Cafes
One of the Lisbon’s traditions is the espresso, here known as bica. People from Lisbon like to sit down with friends at one of the many cafes in the city to chat, while drinking a coffee and tasting a sweet. There are several ways to ask for a coffee in Lisbon: carioca de café is a light version and italiana is a more intense one. For those who prefer to add milk, café pingado, meia de leite and galão are different quantities options regarding quantity, from the smallest to the largest. But what matters is the leisure time that the act of drinking coffee provides. Here we list the more well-known and the most sophisticated Lisbon’s cafes. In all of them you will find a charming spot, a great pastry and a wonderful bica!
Cafes in Lisbon
A Antiga Confeitaria de Belém
The famous A Antiga Confeitaria de Belém manufactures and serves Lisbon’s most popular sweets: small egg yolks tartlets, which should be eaten still warm and well sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar. In 1834, after the expulsion of the religious orders from Portugal and to ensure their own sustenance, some of the monks of the Jerónimos [...]
A Brasileira
Brasileira do Chiado is the most emblematic cafe in town and a must for anyone visiting Lisbon. Located in the cosmopolitan Rua Garrett, opposite to the Metro station in Chiado, this cafe is always full (especially with foreign visitors). A Brasileira opened in 1905, by the initiative of Adriano Telles, a Portuguese who made his [...]
Amo-te Ciência
Amo-te Ciência, opened in January 2012, is the expansion of the Amo-te (I love you in Portuguese) diners’ chain to the most eastern area of Lisbon. Already present elsewhere in the city, as in Chiado, the Museum of Electricity and the theatre D. Maria II, Amo-te Ciência bet in a merger between the concept of its brand with [...]
Aura
The Aura restaurant opened in March 2011, at Pátio da Galé after the rehabilitation of the west wing of Terreiro do Paço. A vaulted ceiling, high windows, wooden floors, mirrors, velvet and a Venus de Milo’s statue make this space a fine venue. With a dining room, a lounge and a terrace, Aura takes these different ambiences [...]
Café do Forte
Café do Forte is located between the Belém Tower and the Bom Sucesso Fort. It consists of a central glassed area which is complemented by a large outdoor terrace that faces the Tagus River. It opened in July 2010 and many tourists visit it when wandering through the historic area. It also has many local customers [...]
Café no Chiado
Café no Chiado is a restaurant located in the cosmopolitan Chiado area, a short distance from the bustling Rua Garrett. It has a pleasant terrace much appreciated by the locals and tourists visiting the city. Surrounded by the theatres of São Carlos and São Luiz, the restaurant’s decor is cosy, with dark green walls, reminiscent [...]
Café Saudade
Café Saudade is an old bakery (where from 1889 to 1975 were produced for the typical cheese tarts from Sintra) located near the Sintra train station. The space was renovated and transformed into a unique place, preserving its typical characteristics and complemented with items that highlight the Portuguese culture. The walls, furniture and furnishings recreate [...]
Café TATI
Opened in June 2011, Café TATI quickly won its customers base. Installed near Cais do Sodré, behind Mercado da Ribeira, it was created by two Portuguese and a Spaniard to enliven the daily life of this neighbourhood. Informal, spontaneous, bright and relaxing are some of the adjectives that characterize it. The decor is in a retro style, [...]
Cerca Moura
In Lisbon, there’s nothing better than being on top of a hill admiring the beauty of the city sights. The terrace of Cerca Moura Bar, one of the oldest in Lisbon, is one of those sites. Here, the eyes take time on Alfama houses, which happily descend the hill until the river Tagus, in the background. [...]
Confeitaria Nacional
The Confeitaria Nacional, which is located at one of the Praça da Figueira’s corners, is one of the oldest Lisbon’s pastry-shops. It was founded in 1829 by Baltazar Roiz Castanheiro and it has remained for more than five generations in the same family, thus keeping the traditions that have made it a reputable house. It earned, [...]