Hi Solace -
I remember Corujinha in Rio - what a fun place that was (about ten years ago). I met many a fine garoto at that place. The restaurant is still there but the hustlers are a mere faded memory.
As to Bar Fama in Sao Paulo, I used to go there often several years ago. As time passed, I got to meet and know so many different garotos that I stopped going to Bar Fama and either went to the saunas or visited with the different guys I met over time.
As to the better nights to go to Bar Fama, I don’t think my guess would be meaningful. I was there only three times on my last trip, after an absence of a few years. I went on a Friday and Saturday night then a week later, I went on a Saturday again. All nights were fun nights. I went there at the urging of one of my Brazilian friends who assured me the place would be fun, and he was correct.
However, I think it takes more than three visits to predict probability for better nights.
Considering you know the area, you can always go there and if it is not a night with lots of garotos, you can “call it a night” and return another night.
I do not recommend this place over the saunas. Clearly, the saunas afford better opportunity to see what you get before you make a deal with a garoto. Again, this place opens late at night compared to saunas that have earlier hours.
At Bar Fama, the guys are clothed but they are not timid. You have to rely on their apparent good looks and charm as compared to in the sauna when you rely on seeing the whole package (in more ways than one).
Nonetheless, Bar Fama is “something different” to try while visiting Sao Paulo.
Be aware, however, if you do not like drag shows, you are not going to like this place. Sometimes, the music is played so loud and the singing is so loud it is difficult to have a conversation with the garotos over the noise. On the other hand, if you don’t know enough Portuguese to communicate with the garotos, the noise (loud music) offers a comfort zone which will make it easier to negotiate with the garotos using hand signals and other methods.
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