There is a moment, right when the café door opens, when the city noise fades just a little. Warm light spills across wooden floors, leather seats sit invitingly in earthy tones, and a bright mural swirls behind cozy banquettes like a painted story. It’s Café São Paulo, located at Gulshan, a place that feels like a gentle shift in mood, a small escape without actually leaving Dhaka.
The café carries the name of São Paulo, one of the world’s most exciting coffee cities.
But Café São Paulo is not trying to copy Brazil. Instead, it takes inspiration from the feeling of Brazilian café culture and blends it with the spirit of Bangladesh. The result is something refreshingly familiar yet wonderfully new.
The original idea came from a simple truth: a café should change how you feel. The Managing Director Mr. Masuduzzaman was inspired by his travels to Brazil and wanted to recreate the warmth and vibrancy he experienced there in the café. Brazilian cafés are more than places that serve coffee. They are colorful social spaces filled with plants, conversation, and the energy of everyday life. This is what Café São Paulo wanted to capture: warmth, vibrancy, and connection. From day one, the café was imagined as a local space for local people. Modele Group, the team behind the brand, developed everything independently in Bangladesh.
The Brazilian influence shows up in the colors, natural textures, bold tropical art, and a friendly openness that makes people want to settle in.
But the café speaks a language that feels right for Dhaka: honest, modern, and community-focused.
Step inside any Café São Paulo outlet, and you notice the layout first. Large windows wrap around two sides of the space, letting natural light flow freely across the dining area. Sunlight was always a key part of the design plan. It highlights the warm tones of the furniture, makes the food look better, and encourages guests to stay longer. In the daytime, the café feels airy and connected to the city outside. People linger over coffee, laptops open, conversations flowing. It is a space that breathes.
Then there is the hornbill, the café’s brand icon. Inspired by the Brazilian toucan, the hornbill represents a lively personality and tropical charm.
It can be seen in artwork and small design touches that add playfulness without taking away from elegance. It is a reminder that this café has a story and a voice.
The seating choices balance comfort and style. Premium leather-look seats in soft cognac tones meet black metal chair legs with brass-tipped feet. Tables are dark-stained wood, rich in contrast against the lighter flooring. It is a mix of natural warmth and industrial edge. The goal was clear: make it beautiful, but make it practical. Leatherette keeps maintenance simple, laminate or engineered flooring handles heavy foot traffic, and the metal frames stay strong through busy hours. The café looks premium, but it works hard too.
There are alcoves that feel like private corners, softly framed with arched wood paneling and warm lighting. These spaces were designed to be semi-private instead of fully closed. This gives guests privacy without losing the café’s overall open feel.
Lighting plays one of the biggest roles in shaping the atmosphere. Café São Paulo uses layers of light: soft ambient lighting for the space, focused task lighting for the counters, and accent lights under planters and around arches for drama and depth. The lights are dimmable and zoned. In the morning and at lunch, the café stays bright and balanced, helped mostly by daylight. As evening arrives, the lighting shifts warmer and lower, creating intimacy without overpowering the colors on the walls. The murals behind the banquettes glow softly because of backlighting, making the tropical art come alive at night.
Beauty here always serves a purpose. The barista and pastry counters are placed close to the entrance and kept fully visible. This reduces service time and creates a sense of craft.
Music and culture shape the soul of the space too. Café São Paulo hosts small acoustic music sessions, book launches, and rotating art displays featuring local artists. These community moments influenced the interior decisions directly. Tables and chairs are movable and easy to reconfigure. Acoustic planning ensures that sound stays comfortable for diners even when events take place. Power and AV lines are discreetly placed, ready for a microphone or small sound setup when needed.
Customer feedback has been part of the design journey. Guests often praise the comfortable seating, the artwork, the natural daylight, and the café’s distinct identity. But feedback also pointed out practical needs. People working from cafés in Dhaka needed more power points and chargers. So the café added USB ports and extra outlets at select tables. Noise became a concern during peak hours, so more plants and soft furnishings were introduced to reduce echo.
The café’s expansion plan carries these lessons forward. Two new outlets are opening this January: one at Dhanmondi 9/A, another at the BGMEA Corporate Office in Uttara.
Dhanmondi 9/A will feel youthful, creative, and social. The seating is more flexible, power points are more generous, and the design feels a little livelier for students and young professionals who fill the area. The BGMEA Uttara branch will lean into a calmer, more business-friendly tone.
But the core idea remains unchanged: the café should make you feel something. Uplifted. Welcome. Connected. Comfortable enough for 10 minutes or two hours. A place that serves coffee, yes, but also serves moments, conversations, community, and warmth.
Café São Paulo is not Brazil. It is Dhaka with a tropical twist. A space where wood meets art, light meets comfort, energy meets calm, and the world of coffee finds a new home in the heart of Bangladesh.
And maybe that is why, long after the coffee cup is empty, people still stay.
