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Restaurants in coastal towns tend to be of the rustic beach-café sort, and predictably serve lots of seafood. For a change of taste, visit Ubatuba and these three neighborhoods in or near São Sebastião—Maresias, Boiçucanga, and Camburi—where you can find good pizzerias and Japanese restaurants. In Campos do Jordão, a popular paulistano mountain retreat, you can find a Brazilian version of Swiss fondue (both the chocolate and the cheese varieties are delicious). In Serra Negra, you'll find typical countryside food, including lots of fresh meat and farm produce, as well as a vast range of local sweets, artisanal beers, and wine.
One of the specialties at this charming German restaurant and choperia in the heart of town is sauerkraut garni (sour cabbage with German sausages). The typical dish serves two and is almost as popular as Baden-Baden's cold draft beer from the attached brewery.
Located by João Zelante Square in what was once a department store, Café Boteco incorporates elements of the traditional Brazilian boteco (dive bar) in some of its recipes and decor, but the comparisons end there: smartly dressed, friendly waiters serve excellent picanha (rump steak) and costelinha com polenta (pork ribs with polenta chips), as well as salad and pasta dishes with a local twist. The owners also run a small shop next door selling souvenirs, fine wines, and cold cuts.
In a 1905 house, this restaurant serves regional specialties like feijoada and picadinho (steak stew served with rice and beans, farofa, fried banana, and fried egg). Salmon and boar ribs are some additional choices.
A well-known chocolate shop and café, Chocolates Montanhês is the a perfect stop after a meal, or the perfect spot to stock up on chocolate lollipops and slabs. Don't forget to try the extra-creamy hot chocolate. There is a smaller store located in Praça São Benedito as well.
The best option on the menu at Ilha Sul is the grilled shrimp with vegetables. Fish and other seafood are also available.
Sit in either the beautiful garden or the dining room with a fireplace at Embu's most famous restaurant, and then choose between Brazilian regional dishes such as the house specialty, moqueca de badejo (spicy fish-and-coconut-milk stew), and German classics such as eisbein (pickled and roasted pork shank). There is live music on weekends, but note that it stops at 10:30 on the dot, regardless of how much patrons might be enjoying themselves.
A great variety of dishes is served at this downtown restaurant next to an art gallery and at the center of the weekend hustle and bustle of the artisan fair. The picanha brasileira (barbecued steak) with fries and farofa is recommended.
Located at the heart of Serra Negra, Serrana is a bakery that serves breakfast, light snacks, and also meals, as well as sharing platters. Grab a pao na chapa (grilled bread) and coffee for breakfast here on a Sunday morning and sit at one of the tables outside to watch the hordes of motorcycling aficionados—they flock to Serra Negra on weekends from other cities on their amazing touring bikes.
In a century-old ranch-style house, a hearty buffet lunch is served with dishes such as feijão tropeiro (beans with bacon, calabresa sausage, eggs, and farofa), dobradinha com feijão branco (intestines and white-bean stew), or galinha atolada (rural-style hen stew).
Camarão (shrimp) is prepared in various ways at this traditional, petite restaurant with just a few tables. It's popular among locals, who come here to eat and enjoy the gorgeous view and sunsets.
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