Restaurant in São Paulo, Brazil
São Paulo's tightest Japanese tasting menu.
Ryo Gastronomia earned a Michelin star in 2025 under Chef Edson Yamashita, making it São Paulo's most credentialed Japanese tasting menu. At the $$$$ tier in Itaim Bibi, it rewards diners who commit to the structured format. Book three to four weeks ahead — demand has risen sharply since the star, and walk-ins are not a realistic option.
Book Ryo Gastronomia if you want the most technically focused Japanese tasting experience in São Paulo right now. Chef Edson Yamashita earned a Michelin star in 2025, and at the $$$$ price tier, this is a serious commitment — but one that holds up against the city's other starred tables. First-timers should know this is a tasting menu format, not à la carte, and the experience is built around progressive Japanese culinary logic rather than fusion showmanship. If that architecture appeals to you, Ryo is worth the effort to book.
Ryo Gastronomia sits in Itaim Bibi, São Paulo's most concentrated pocket of high-end dining, on Rua Pedroso Alvarenga. The address puts it in direct conversation with the city's top-tier restaurant circuit, and the 2025 Michelin star confirms it has earned a place at that table. For a first-time visitor, the key thing to understand before you arrive is that Ryo operates as a structured tasting experience under Chef Edson Yamashita's direction. This is not the kind of Japanese restaurant where you scan a menu and order three dishes. The progression of courses is the product.
Yamashita's approach is rooted in Japanese culinary discipline applied through a Brazilian lens — not in the sense of cramming local ingredients into Japanese vessels as a novelty, but in the way a chef trained in one tradition absorbs the environment he works in daily. The result, according to the Michelin committee that awarded the 2025 star, justifies the format. A Google rating of 4.6 across 380 reviews adds a layer of diner-level corroboration: the room performs at a level its guests find consistent and credible.
For a first-timer, the tasting menu structure means you should arrive with time and appetite. Do not treat this as a quick dinner before an event. The pacing of a Japanese kaiseki-influenced progression typically moves through lighter, more delicate preparations early , textures and temperatures calibrated to open the palate rather than fill it , before building toward richer, more substantial courses. Without confirmed dish data, the specific arc at Ryo cannot be described here, but the format's logic is well-established: restraint early, depth later, with each course functioning as a transition rather than a standalone statement.
The Itaim Bibi location works in your favour logistically. The neighbourhood is São Paulo's most convenient for taxis and rideshare, well-lit and walkable between venues if you want to extend the evening at a bar nearby. Arriving slightly early is worthwhile , Brazilian fine dining rooms at this tier often have a pre-dinner drink ritual, and entering unhurried sets the right pace for what follows.
Booking Ryo is hard. A 2025 Michelin star in a city where international dining interest is rising means demand outpaces availability. Expect to book at least three to four weeks ahead for a weekend table; weekday slots may open slightly closer. There is no online booking link in our current data, so your leading approach is to search for current reservation channels directly or contact the restaurant at the address listed. Do not show up and expect a walk-in to succeed at this level.
Price-tier context matters here. At $$$$ in São Paulo, Ryo is competing with D.O.M., Evvai, and the city's other Michelin-recognised tables. The comparison that most directly applies for first-timers is with Jun Sakamoto, São Paulo's long-established Japanese fine dining reference point, which operates at $$$. If you are price-sensitive and primarily interested in exceptional Japanese technique, Jun Sakamoto is the easier and cheaper entry point. If you want the full tasting menu architecture , courses designed to move through a narrative arc , Ryo is the correct choice at the higher spend.
São Paulo has a concentrated Japanese dining scene by South American standards, reflecting the city's large Japanese-Brazilian community. Beyond Ryo, the city supports venues like Kinoshita, Kuro, KANOE, Huto, and Kan Suke across different price points and styles. Ryo's Michelin recognition places it at the leading of that local hierarchy for 2025. If you are visiting São Paulo specifically for its dining and have already planned a Brazilian-focused meal , say, at A Casa do Porco or Maní , Ryo makes the most logical second booking for a contrasting, Japanese-rooted tasting experience.
For context on how São Paulo's starred Japanese dining compares internationally, the structural DNA of this kind of tasting format connects most directly to Tokyo kaiseki traditions. Pearl also covers Myojaku and Azabu Kadowaki in Tokyo if you want a benchmark for the source category. Within Brazil, starred-level ambition is also visible at Oteque in Rio de Janeiro and Origem in Salvador , different cuisines, but comparable in the seriousness of the commitment being asked of the diner. You can explore more across the region through Mina in Campos do Jordão, Birosca S2 in Belo Horizonte, and Orixás | North Restaurant in Itacaré.
Use our full São Paulo restaurants guide to plan around Ryo, and see our São Paulo hotels guide, bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide to complete the trip.
Ryo Gastronomia is at R. Pedroso Alvarenga, 665, Itaim Bibi, São Paulo. Booking difficulty is high following the 2025 Michelin star , plan three to four weeks ahead minimum for weekend tables, two to three weeks for midweek. No booking link or phone number is currently listed in our data; search for the current reservation method directly or contact the restaurant via their address. Itaim Bibi is direct to reach by Uber or 99; street parking in the area is limited during dinner service. Dress code data is not confirmed, but at the $$$$ tier in a Michelin-starred room, smart-casual is the floor , err toward smart.
Ryo operates a tasting menu format under Chef Edson Yamashita, so ordering is handled for you. The menu follows a structured progression typical of Japanese haute cuisine , expect the experience to build in intensity across courses rather than offer standalone options. Specific dishes are not confirmed in our current data, so ask the restaurant directly when booking whether there is any degree of customisation available within the set menu.
