spain's Michelin-starred El Celler de Can Rocca. The menu is part traditional Brazilian, part Spanish and highly innovative. NIGHT LIFE Studio SP A Rua Augusta staple, Studio SP is a live music club that hosts local up-and-coming acts and the occasional touring international band, in a space that's decorated with street art. Cine Joia In Liberdade, Facundo Guerra's Cine Joia is a 1950s cinema converted into a music hall. Praça Carlos Gomes, 82; 011-55-11-3231-3705 Terraço Itália At the top of the Edificio Itália, a landmark skyscraper in downtown São Paulo, Terraço Itália is a clubby bar with unbeatable, panoramic views of the city. SubAstor A dimly lit cocktail bar beneath Astor, a restaurant in Vila Madalena, the aptly named SubAstor is São Paulo's answer to the speakeasy trend. STAY Hotel Fasano Located in the tony Jardins district, the Hotel Fasano has luxurious rooms with a slightly midcentury vibe, and a highly regarded Italian restaurant. Doubles from $780. Rua Vittorio Fasano, 88; 011-55-11-3896-4000 Hotel Unique For the design aficionado, the über-modern Hotel Unique has plenty to offer: a building, designed by the Brazilian architect Ruy Ohtake, that resembles an orange slice; rooms outfitted with futuristic furniture; and even, in some spaces, floors that slope up like a skateboarder's half pipe. Doubles from $440. Avenida Brigadeiro Luís Antônio; 011-55-11-3055-4710 Hotel Emiliano The Hotel Emiliano, on Rue Oscar Freire, a main shopping drag in the Jardins district, offers guests complimentary massages and easy access via a helipad on the roof. Doubles from $850. Pousada Ziláh If intimate scale and affordability rank high on your list, the Pousada Ziláh is a charming bed and breakfast with simple rooms surrounding a small courtyard, near the Avenida Paulista and not far from the São Paulo Museum of Art. Doubles from about $118 (plus $5 for air-conditioning).