A Guide to Greek Restaurants in Sao Paulo

By: B. Mitidieri

We all know that São Paulo is a gastronomic capital, where people from all over the world get to enjoy the wonders of the culinary arts. Furthermore, over the past two years, Greek cuisine has become increasingly popular and their restaurants acknowledged. Therefore, it is only fair that we provide you with a full and detailed guide to the top three most successful Greek Restaurants in São Paulo.
 
1. Myk
Myk Located at the heart of Jardins, Myk has a big variety of options in their menu. It has shown to be a trendy place because there is a modern yet minimalist Mediterranean decor and music playing, which is sometimes told to be too loud. The price varies from R$111,00 to R$165,00, but the restaurant is told to have very gourmet meals. There is a valet and accessibility for disabled people.
All information about Myk was fairly simple to find out because they have a detailed email and information all over the web, including their menu.

The menu is written entirely in Portuguese with few references to the Greek traditional names of the foods being served. The starters are not particularly ‘’traditional’’ of Greece and do not feature their name in particular, but there is the customary spanakopita and tiropita in the menu, which are pastry stuffed with spinach and feta cheese. The Couvert, on the other hand, has shown to be very detailed and honors the cuisine: there is nothing more traditional than a Greek to eat tzatziki, taramosalata and Kalamata olives before a meal. Be sure to order the ‘Greek Board’ (Tábua grega), which features all of these options.

Within the entrée options, there are great options such as the louza ham, a gyro, saganaki shrimps and tiropita. There are more traditional food names in this section of the menu. Still, there are some items in the menu that are not Greek at all (like the burrata, which is traditionally Italian). If you go to Myk, enjoy any of the salads because all of them are written in their original names yet include a gourmet twist on them, which probably make them extremely enjoyable.

The main courses in general include many customary and tasty meals. An important detail is that Greek people do not usually eat spaghettis or linguinis, which are both Italian meals, but Myk openly may choose whatever they would like to add into their menu. I strongly suggest St. Paul’s Lions to eat food within the ‘’Classics’’ (Clássicos) or ‘’Gyros and Souvlaki’’ section because they will provide you with the most Greek experience you could ever have. The ‘moussaka’ and ‘souvlaki’ should capture your attention while choosing your dish. Any octopus that you would like to have is also encouraged.
Now, for my favorite part: the dessert. Make sure to ask for the ‘loukumathes’ when you are there. Yogurt with fruits is also a good investment. Overall, the items in the menu include more Italian sweets than Greek, which is a shame.

Finally, for the over-aged Pauleans, there is a menu for drinks. I strongly suggest for parents or over-eighteen students to try ouzo, mastiha and retzina, which are strong alcoholic drinks customary to any Greek lunch or dinner. If something simpler is wanted, make sure to try the mythos beer.
Even though Myk does not have a Greek chef, the dishes provided seem very legitimate and gourmet. There have been great reviews and, from what I have researched, it seems like a trendy location to hang out with friends.
 
2. Kouzina
There are three Kouzina’s in São Paulo  located in the Jardins region. This menu, on the other hand, is written in Portuguese, English and Greek. I believe that this detail makes the experience of going to Kouzina more charming and memorable, which honors Greek traditions. The name is also very charismatic because it has a very simple meaning (‘kitchen’), which gives off a sensation that you are eating in a Greek house. The price varies from R$101,00 to R$150,00. There is also a valet and accessibility for disabled people.

All starters seem very appropriate to the Greek theme. The meat balls (kefthethakias), louza ham with kalamata olives, and the spinach stuffed pastry (spanakopita) are traditional starters that I urge you to try. Additionally, there are many salads available, many of them being of Greek origin. It is interesting to note that the Myk Salad is included in the menu, which is because both restaurants have a common chef who also is responsible for Myk. Also, there are some appealing skewer options such as the kalamaki and souvlaki. I encourage you to taste the souvlaki, an extremely common dish in the streets of the Plaka in Athens.

If you wish to experience a full Greek meal, I would advise you to order pita bread as a side because meals are always accompanied by bread in Greece. The tzatziki is another great choice, as well as the spanakorizo.

Many traditional names can be read in the ‘main course’ section of Kouzina’s menu. From my own experience, Soutzukakia is an amazing dish of meatballs. The moussaka and pastitsio are the most traditional and possibly the tastiest options. Again, there is a spaghetti in the menu, which is an Italian dish, but I believe that the ‘Greekness’ of this restaurant is not affected by this fact.
To any Greek person’s delight, the ‘baklava’ and the ‘loukumathes’ are available in the dessert section, which are both tasty and traditional dishes. Amygdalota and milopita are other traditional choices, which I have never had and, therefore, cannot comment on.

The dishes from Kouzina are not as gourmet as Myk’s seem to be, even though they have the same chef. However, Kouzina has more traditional meals than Myk and is a bit less expensive.

3. Fotiá
Fotiá is the third Greek restaurant I will assess today. Just like the other two, it is located in Jardins. It is the most recently opened restaurant (2019). The same chef from Kouzina and Myk is responsible for Fotiá. The name means ‘fire’, which refers to the common process of grilling of dishes in the restaurant. There is accessibility for disabled people. Also, it is relatively small, with 60 places, and is expensive.

I suppose it is because Fotia was recently inaugurated, but there is no online website or an available online menu. Moreover, from reviews, it can be interpreted that the dishes in Fotiá are very well prepared and gourmet. One of the dishes reviewed by Paladar in Estadão is the grilled prawns served on pink salt stone and with fresh olive sauce with dill, sage and rosemary. Gastrolândia claims that there are 20 vegetarian options in Fotiá, which is appealing to the vegetarian Pauleans. The only reference made to a dish in Greek is the karpóuzi salad, which includes tomatoes and watermelon. There is also a lamb hamburger.

I could not gather enough information to make a detailed review, but Fotiá seems like an interesting place to explore.