Rosewood São Paulo: Rabo di Galo, cocktails and live music

Q: How much is the Rabo di Galo?

R$75, made with Pindorama cachaça.3

Rabo di Galo is the speakeasy at Rosewood São Paulo, a bar modelled on the jazz clubs of the 1930s, where live Brazilian music is the main attraction. It takes its name from the rabo de galo, the cachaça and vermouth cocktail born in São Paulo in the 1950s.

Updated 24 October 20264 min readHow we write the guide

Rabo di Galo empty: leather armchairs, candlelit tables, a grand piano and the vaulted ceiling painted with snakes and stars on black.

The choice, in short

Why choose Rosewood São Paulo

The vaulted ceiling: 68 hours of hand drawing by the artist Cabelo, with snakes, stars and figures from Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous religions on a black ground.

The menu

When to look elsewhere

It is the wrong room for a quiet talk: there is one small room, and the band plays in it.

To eat

Where the name comes from

In the 1950s a vermouth factory arrived in São Paulo counting on Italian immigrants to buy it; they preferred cachaça, and so the mix was born: 2/3 cachaça, 1/3 vermouth.²

The drink was christened a cocktail, and the word soon crossed into Portuguese literally: cock, galo, and tail, rabo. There is no single recipe today, and bars across Brazil each make their own.²

The furniture is leather and dark wood, and the light is indirect.²

Who plays

The instruments
The instruments hung on the walls and set on the tables are décor, and a dare to the boldest to join in with the band.²
The repertoire
Veja São Paulo’s guide lists MPB, bossa nova and even pop in the sets.⁶

Rosewood São Paulo

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The house cocktails

4 to know

Cidade Roxa: Havana Club Selección de Maestros rum, jabuticaba, lime and vanilla
O Amado: 1922 aged cachaça, spiced passion fruit soda, lime, vanilla and tonka bean foam
Taperebá: Beefeater 24 gin, cajá and pepper cordial, dry vermouth
Tupã: Monkey 47 sloe gin, Beefeater gin and spiced pineapple soda

Where it is

Address	Rua Itapeva 435, Bela Vista, São Paulo.¹
Phone	+55 11 3797 0500.¹

Rooms at the Rosewood

Rooms and stays

5 bar plates

The bar snacks are by executive chef Rachel Codreanschi.²

Dish	What it is	Price
Bolove de frango & caviar	A chicken scotch egg with caviar	R$145
Tostada de atum	Corn tortilla, tuna, avocado, sesame and chipotle mayo	R$85
Espetinho Black Angus	Beef skewer with homemade pancetta and chimichurri emulsion	R$75
Galo Sando	Fried chicken sandwich, spicy emulsion and lemon mayo	R$65
X-Burguer	Cheddar, pickles, special mayo, red onion and chips	R$50

Before you book

What is a rabo de galo?

A Brazilian cocktail: the International Bartenders Association recipe is 60 ml of cachaça, 20 ml of Cinzano Rosso sweet vermouth and 15 ml of Cynar, with 2 optional drops of Angostura, stirred over ice in a rocks glass and finished with an orange twist.⁵

How much is the Rabo di Galo?

R$75, made with Pindorama cachaça.³

Where is the bar inside the Rosewood?

In Le Jardin, the hotel’s grand café: just inside, on the left, behind wooden doors with a discreet sign.²

Is it the same place as Rabo de Galo on Rua Dr. Álvaro Alvim?

No, that is another bar with almost the same name: Rabo di Galo is the one inside Rosewood São Paulo.¹

Are there alcohol-free cocktails?

Yes, 3 at R$50: Aloá with spiced pineapple soda, Periferia with rooibos, açaí, lime and egg white, and Coral with Earl Grey tea, tonic and jabuticaba.³

The bar’s page

Rabo di Galo

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