Bars in Roosevelt Square
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With more than 50 thousand square meters, Praça Roosevelt is today a bohemian stronghold in the center of the capital of São Paulo, but has gone through many phases over the years.
It was designed as a tribute to the American president of the same name in the 1960s. The idea came from the mayor of the city of São Paulo at the time, José Vicente Faria Lima.
Soon after its inauguration, it experienced golden times between the end of the 1960s and 1980s, being considered a reference for those resisting the military dictatorship.
It was a meeting point for artists of the time, mainly from the theater and music scene. The first show by none other than Elis Regina was in one of the bars in the square.
From the end of the 1980s onwards, many entertainment companies and concert halls left the area and other establishments began to close their doors, leaving the square idle.
This then became a meeting point for skateboarders, who used the square's slopes as ramps. Later, the place was specially adapted for the sport, which had previously been done in an improvised manner.
After a period of being practically abandoned, the square was revitalized and reopened in 2012. There are more than 200 trees spread throughout the space, which is located between Consolação and Augusta streets, in the República neighborhood, in the city center.
After the official reopening, other improvements and modifications were made over the years. A “dog park” was even installed, which attracts many dog owners to the site in the late afternoon.
Nightlife
And it is when night falls that the square shines. To this day, it maintains some of the tradition of the period in which it was created.
There is always some kind of theatrical show happening in the region - like in the Satyros and Parlapatões spaces - and the skateboarders are the main characters of the place.
With bars for all tastes and dozens of options for places to have a beer or try some drinks, the square is a meeting point for the more alternative crowd looking for different things to do during happy hour.
There is no shortage of bars where you can meet up with friends after work, have a drink, eat some bar food and chat.
So, let's get to know some of the main bars in Roosevelt Square?
Bars
The Cult
With a focus on drinks and happy hour, the bar is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm to 1am. In addition to drinks, beers and appetizers are another strong point of the place.
The music that prevails in the bar comes from the DJs, who are responsible for keeping the crowd relaxed. Another interesting point about the bar is that the vast majority of people who go there are gay, showing that it is a place without prejudice.
Basement 27
It has been around since 2018 and changed owners after reopening - since the bar closed during the pandemic. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 3 pm to midnight. On Fridays and Saturdays, it closes at 1 am.
The most popular drinks at the restaurant are double drinks, such as caipirinhas, gin and tonics, mojitos... In addition to the traditional beers, including the highly sought-after litrão.
The portions of coxinha (coxinha) – including vegan options, such as jackfruit “meat” –, individual pizzas, pastries and cheese balls are all popular...
The space is returning with DJ performances that play everything, but with an emphasis on Brazilian music.
This bar is the most traditional in Roosevelt Square, also known as PPP. The space has been around since 1960, and was previously an antiques store and a pizzeria.
In its current format, it has been operating in the square since 2004. The “antiques” theme is one of the main attractions.
It was there, when it was still operating under the name Djalma's, that Elis performed her first show, in August 1964.
Like most bars in the square, it is open from Tuesday to Sunday. From Tuesday to Thursday, it opens at 5 pm. From Friday to Sunday, it opens at 3 pm. It closes at 1 am every day.
The place serves snacks, appetizers and the house classic is the “carne louca”, a signature dish since the bar opened. In this dish, the stewed meat is made with various crushed seasonings that guarantee a unique flavor.
The public is quite diverse and is attracted by the good music, different decor and many cachaça options that the bar offers.
Zé's friends bar
It used to be a stationery store and today it houses one of the most famous bars in the square. It has been open as a bar since 2013.
Also open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 5pm to 1am. On Saturday and Sunday it opens at noon and closes at 1am. They offer lunch, but the most popular dishes are the traditional bar snacks.
Recently, the artisanal, breaded and fried burgers, a new addition to the menu, have been in high demand.
The names were given to people who have everything to do with the cultural scene related to the square: Paulo Gustavo, Marielle Franco, Pabllo Vittar and Elza Soares.
Craft beers and drinks are also big attractions here. The audience is quite diverse and is generally over 30 years old and very connected to the city's cultural scene.
Pick Your Beer
As the name suggests, it is a bar where you get your own beer. Opened recently, in the first half of 2021, the idea is for the bar to be self-service.
With a bar “credit” card, with which you can get food, drinks and tobacco items, the goal is to bring the “square into the bar”, with a street, skate , urban and graffiti theme...
After you've had your fill, you can enjoy the beer and food in the square. The menu is small, but the options are very appealing. There are burgers and hot dogs with different mixes of seasonings, sauces and meats, and great prices - the most expensive dish on the menu costs R$20.
The bar has 16 taps, with 14 different styles of draft beer, which vary depending on the time of year.
It is open from Tuesday to Thursday from 4pm to 1am. On Fridays, it is open from 4pm to 3am. On Saturdays, it is open from 1pm to 3am and on Sundays from 1pm to 1am.
Lekitsch
It has been open since the square reopened in 2012 and has good options of beer, drinks and snacks, with burgers and vegetarian dishes.
One of the main attractions is the retro-pop decor, with references to Quentin Tarantino, for example.
Open Monday to Thursday from 5pm to 1am. On Fridays, it is open until 2am. On Saturdays, it is open from 2pm to 2am and on Sundays, from 2pm to midnight.
Opened in 2021, installed in a space that was previously occupied by Lekitsch, its flagship dish is a garlic paste exclusive to the bar that is served in all of the house's dishes.
They host events with DJs on Fridays and weekends. They are open from 4pm to 1am, every day of the week, without a break.
They serve portions of various snacks, such as calabresa sausage, and always with the traditional garlic paste. The dishes have names and references to very national dates, such as Jango, Juscelino, May 1st (Labor Day) and others.
Did you find what you were looking for? If you're still looking, we have another list of bars worth visiting in the Sé region and our favorites in Santa Cecília