Balaio IMS — Restaurant in Região Imediata de São Paulo

I hit the jackpot when I discovered this incredible restaurant! While it may not have the glitz and glamour of a high-end place, its charm lies in its simple, welcoming atmosphere. What truly makes this spot shine is the exceptional food and service.

From the moment I arrived, I knew I was in for a treat. Our server, Gabby, was phenomenal! She expertly guided us through the menu based on our preferences and left us utterly delighted. The Pastel was a revelation—crispy and light, overflowing with cheesy goodness and fragrant herbs. But wait, it only got better: the Cabrinha was a flavor explosion that I still can’t stop thinking about!

For the main course, my friend opted for the fish and raved about its deliciousness (not that I’m a fish aficionado). As for me, I took a leap of faith with Gabby’s recommendation for the duck dish. Now normally, duck wouldn’t be my first choice, but this beauty was cooked to perfection for 16 hours, then deep-fried and served over a cozy bed of rice with mussels and pork. Let me tell you, it was one of the best meals I’ve ever experienced!

And the grand finale? Gabby encouraged me to try their take on Quindin, the classic Portuguese dessert. I was skeptical at first—it’s a floating island-like treat—but oh my goodness, I was blown away! It was absolutely divine.

While it might be on the pricier side for locals, our dinner for two, complete with drinks, totaled about $100. What a steal for such an unforgettable dining experience! I can’t recommend this...

I am mixed on giving somewhere between 3.5-4 stars for this restaurant. There are many positives, but a couple negatives as well.

Food is creative in flavors and presentation and generally good. I do wish that in some of the dishes there was a bit more “wow.” And by that I mean a bit more complexity of flavors, leaving me wowed. I think part of this was the high expectations I had, having heard about Rodrigo and his restaurants prior to traveling to SP. However, many of the concepts behind the dishes and their flavors are very nice. Also, drinks were VERY good. I really enjoyed my first, which was the caju drink pictured below. Highly recommend.

Biggest downside for me, which takes away a star, was the service. Easiest way to make for an enjoyable experience of food is the service. The staff was not attentive and generally complacent. We had to wait a long time to get attention to place additional orders, our main meals, and to get additional drinks.

Would still recommend this place and think if the service were improved a bit, it could really be a phenomenal experience. Right above Balaio is the IMS - instituto Moreira Salles, which is very nice to peruse through and learn more about the history of Brazil through the eyes of Moreira. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

#balaio #balaioims #sãopaulo #sp...

the place is cool. the best part is the architecture itself. but if you’re looking for cozy, forget about it! the host does not have a clue on how to do her job. the waiters are too friendly & touch you too much - after all on n’a jamais gardé les cochons ensemble. I just want to have lunch, not to get acquainted - but when it comes to do their job correctly they show no training whatsoever: they cannot answer any basic question on the food served. but everything can be forgiven if the food experience is worth waiting 1 & 1/2 hours to get a table. it is not. of the 5 young hyped chef in SP, this one is the only one it looks, I mean, tastes like a joke. everything we tried was so badly done it was hilarious. first: the dish description does not match the dish itself: if you order a stew with okra, and you receive a soup with carrot cubes & peas, some spare pieces of meat & 1 burned okra as decoration, you begin to suspect that the chef’s pretensions do not turn into anything real. second: everything was salted to the point of turning bitter. there is no way to recover from such disaster. nor to give it a second...