Occupying a small house in the heart of the Jardim Paulistano district, Maní comes as something of a surprise with its three inter-connecting rooms featuring a contemporary Mediterranean decor of different white tones and simple furniture. Here, renowned chef Helena Rizzo, who is currently working as part of a successful collaboration with Belgian counterpart Willem Vendeven, aims to offer guests a pleasurable gastronomic experience based around consistency. To do this, she focuses on Brazilian ingredients (they state that 90% of these are organic) which are transformed through cutting-edge techniques and creativity. Options here are reasonably flexible (for example, guests can order individual dishes) and are presented on an extensive à la carte and hugely interesting tasting menu featuring 12 courses (some of which are small and served as appetisers). One standout dish that we particularly enjoyed for its sophistication was the purple sweet potato with bacuri fruit and roses dessert. Be warned, there’s usually a queue outside the front door!