São Paulo gave birth to the term
balada (nightclub party) and spread it across Brazil. The city might not have actually invented partying but it seems to have perfected the craft, meeting or exceeding the standards for
vida noctura set by legendary soiree hot spots like Buenos Aires, Las Vegas and Madrid. In other words, there are no weak nights of the week here.
At least a dozen completely unique nightclub top-10 lists would be needed to satisfy Paulistanos eclectic tastes in music and atmosphere. And the city has more than enough after-hours establishments to fill the charts. The NileGuide São Paulo nighclub list, therefore, marks an attempt to sample from various genres, which means leaving some of the most popular discos in the dressing room.
Some spots were tough to label, like New Zealand-themed Kia Ora Pub, which was left to the bar menu despite its live music, dance floor and late hours. Sonique is another that didn't quite classify as a nightclub, but can be found on the list of best lounges.
In the city, we tried to keep the nightclub cadre to comprising the traditional discos, which open late and close early (in the morning). São Paulo has plenty, including the affiliates of multinational names like Kiss & Fly, Pacha and Mokai, which are frequented by international celebrities. Vila Olimipia and Vila Madalena continue to be the "most moving" zip codes, as Paulistanos say, with sounds for all ear drums. The area around Rua Augusta is making a comeback from its seedier past and popular
baladas, such as D-Edge and Villa Country, have opened in the central Barra Funda neighborhood. Meanwhile, we reached far up Litoral Norte (the northern coast) to pull in Sirena, an A-list summertime address, from Maresias.
But like the club scene itself, the lines between balada and bar, cool and cliché are blurry and our list is a fickle, ever-evolving creature. In other words, the night is young and so is our top 10, so send us your thoughts… or an invite. And we'll see you on the dance floor.
Av. Francisco Matarazzo , 774
Sertaneja live-music club...
R. Sebastião Romão César, 418
Most famous balada on the SP coast...
Rua Augusta 2805
Brazilian affiliate of the Miami club...
Rua dos Chanés, 127
Moema
In the Best New Orleans Style...
Rua Araujo, 232
Hedonists' meeting place...
R. Barra Funda, 969
Dance in a Hangar...
Rua Augusta, 765 Sao Paulo
Always pushing the edge...
Av. Pres. Juscelino Kubitschek, 2041
Queue up early if you're not on the list at this chic nightclub in Itaim...
Rua Frei Caneca, 916
Where anything is possible...
Rua Mergenthaler 829
Vila Leopoldina
World of white...