It seems like everyone loves Pois. Nestled behind the Sé Cathedral in the old part of town lies a comfy cafe full of mis-matched armchairs, newspapers, multi-language books, hip posters and a cool, hippy atmosphere. Here’s a tip to find it, when you reach the Se follow the road round beside the Church to the right and you’ll find Pois.

Much like Kaffeehaus, I had heard only good about Pois. Also like Kaffeehaus, Pois is run by Austrians.

The clientelle are a mixed bunch of ages but there is a generally arty feel which I feel very at home with. ‘Shabby chic’ I think would be the current buzz word to use. When I visited, there was a single worn green armchair into which I sunk gratefully after several hours of walking the seven hills of Lisbon. The ceiling is arched and the floor of old stone. Local artist’s work hang from the walls, and there are books, books and books lining the shelf that runs around the walls. My idea of heaven A young student comes in, kicks off her shoes and curls up on a cushioned ledge opposite me with a book. I get the feeling people linger here. Pois is a hotch-potch of influences, quirky and warm with a general feeling of an eccentric grandmother’s living room.

A tiny table beside me adorned with a single flower in a vase, gave me just enough room to balance my glass of galão. A few minutes later I was entirely seduced by the blackberry cheesecake on show and ordered. I was presented with a huge slice decorated with whipped cream and apple slices. It was light and fluffy and utter delight.

The staff were very friendly and didn’t seem to mind people lounging. They laughed and joked between themselves and with familar faces and I got the feeling they genuinely enjoyed working there.

I took a look at the menu for future reference and noticed that they offer a great brunch menu. Eggs seem popular and there are a variety of scrambled specials to be found. There’s also toast, a variety of jams and sweet pastries. A perfect place for elevensies as we’d say in England.

Pois is a place to sit back and relax, write, read or simply hang out with friends. A perfect place to visit after a trip to the castle.

Rua São João da Praça, 93, Alfama
Open: Tuesday to Sunday – 11am to 8pm

Visit Pois website


 

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For the past couple of years I’ve been keeping a list of places to visit in Lisbon based on recommendations I find on the internet or traveller’s tales. Museums, theatres, miradouros, restuarants, bars and cafe’s; all are noted should I find a good review. I’d noticed not one but several glowing reviews of Kaffeehaus so made it a priority visit.

Situated on the road beside the Chiado Museum ( Rua Anchieta 3) right near São Carlos theatre, Kaffeehaus is in the centre of Lisbon’s classiest area. Whilst it lacks outside space to sit, inside the atmosphere is friendly, airy and laid back. Set up by two people from Austria, Kaffeehaus is a Viennese treat in the heart of Portugal.

My first visit was early afternoon on a Wednesday. Whilst I’d already planned to hunt out the cafe, I actually stumbled upon it whilst taking a wander round Chiado’s side streets. I entered gratefully as it was quite hot outside and I was feeling hungry.

Inside, the room has a minimalist feel to it. The chairs are beige, tables black and the walls spartan aside from one which is covered in Vienese posters. The colours chosen however make the place feel airy and comfortable rather than austere. I could quite happily sit here for hours and imagine that when they aren’t too busy, people probably do.

The waitress, who I assume is also from Vienna, is really friendly. Two German men come in and she chats happily to them. She has that natural air of someone who genuinely likes to be around people and is conscious of making everyone feel welcome. The place is empty apart from us but it’s early afternoon in the middle of the week. Jazz music plays softly in the background.

I order a greek salad and a coffee which comes in at around 9 euro’s. The menu is simple but looks great. There are a variety of toasties and salads and specials are written on the chalkboard behind the bar. I notice apple strudel is also on the menu. Mmmm! Whilst waiting for my food I peruse the range of multilingual-newspapers and magazines. I go to take one and find myself fumbling to remove it from the wooden hanger it’s placed in. Feeling a bit silly I put it back but later notice that when someone else comes in they simply help themselves to the paper hanger and all and take it to their table. I note that for future reference.

My food and coffee arrives and looks fantastic. I text my best friend back in England:
“I feel so cosmopolitan. I’m in a Viennese cafe in the heart of Lisbon eating Greek salad!”

I can honestly say that it’s one of the best Greek Salads I’ve ever had. The salad leaves were fresh and crispy, the cheese fresh and smooth, the dressing light and in just the right quantity, plump olives and toasted bread on the side. The coffee here is good too. They serve it on a little tray with a small glass of water. I’m not sure why and I haven’t seen that done before but I’m grateful for water to drink on a hot day. After finishing my meal I have no sense at all that they want me to rush away so I sit writing my thoughts and taking photos and watch the world pass by outside.

