This Vila Madalena live samba club only opens on Fridays and the weekend (plus one Thursday per month), and can reach fever pitch on Sundays if the all-female group – drummer aside – Samba de Rainha, are playing. The VIP area overlooking the dance floor offers the best vantage points and plenty of space to enjoy a few bar snacks, like the mandioca frita (fried manioc) with parmesan or the baby back ribs. Samba da Rainha also performs songs by the Rolling Stones and other rock groups, with a wide array of percussion instruments, in a perfect-storm mash-up of musical genres.

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