Dining at the great and unforgettable Palacio Tangara

Time to dine at the amazing Palácio Tangará, the luxury oasis that is under 20 minutes from central São Paulo. Eating choices include casual meals in the lobby, which has a corner bar; a grand piano and waiting double bass promise live music when weekend staycationers are here. You could also eat tapas in Burle, an interior bar which specialises in spirits, with over a dozen home-made Bitters, and wood-matured Manhattan and Negronis as stated specials.  Food could also be served in the glass-walled wine cellar. But the real magnet is Tangará Jean-Georges, a brilliant all-day concept that has four dining areas, including an interior kitchen, with an oval table that splits into four but, in entirety, seats up to 12 for interaction with chef Felipe Rodrigues (who cooked for the Swedish royals in Stockholm).

A private dining room for 12 and the main room both open to park-set terraces and now, and summer long, you can also dine out there. Inside, by 8.30pm the 60-seat space had 40 diners, for a mid-week night. This is a country club for locals, says Wadim Alvarez, who heads food (he hastened off to greet a couple in their ’40s, starting their 50th visit here with Moët before going on to red wine, and I presume they, as such valued guests, were among the fans who received a bespoke 2018 Chandon bottle to celebrate the hotel’s highly successful first year).

The menu is deliberately eclectic, with sections from caviar concoctions to pizzas (I liked the way the printed pages, in a soft grey leather folder, clearly list opening hours, kids’ items are available, and an optional 10% service is added – there are also four- and six-course tasting menus, obligatory for any parties of 8 or more).   We are brought nuggets of walnut and white sourdough breads, made here from a European yeast that originated in the 1950s. I go all-Brazil, with tuna and avocado followed by a local wagyu striploin, apparently an Angus-wagyu cross, and grilled heart of palm. Dinner dishes are avocado-coloured Heloise Galvao ceramics, and our no-vintage Guatambu Epice is deftly served in enormous Spiegelau glasses.

In the morning, my requested New York Times, in a thick black leather pouch, was already hanging outside my door when I went down to the gym for its 6 a.m. start. By 7 a.m, breakfast was in full swing, with the kitchen ‘dining area’ now hosting a splendid buffet. I tried whole pear-shaped cashew – see the photo at the top – and papaya with lime from the fruits section. Yoghurts are home-made, or local Ati Latte, and jams are also Brazilian, by Queensberry. Really, I thought as I left the extraordinary super-luxury of Oetker’s Palácio Tangará, this place embodies luxury of today and, I think, tomorrow – space and nature, well-trained staff who smile and know when to keep out of the way, instant WiFi, a bed that is marvellously supportive, superb Etro toiletries and a shower that is as simple as the light switches. And memorable food. I could go on and on. BUT NOW SEE A BREAKFAST BUFFET VIDEO, AND A TOUR OF THE GARDENS AT THE REAR OF THE HOTEL