Bar da Dona Onça

The bao buns to start were really good, the overall ambiance is ok. It's not a super fancy place. I had the gnocchi with meat sauce which was really good. The service was fast and attentive.

This place was amazing! Would most recommend the oxtail it straight fell off the bone. But to be honest everything we ordered was amazing.

My overall experience with "Dona Onca" was ok. We first tried to go to "A Casa do Porco" and even though we got there on a weekday around 12pm (basically when they open), they had a 2-hour wait already. Well, it's worth mentioning that in Sao Paulo you can't even go to McD's without waiting in line... unbelievable. I grew up in this city and still love it but no thanks - at least not for me anymore.

Anyway, we ended going to Dona Onca I guess for lack of options. They all send you there from A Casa do Porco since apparently the owners are related. We got there and guess what?? They're packed too and line was starting to form outside the door around 12:30ish. Keep in mind that Paulistas (people from Sao Paulo) usually eat pretty late, especially on weekends.. so 12:30 is sort of early since it's the holidays. We were finally seated on the sidewalk since they didn't have seats inside, which I probably don't recommend because we were approached by several people while eating.

Let's get to what matters most: food. We ordered a couple drinks and one of their caipirinhas (super pricey btw), almost $10 USD if I'm not wrong and their IPA, which was good but nothing special. The menu didn't impress me and it was pricey again. We had the pork shank dish, a couple sausage apps, the smallest side of fries I ever had in my life and dessert. After a couple drinks and some mediocre food, we spent close to $200USD and almost $800BRL. Honestly Sao Paulo can offer way better food for less.. just look for it and perhaps stay away from the "cool" or modinha places.

All in all, I'll probably not go back and not sure if I'd recommend to friends. I do still want to check out A Casa do Porco next time.. maybe I get there before sunrise to try to get a table... jokes aside - but honestly it may not be a bad idea if you really want to check out this place.

Despite the sort of semi-shabby, downtown lunchroom feel to the place, it turned out to be a great choice.

My partner went with a bowl of stewed chicken giblets in a delicious tomato based sauce, and I went with the traditional local specialty for Mondays, the virado a paulista, one of those "whole meal on a single plate" type dishes - their version with a grilled pork chop (slightly overdone, but tasty), deep-fried bacon, housemade linguica sausage, a fried egg, mashed beans, shredded kale, and a bowl of rice on the side. Served up with mini-bottles of housemade hot sauce, which we went through like fiends, and we left quite satisfied for 154 reales, or $41.

Cool bar at the ground floor of a huge Oscar Niemeyer building in downtown. The decor is very stylish and chique with a nicely lit bar. We came here just for one quick drink and a snack. Service was ok; the drinks were nice. The croquettes we tried were a bit bland and the mustard mayonnaise wasn't too exciting either. Nevertheless, this would be a great place to take a date or to enjoy the evening with a group of friends.

Dona Onça is located in the street level of a famous building designed by the legendary Brazilian architect Neymeyer. I went with a friend who was from the area and it was a very nice way to spend my last afternoon in São Paolo.

Good selection of beers. Also had a shot of oça which is fermented milk mixed with cachaça. I had an order of brigadeiros which were also very tasty.

Service was good and facilities aswell.

We found ourselves in the area recently around dinner time, and our baby was at home with the grandparents, so we thought - why not! My husband used to come here a lot in his younger days, so he thought it would be fun to take me.

We promptly ordered a couple Caju Amigos and some bar food... cochinas and veggie kibe. They were all great! Service was good, and the food came quickly.

We then ordered main courses which is where it seemed to lack. I ordered a gnocchi, which I love, and it was only okay. If they could take everything up a notch with flavor, it would go a long way.

The vibe was nice, and again, the staff was very friendly. They even helped call us a taxi.

This place is great to hang out with friends, have some drinks, and grab some appetizers. I look forward to hearing that they've updated their main course dishes with a little more punch!

Tipped off by a passionate foodie local, my small group and I arrived to dinner at this downtown locale to find a lightly bustling scene full of native diners. Super authentically Brazilian, I didn't anticipate the restaurant to have a menu in English, but voila, there it was. Gringos take note!

While this is categorized as a "dive bar," uninitiated expats shouldn't arrive here expecting to find a rough and rugged bar scene complete with pints for pennies. The term boteco suggests a casual, tried and true neighborhood joint that attracts the locals. And thanks to chef Janaina Rueda, the food you'll find is stewed in tradition and rich in comfort. While plentiful, the sausage we split as an appetizer simply wasn't enough. Probably some of the best prepared homemade sausage I've ever had, I could've easily eaten this all night. Match that with the lightly fried fish ribs (yeah, that's right) and I was super happy.

Wild boar was later added to the table and now I know why people avidly hunt this game. The taste was simply beyond and better than your average piggy. I stuck to different variations of caipirinhas but for those of you passionate about wine, you'll be happy to know Dona Onça has a particular focus on vino. Beer seekers can obviously find brews as well.

Casual comfort food done right. I'll definitely be back!

The friends who took us to Bar da Dona Onça also once brought Alice Waters here for dinner. If it's good enough for Alice Waters, it's good enough for me!

Two words: fish ribs. They taste much better than the sound. Afterward you can clean and dry them and use them as hair accessories. (I'm not totally joking.)

Drink this: Osa's leche - coconut milk and cachaca and condensed milk. Need I say more? You need one of these!

Bar da Dona Onça should definitely be on your São Paulo shortlist.

Bar da Dona Onça is a São Paulo classic. Nestled in the ground floor of the iconic Copan building, it has everything you'd expect from a boteco paulistano, taken up a notch. While they have a good selection of beers, I recommend trying their mixed drinks. The food is awesome too. For starters, try the coxinhas and the linguiça artesanal. There are two drawbacks, though. First of all, being a popular destination, either be prepared to wait to get a table, or try going during off-peak hours. Second, some of the servers were new to the job, so be sure to figure out who the most experienced server is be extra nice to that person.