Eating out in São Paulo is an expensive pastime. An almost constant throng waiting for tables outside the original Le Jazz Brasserie in Pinheiros is a testament to that: it’s one of the best reasonably priced restaurants in town, and as a consequence, it’s always busy. The simple, bistro-style fare doesn’t always hit the mark – we’ve had as many sublime steaks there as we have tough ones. But the elegant, unfussy interior packs punters in to just the right degree to create a pleasant buzz.

That winning formula has been replicated with instant success at the new Le Jazz. Here you’ll find the same awning, leather banquettes and wood furniture as in the original. You can also expect the same milling crowds – albeit upgraded, with designer bags and the odd groomed pooch.

All the bistro classics are there – escargots, French onion soup, and croques of both the monsieur and the madame persuasion. There’s also beer on tap and rotisserie chicken, as well as cassoulet at weekends. On our visit, we had an excellent goats’ cheese salad starter (R$17.50), though the house special – entrecôte steak (R$38.50) – was more raw than the requested rare, and the fries were lacking crunch. But soaking up the atmosphere, bathed in the glow of another bottle of the affordable rosé, at R$47 a pop, it was hard to mind too much.