Markets and Shopping

From a cathedral of food to a street of a thousand shops

Shopping in central São Paulo isn't about malls. It's about a stained-glass market hall, a downhill street packed with wholesalers, and a record arcade — all a short walk or one metrô stop from the Suite.

The Mercadão

The Mercado Municipal — everyone calls it the Mercadão — is the great market of São Paulo, a 1930s hall under vaulted ceilings and enormous stained-glass windows. Come hungry: the two things to eat here are the towering mortadella sandwich and the pastel de bacalhau, a fried cod pastry, both local institutions. Upstairs balconies look down over the stalls of fruit, cheese, spices and dried cod. Go in the morning, and go on an empty stomach.

Rua 25 de Março

Just downhill from the Mercadão is Rua 25 de Março, the most intense shopping street in Brazil — wholesale and bargain everything, from party supplies to fabric to electronics, sold by the crowd-full. It's chaotic, cheap and a genuine only-in-São-Paulo experience. Carry a little cash, keep your bag in front of you, and enjoy the scrum.

Records, streetwear and odds

• Galeria do Rock — the arcade near the plaza for vinyl, band shirts and streetwear (more in Art and Culture).
• Shopping Light — a small mall inside the historic Light company building, handy and air-conditioned if the garoa sets in.

Eat the sandwich at the Mercadão first. Everything else downtown is easier on a full stomach.

The easy version

Pair the Mercadão and Rua 25 de Março in one morning — they're next to each other, near Sé and São Bento stations — and bring your appetite before your wallet. It goes well with the Where to Eat guide, which has more on the sandwich.