Metzi

Should You Book Metzi?

If you have been to Metzi once, coming back reveals what the first visit might obscure: this is not a novelty concept riding a cross-cultural hook. The Mexican-Brazilian combination that chefs Eduardo Ortiz and Luana Sabino brought to Pinheiros has earned consecutive Michelin Plates in 2024 and 2025 precisely because it holds up on repeat. Book it for a date, a small celebration, or any meal where you want something that feels considered without requiring the full ceremony of São Paulo's $$$$ tier. At $$$, it delivers more creative ambition than most restaurants in its price band.

The Room and the Experience

Metzi sits on Rua João Moura in Pinheiros, a street that does steady evening traffic without the circus of the Vila Madalena blocks nearby. The address puts it in comfortable walking distance of the neighbourhood's better bars, which matters if you are planning a night that extends past dinner. The space is compact enough to feel intentional rather than sparse, and the layout rewards intimate groups of two to four. For a special-occasion dinner, the scale works in your favour: you are not lost in a large room, and the kitchen's output is visible enough that the meal has momentum.

Ortiz and Sabino both came through Cosme in New York, which gives Metzi a specific culinary reference point. Cosme built its reputation on treating Mexican technique as a serious foundation rather than a shorthand for casual eating, and that sensibility travels. Here, Brazilian ingredients and preparation methods are worked into that framework rather than layered on leading of it as decoration. The Michelin description points to dishes such as a mushroom quesadilla and fish a la talla as evidence of how that dialogue between the two kitchens functions in practice. These are not fusion flourishes; they reflect a menu built around what happens when two culinary traditions are taken seriously on equal terms.

A Google rating of 4.1 across 481 reviews is more instructive than it might first appear. In São Paulo's competitive restaurant environment, it reflects consistent satisfaction rather than viral novelty. Venues that spike on buzz often settle lower. Metzi's score, holding across nearly five hundred visits, suggests the kitchen is reliable and the experience repeats well, which is exactly what you need when bringing a guest somewhere for the first time.

Late-Night Positioning

Pinheiros is one of São Paulo's more functional neighbourhoods for an evening that moves between venues, and Metzi's location is a practical asset if you are building a night around more than one stop. Dinner here before moving on to one of the area's bars is a well-worn sequence for a reason. The restaurant's portion of the evening is substantial enough to anchor the night without running so long that you lose the window for whatever comes after. Hours are not confirmed in our data, so contact the restaurant directly to confirm last-seating times, particularly on weekends when Pinheiros bars run late and dinner bookings can compress.

For a late dinner specifically, Metzi is a better choice than nearby options that close their kitchen early or shift to a reduced menu. The neighbourhood has enough activity that arriving at 9 PM or later is not unusual, and the compact room does not feel like it is winding down the way larger dining rooms sometimes do in the final hour of service.

Who Should Book

Metzi earns its place on a São Paulo itinerary most clearly for two profiles. First, anyone who wants Michelin-recognised cooking without moving to the $$$$ tier: D.O.M. and Evvai both sit a price tier above, and while the ambition at those addresses is different in scale, Metzi is not making up the gap with shortcuts. Second, anyone who wants a creative menu for a date or small celebration that does not require navigating a tasting menu format. The à la carte structure gives the meal flexibility that a fixed progression does not.

If you are specifically seeking Brazilian cuisine with the same level of creative intent, Maní is the closest peer at the same price tier, though the cooking there leans into Brazilian-international rather than the Mexican framework Metzi operates within. Tuju is another option if the creative angle is your priority. For a wider view of what São Paulo's restaurant scene offers, see our full São Paulo restaurants guide.

Outside São Paulo, the Mexican-influenced creative cooking at Pujol in Mexico City represents the benchmark in that tradition. Metzi is not attempting to replicate it, but if your frame of reference runs through that kitchen, the Cosme lineage shared by Ortiz and Sabino will be apparent. Elsewhere in Brazil, Lasai in Rio de Janeiro and Manu in Curitiba represent how other cities are approaching creative cooking at the same level of seriousness.

How It Compares

FAQ

• Can I eat at the bar at Metzi? Bar seating has not been confirmed in our data. Given the compact room size and the Pinheiros neighbourhood context, it is worth calling ahead to ask specifically , some smaller São Paulo restaurants hold counter or bar spots for walk-ins, but for a special occasion, securing a table reservation is the safer approach.
• Is the tasting menu worth it at Metzi? Metzi's Michelin Plate recognition and the Cosme pedigree of its chefs suggest the kitchen operates at a level where a set menu, if offered, would be worth considering. However, the menu format is not confirmed in our data. What is confirmed is that the $$$ price tier positions Metzi as a more accessible entry point than the $$$$ options in São Paulo, so the value argument holds regardless of format. Check directly with the restaurant for current menu structure.
• Does Metzi handle dietary restrictions? Contact details are not available in our current data. Given the creative, technique-led cooking and relatively small kitchen, it is worth raising dietary requirements at booking rather than on arrival. Mexican and Brazilian kitchens both have strong traditions around vegetables and seafood, which may provide more flexibility than a meat-centric format.
• Is Metzi good for solo dining? At $$$, Metzi is a reasonable solo choice if you are in São Paulo for a short stay and want to tick a Michelin Plate restaurant without committing to the full $$$$ experience. The compact room and neighbourhood location make it less daunting than a large-format dining room. For solo counter dining in the same tier, Jun Sakamoto may offer a more natural solo format depending on availability, but Metzi is not a bad call if the Mexican-Brazilian menu is what draws you.
• What are alternatives to Metzi in São Paulo? At the same $$$ tier with creative ambition, Maní is the most direct comparison for a date or special-occasion dinner with a Brazilian-international lean. Tuju is worth considering if you want creative cooking with a tighter tasting focus. If budget is flexible, D.O.M. and Evvai offer a step up in occasion weight at $$$$. For the leading value in São Paulo's serious dining conversation, A Casa do Porco at $$ is in a category of its own. See our full São Paulo guide for a broader view, and our São Paulo bars guide if you are building an evening around dinner in Pinheiros.