Two days later I decide to check out the apple strudel so found myself back in Kaffeehaus. The waitress recognises me from my previous visit. She’s taking her break and chat’s a little. She knows some English and some Portuguese so between the two languages we talk a while. I mention I had seen a video of Kaffeehaus (see below) on the internet and she tells the owner who is featured in the video. He’s surprised and pleased that they already have glowing reviews on the net and I tell them they are about to get another

Owner Christoph tells me that on Sundays you’ll find it extremely hard to get a seat. They run a brunch menu at the weekend and apparently people queue outside the door! Also it’s worth noting that Kaffeehaus has a wonderful range of beers, wines and spirits and at the weekends they become a sleek bar open until 2am. Weekdays see them open until midnight.

Despite my initial quest for Apple Strudel, the range of delectable looking cakes at the counter catch my eye. I plump (no pun intended!) for the strawberry cheesecake. Turns out the cheesecake is delicately flavoured with lemon and is creamy and rich. The biscuit is crunchy and not too sweet and the strawberries at the peak of ripeness and flavour. I savour every mouthful and promise myself a lot of salad when I get back to England!

Whilst my love is for Lisbon and Portuguese culture, I have to say I adored this Viennese offering. My overall impression was that if I lived in Lisbon this would definately be one of my regular haunts. The food is excellent but the lasting impression is the friendliness of the staff.

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Straight From The Farm

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Situated on Rua Garrett right outside the Baixa-Chiado metro station is one of Lisbon’s oldest and most loved cafe’s.

Inside the cafe is opulent and olde worlde. Originally opened in 1905, the cafe is highly decorated in Art Deco style and has been a favourite haunt or poets, writers and artists across the decades. Mirrors run along the walls and a huge oak bar runs right along one side. Look up to see the beautiful ceiling with it’s huge chandaliers. There are wooden booths where you can sit inside or alternatively pick one of the many (and very popular) tables outside with their huge orange umbrellas. The locals know better than to try and get a seat and will stand by the bar drinking their Bica instead. Bica was invented here and it is basically a small strong black coffee like espresso. I generally think of it as rocket fuel!

Many people visit here to be photographed with the bronze stantue of Fernando Pessoa whose life-size image relaxes just outside the cafe. There is even a small chair incorporated into the sculpture where tourists can sit pretending to be deep in conversation with the great man – or high on absinthe – take your pick

The cafe sells a variety of snacks such as sandwiches and does a fabulous pasteis de nata amongst other sweet delights. I tended to favour a galão which is a tall milky coffee served in a glass.

The staff are snappily dressed and quick but with the exception of one waiter who was always very polite and smiled, some of the staff are rather curt to say the least. I noticed a sign was hung over the toilets every day I went there “closed for cleaning” but discovered this seemed to be there to stop people just using them without actually purchasing from the cafe. When I decided to pluck up courage and ask if I could use the toilets, they indicated no problem.

Despite the grouchy service, I rather like A Brasileira and find it an enjoyable spot to sit in the early mornings. The whole of the street is pedestrianised and it’s good to just sit and watch the world go by. Aside from the many obvious tourists, locals still come here too. I watched a Portuguese family encourages their little boy to pose with Pessoa, an elderly gentleman reading the paper and a hippy girl who had found possibly one of the cutest dogs I’ve ever seen and was trying to find the owner. As I watched her feed the pup a few mouthfuls of pastry, I figured that he might just have found himself a new home with her.

Due to it’s enormous popularity, the prices are noticably higher here – 5 euro’s for a coffee and pasteis, but I guess that is to be expected. Opened originally as the place to go for a real Brazilian coffee they have kept their reputation for excellent coffee. Looking at the array of bottles behind the bar, I’m imagining that night-time drinking isn’t bad either.

Whilst Brasileira is sometimes impossibly busy, if you can find the right moment it is an iconic place to visit when you are in Lisbon. Find a seat, order a bica and take out your pen and paper. Inspiration is sure to follow…

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Chapitô is situated in Alfama on a quiet, unassuming street. The first time I visited Lisbon, apart from spotting the huge posters on the building, I had no idea that there was a restuarant there. To get there, first take Tram 28 to the Castle stop. There’s a sign pointing to the castle to the left when you get off. Follow the crowds up the little winding road but when you reach the gateway through to the castle take a left then take the first right. This is Costo do Castelo. As you walk down the road, on your left you’ll see a large white building with giant pictures of circus acts hanging down from it. It’s a fabulous building. Built in the 17th century, it used to be a prison but now is used as a state funded school for circus performers.