No confirmed dietary restriction policy is available in our data. Given the tasting menu format and Michelin-star level of service, it is reasonable to expect that advance notice of restrictions will be accommodated , this is standard practice at this tier. Contact the restaurant directly before booking to confirm, particularly for serious allergies or strict dietary requirements. Do not assume on the night.
Yes, a Japanese tasting menu format is one of the better solo dining experiences in São Paulo's fine dining circuit. Counter seating, if available, is ideal for solo diners at Japanese restaurants , you get a direct view of the kitchen and a natural rhythm of interaction with the team. Confirm with the restaurant whether counter seats can be requested when booking. At $$$$ solo, this is a significant spend, but the format works well without a companion.
For Japanese at a lower price point, Jun Sakamoto ($$$) is the most direct peer , established, technically precise, and easier to book. Within the $$$$ tier, D.O.M. and Evvai offer comparable spend levels with very different cuisine profiles (modern Brazilian and contemporary Italian respectively). If you want to step down a price tier for creative cooking, Maní ($$$) is the São Paulo option that most rewards a first-timer on a slightly tighter budget. For more Japanese options across the city, see Kinoshita, Kuro, and KANOE.
Yes, if the tasting menu format is what you want. The 2025 Michelin star is the clearest external validation available, and a 4.6 Google rating across 380 reviews suggests the experience holds up at diner level, not just critic level. The format rewards attention , this is not a meal to rush. If you prefer flexibility or want to order à la carte Japanese, Jun Sakamoto is the better fit at a lower price.
At $$$$ with a Michelin star, Ryo sits at the leading of São Paulo's Japanese dining tier and is priced accordingly. The value case rests on the tasting menu architecture: you are paying for a designed progression, not a collection of dishes. By that standard, the 2025 star and strong Google score (4.6 / 380 reviews) suggest the room is delivering at its price level. If you are comparing purely on value per dish, A Casa do Porco at $$ offers extraordinary cooking for far less , but it is a different category entirely.
Yes. A Michelin-starred Japanese tasting menu in Itaim Bibi is a strong choice for a birthday, anniversary, or business dinner where the meal itself is the event. The format creates a shared experience across the table rather than each person navigating a different menu, which helps the occasion feel coherent. Book as far ahead as possible , four weeks minimum , and mention the occasion when reserving. At $$$$ for a special dinner, this is the kind of spend that the format justifies.
Book three to four weeks ahead for weekends, two to three weeks for midweek. The 2025 Michelin star has raised demand significantly, and São Paulo's international dining profile means competition for tables is not limited to locals. No online booking tool is confirmed in our data , contact the restaurant directly to find the current reservation method. Do not leave this to the week before and expect availability.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryo Gastronomia | Japanese | $$$$ | Hard |
| D.O.M. | Modern Brazilian, Creative | $$$$ | Unknown |
| Evvai | Contemporary Italian, Modern Cuisine | $$$$ | Unknown |
| Maní | Brazilian - International, Creative | $$$ | Unknown |
| Jun Sakamoto | Sushi, Japanese | $$$ | Unknown |
| A Casa do Porco | Regional Brazilian, Brazilian | $$ | Unknown |
A quick look at how Ryo Gastronomia measures up.
Ryo Gastronomia runs a set tasting menu format, so ordering à la carte is not the format here. Chef Edson Yamashita controls the progression, and the 2025 Michelin star confirms the kitchen's technical output is consistent. Go in without a specific dish agenda and let the menu run — that's how this room is designed to work.
check the venue's official channels via the address at R. Pedroso Alvarenga, 665, Itaim Bibi when booking to flag dietary needs. At the $$$$ price point with a Michelin star in 2025, kitchens at this level typically accommodate restrictions with advance notice, but confirm specifics when you reserve rather than assuming flexibility on the night.
Yes. A Japanese tasting menu format at a focused restaurant like Ryo is one of the better formats for solo dining in São Paulo — the kitchen sets the pace and there's no awkward à la carte decision-making. The Itaim Bibi location is easy to reach solo. Book a counter seat if available; it's the better solo position in most Japanese tasting rooms.
Jun Sakamoto is the closest direct alternative for Japanese precision dining in São Paulo, with a longer track record in the city. For broader high-end tasting menus, Evvai and Maní both sit at a similar price tier with strong reputations. D.O.M. and A Casa do Porco are better choices if you want Brazilian-focused cooking rather than Japanese technique.
At $$$$ pricing with a 2025 Michelin star, the tasting menu at Ryo Gastronomia is worth it if Japanese technique-led cooking is the format you want. Chef Edson Yamashita's recognition from Michelin gives external validation to the kitchen's output. If you're less committed to the Japanese tasting format, Evvai or Maní offer comparable spend with different culinary directions.
For a $$$$ spend in São Paulo, Ryo Gastronomia's 2025 Michelin star is the clearest signal that the cooking justifies the price. It's worth it if technical Japanese cuisine is what you're after. If you want more flexibility or a different cuisine style at the same price tier, D.O.M. or Evvai are credible alternatives to weigh first.
Yes, with caveats. The Michelin star, Itaim Bibi address, and $$$$ price point make it a credible special occasion booking, particularly for guests who appreciate Japanese fine dining. It is a less obvious choice for guests unfamiliar with tasting menu formats — for broader crowd-pleasing occasions, A Casa do Porco or Maní tend to generate more table-wide enthusiasm.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
