Sujinho

Sujinho, formally Bar do Sujinho and also operating as Restaurante Sujinho, is a bar and restaurant located at Rua da Consolação 2078, on the corner with Rua Maceió, in the Higienópolis neighbourhood of São Paulo, Brazil. It began in the 1920s as a Portuguese-run establishment originally called Bar das Putas, a name it acquired because it was frequented by sex workers. Situated near the old TV Record studios, it drew journalists, University of São Paulo students and Jovem Guarda artists such as Erasmo Carlos and Wanderléa. Regulars nicknamed it "Sujinho" — roughly "dirty little place" — as an allusion to the venue's conditions. Beyond a bar, it also functioned as a general store, selling everything from cachaça to razor blades. In 1984 the bar was bought by Manuel Afonso da Rocha, who made the name Sujinho official. Under his ownership the business gained a sharper commercial focus and underwent renovations. By 2016 it had three branches and a burger shop, Hamburgueria do Sujinho. Its most successful menu item has been the bisteca de boi (beef chop), served since its creation. The restaurant became a meeting point for hippies, intellectuals, left-wing activists and artists, and its popularity brought significant menu price increases. In 1994 then-presidential candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, complaining about paying more than US$60 at a churrascaria in New York, declared that "A bisteca do Sujinho é muito melhor" ("Sujinho's bisteca is much better"). In 2019 Datafolha named Bar do Sujinho, together with Bar do Veloso, among the best bars for eating in São Paulo. Today Sujinho presents itself online as Restaurante Sujinho, continuing to trade from its Consolação corner address as one of the traditional eating and drinking landmarks of central São Paulo.

Sujinho traces its origins to the 1920s, when it was founded by Portuguese proprietors under the name Bar das Putas. The name reflected its clientele of sex workers. Located near the old TV Record studios, the establishment became a gathering place for journalists, University of São Paulo students and artists of the Jovem Guarda movement, including Erasmo Carlos and Wanderléa. Patrons nicknamed it "Sujinho" as an allusion to the venue's conditions, and the bar also operated as a general store selling goods from cachaça to razor blades. In 1984 the bar was purchased by Manuel Afonso da Rocha, who formalised the name Sujinho. Under his ownership the business acquired a more commercial orientation and underwent renovations. Its signature dish, the bisteca de boi, had been served since the establishment's creation and became its most successful menu item. Over the decades Sujinho became a meeting point for hippies, intellectuals, left-wing activists and artists. Its growing popularity led to substantial increases in menu prices. A notable episode came in 1994, when then-presidential candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, complaining about paying more than US$60 at a churrascaria in New York, said that "A bisteca do Sujinho é muito melhor" ("Sujinho's bisteca is much better"). By 2016 the business had expanded to three branches and a burger shop, Hamburgueria do Sujinho. In 2019 Datafolha selected Bar do Sujinho, alongside Bar do Veloso, as one of the best bars for eating in São Paulo. The restaurant continues to operate from its corner location on Rua da Consolação in Higienópolis and presents itself online as Restaurante Sujinho.

• 2019

  Datafolha named Bar do Sujinho, with Bar do Veloso, among the best bars for eating in São Paulo.

• 2016

  Operated three branches and a burger shop, Hamburgueria do Sujinho.

• 1994

  Presidential candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva praised the bisteca do Sujinho while criticising a New York churrascaria's prices.

• 1984

  Bought by Manuel Afonso da Rocha, who formalised the name Sujinho.

• 1920

  Founded in the 1920s by Portuguese proprietors as Bar das Putas in Higienópolis, São Paulo.

Traditional, unpretentious São Paulo boteco and restaurant with a bohemian, intellectual and artistic heritage.

• Bisteca de boi

  Beef chop served since the establishment's creation and its most successful menu item.

• Hamburgueria do Sujinho

  A burger shop associated with the bar, noted as operating by 2016.

1. 1Restaurante Sujinhosujinho.com.br
2. 2Sujinho (Wikidata)wikidata.org
3. 3Bar do Sujinho (Wikipédia)pt.wikipedia.org