When choosing a restaurant from a street chock-full of options like Bixiga’s 13 de Maio, the time-honoured trick of opting for the one with the longest queue is not one for the hungry. But for those willing to be patient, the huge portions of excellent pasta at this old-school classic are well worth the wait.

At Sunday lunch, expect a roaringly full restaurant (and up to an hour’s wait); but once you’re seated, the good couvert and the poignant pictures of the once semi-famous on the walls should keep you entertained until the mains arrive. Each pasta dish is plenty for two: give the spaghetti with homemade pesto or the carbonara a whirl, though non-Brazilian palates may find the penne alla puttanesca over-salted. Choose your wine with care: some of the Italian reds can be an unwelcomingly attention-grabbing part of the meal.