The story
Inside the Instituto Moreira Salles on Avenida Paulista, Balaio IMS is the creation of chef Rodrigo Oliveira. The restaurant’s name means “basket,” and the menu gathers diverse culinary traditions from across Brazil into one place. It opened alongside the institute’s new modernist building eight years ago, a space that also houses exhibitions, a cinema, and a library.
Chef Oliveira, who has led the acclaimed Mocotó for over two decades, designed Balaio to be different from his flagship restaurant. While Mocotó is rooted in sertaneja cuisine, Balaio focuses on healthy, natural food made with carefully sourced ingredients. The restaurant is inclusive by design, a concept Oliveira insists upon. The dining room is informal and modern, open for lunch and dinner on Fridays and Saturdays.
The menu features individual dishes such as carne de sol de porco baião cremoso with purple onion, and a lasanha caipira of kale pasta, fresh ricotta, pumpkin béchamel, and Brazilian cheeses. Vegetarian and vegan options are available, alongside a selection of Brazilian-inspired cocktails like the pequiii, made with gin, pequi cream, passion fruit, and pineapple. On the fifth floor, the Balaio café serves naturally leavened breads, cakes, and coffee.
The restaurant earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2026, a recognition of its good quality, good value cooking. The team is led by manager Alex Gomes, with chef de pâtisserie Mari Pacheco Campos overseeing desserts and Alisson Sousa as head of production. The menu is a celebration of artisanal Brazilian cuisine, bringing together ingredients, techniques, and concepts from all corners of the country.
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