This isn’t exactly a bar, in spite of its name – it’s definitely a balada, or nightclub. But set in a discreet corner of Pinheiros close to the FNAC bookstore, Bar Secreto does, on the other hand, have a slightly secretive air about it. You can’t call, for example – contact is only via email. The guest list is carefully managed by the hostess on the door; and some nights, a secret password gives entry a little extra frisson. All very well – if your name’s on the list. Once you’re in, you’ll find a candle-lit room with a piano, leather couches, chandeliers and lots of paintings on the walls, and a soundtrack that’s mainly rock, MPB and electronic. The exclusive club, peopled by fashionistas and hipsters, walks the walk, too – Madonna threw a party here in 2008, and Bono himself had a crack at the karaoke at an aftershow party for U2’s series of shows earlier this year.