Taste São Paulo 2026: Eight Debuts and a Wellness Area Mark the Festival's 10th Edition

Ten years in, Taste Festival has welcomed nearly half a million visitors to São Paulo alone, carving out a space on the city's gastronomic calendar that no other event quite replicates. The 10th edition runs across three weekends — May 22–24, May 29–31 and June 4–7 — at Parque Villa-Lobos, with 77,000 visitors expected over the ten days.

But a milestone edition calls for more than nostalgia. Eight restaurants make their Taste debut in 2026, joining returning names like Mocotó, Fasano, Bráz Trattoria and Aizomê. That renewal is as much a statement about São Paulo's dining scene today as any food guide.

Who's arriving for the first time

Aiô is arguably the most anticipated debut. The Vila Mariana restaurant — created by chefs Caio Yokota and Victor Valadão, who also run the acclaimed Mapu — has been working with Taiwanese-inspired cuisine since 2023, building a shareable menu rooted in precise technique and well-calibrated acidity. At the festival, the cheese tart with apple compote captures the house's approach: Asian references filtered through a distinctly personal lens. The Michelin guide had already taken notice before the festival.

Terraço Notiê, perched on the rooftop of Shopping Light in the historic city center, arrives with chef Onildo Rocha and a menu anchored in high-end Brazilian cooking — duck rice with heart and tucupi mayonnaise is one standout. The view of Theatro Municipal is reason enough to visit, but the food holds its own.

Varanda represents a different kind of debut: the one from a restaurant that didn't need to come, but chose to show up. The group turns 30 in 2026, having helped define the premium steakhouse concept in Brazil. Founded by Sylvio Lazzarini and now led in the kitchen by chef Fabio Lazzarini, Varanda expands its repertoire at the festival with fish and seafood alongside the cuts that made it a reference.

Peruvian-Asian newcomer Ama.zo, by chef Enrique Paredes, brings chaufa y panceta (wok-fried rice with teriyaki sauce) and chicken croquettes with ají amarillo cream — placing Latin-Asian fusion squarely in the conversation. Also making first appearances: Lita, Cora, Fôrno, Thai Food Shop & P'Lek Bar and MAG Market — a cohort that, taken together, describes where São Paulo's food scene is heading.

The novelty that goes beyond the plate

The headline innovation of this anniversary edition is Taste Wellness: a brand-new area dedicated to well-being, offering yoga, functional training and stretching sessions led by specialist instructors, set to live DJ sets. The concept brings body, mind and palate into the same space — reflecting a conversation São Paulo's food world has been having more seriously in recent years: eating well and living well are no longer separate pursuits.

The broader programming goes further: over 650 free activities, including open cooking classes with chefs and sommeliers, sensory experiences and brand activations. Over a decade, the festival grew from 10,000 m² to 55,000 m² — and Taste Wellness may be the clearest signal yet that the next chapter won't be defined only by what's on the plate.

Getting there

Tickets start at R$ 40 (Taste Pass, single-day entry), with group options from R$ 52 per person (Taste Together) and a VIP package from R$ 300 (Taste Club, with an exclusive bar and covered area). The festival is at Parque Villa-Lobos, Av. Prof. Fonseca Rodrigues, 2001 — Vila Hamburguesa. Metro Line 9 Esmeralda stops at Villa-Lobos/Jaguaré station (Gate 1).

With 30-plus restaurants and tasting-sized dishes priced between R$ 25 and R$ 70, the format rewards curiosity — you can cover serious ground without blowing your budget. At ten years old, Taste reaffirms why it remains the single best event for understanding — and eating — the São Paulo of right now.

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