Basilicata Pão Italiano

Basilicata has been baking bread on Rua Treze de Maio in Bela Vista since 1914, and the São Paulo Secreto guide describes it as one of the strongholds of the Italian community in Bixiga, the historic Italian quarter of the city. Its signature loaf, the Pão Italiano Basilicata, is still made the same way as in 1914, according to the visitor website Visite São Paulo. The recipe was brought to Brazil by Felipe Ponzio, and the bread became known across the city. The business started small and has since grown.

The bread is the reason to come. A crusty Italian loaf made to a recipe more than a century old is a direct link to the Italian immigrants who settled in Bixiga, and buying one is a small way of tasting that history. Ask what else has come out of the oven that day.

Basilicata is more than a bread counter. It also runs an emporium selling Italian, Brazilian and international products, useful for picnic supplies or edible gifts to take home, and there is a cosy café area where you can sit down with a coffee and something from the bakery. Its social media presents it as both bakery and restaurant.

The neighbourhood is worth exploring for anyone interested in bread. Bela Vista and Bixiga have several other bakeries that have been trading for more than a century, including Italianinha on Rua Rui Barbosa, founded in 1896 as Lucania, a name taken from the Italian region of Basilicata, and the 14 de Julho bakery on Rua Quatorze de Julho, founded in 1897 by an immigrant from Santa Maria di Castellabate. A morning walk between them makes a good introduction to Italian São Paulo.

Opening hours are not published in the sources consulted for this listing, so check current times before you go, particularly on Sundays and public holidays.

Basilicata suits food lovers, families and anyone interested in São Paulo's Italian heritage, which is also on show at Famiglia Mancini on Rua Avanhandava. It works well as a morning stop before a day in the centre, or as an afternoon coffee break. Pick up a loaf to enjoy with cheese or cured meats from the emporium shelves.