As you pass the building, look out for a small gateway in the white wall. This is the entrance to Chapitô – very easy to miss but the picture here will at least mean you know what you are looking for.

As you walk down the steps into the gardens you’ll be treated to a stunning view over Alfama and beyond to the river. When I visited, there was a lovely stall on the steps selling home-crafted jewellery. I bought myself a pendant as everything was very reasonably priced and well made.

I chose myself a spot set just above the main table area as I wasn’t planning on eating and wanted  to take in the glorious view. The whole place was buzzing with people but there were plenty of places to sit both sheltered and in the sun. Tapas seemed to be the thing that most people were ordering and there was a good deal of laughter and cheer. Chapitô has a funky feel to it and whilst the majority of people were probably around student age, there were also a fair view older visitors. The music varied between chill-out to hip hop to beautiful Indian music.

I waited for 10 minutes or so to be served. I could see the waitresses were busy but I wasn’t quite sure whether I was supposed to have gone down to the little cash desk near the door to the main building to order. Meanwhile I realised I had chosen the ‘photo spot’ to sit and several people with very large and expensive looking camera’s stood over me to find the perfect shot. I probably ended up on a few of them! Eventually after catching the waitress’s eye several times I decided that maybe I was supposed to go and order my coffee from the desk. Once I got there the waitress barked ‘yes’ at me, immediately speaking in English. I smiled, ordered my coffee quickly and scuttled back to my seat.

A few minutes later, the harrassed waitress brought me my coffee. I gave her my best “I know what it’s like to serve in a cafe on a really busy day” look of sympathy. She then beamed me a “I’m sorry” smile and went back to her business. Having worked in a cafe I really do know what that feeling is like.

I sat and enjoyed my coffee, taking in the beautiful view and quietly watching other customers eating and drinking. It was immediately obvious how popular this place is. I loved the slightly ramshackle look of everything yet there were flowers everywhere and beautiful sculpture that brought the place to life. There was a buzz of creativity.

Whilst I visited in the daytime, I hear that Chapitô is great for an evening dinner. The food is tasty, the atmosphere is sparkling. Live music, circus performers practising their art and of course performances by the chapito company. Currently they are performing Dracula.

I recommend a visit to Chapitô, even if only for a coffee. The views are wonderful and the whole vibe is funky, quirky, bohemian and relaxed.

Official Site (in Portuguese)

Costa do Castelo, nº 1 / 7
1149-079 Lisboa
Portugal

If you are interested in seeing more about the work of Chapitô circus troup take a look at their youtube profile

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Os Tibetanos is a lovely little restaurant off Avenida Liberdade. It is part of the Buddist centre and therefore is a tranquil place to eat.  To get there, take the metro to Avenida station and take the exit from the station to Rua do Salitre. Rua do Salitre is the road to your right (facing back towards downtown), just beside the large white statue. Prepare yourself for a walk – uphill all the way! If you didn’t have an appetite before you started walking you certainly will by the time you arrive! As you get towards the top of the street, look for the green flags hanging down from the building on the left hand side.

It was 1pm when I arrived and the place was packed. They are only open between 12 – 2pm for lunch so it’s best to get there early if you can. They open again at 7.30 in the evening. A table was found for me however and I was greeted with a serene smile. Despite being busy, the whole place felt very relaxed and was cool even though it was hot outside. There’s a gorgeous garden where other people were busy eating. Inside, the walls are lined with Tibetan pictures and gentle music plays in the background. Prayer flags are also hanging and there is a faint scent of incense. You can feel the healing vibes and sense that this place is one of devotion.

The menu was brought to me and I had to take a while to figure out what I wanted. I decided that I was very hungry indeed and plumped for the dish of the day at a cost of 7.50 euros + 2.50 for a freshly squeezed juice . All the while I was furtively looking at what others were eating and everything looked sumptuous. There were mixed salads with mozzerella and basil, a lunchtime 3 course menu (soup, veg and rice and dessert plus herbal tea), savoury balls with a dip (which seemed very popular) and a variety of other dishes. There’s also a range of organic wines and beers as well as herbal tea’s and fresh juices.

A wide range of people seem frequent the restaurant: beside me was a family with a little boy, to the other side two middle ages ladies, across the way it looked like a business meeting was going on and various student types were hanging out in the garden. There didn’t seem to be too many tourists, perhaps because you do have to go a little out of the way to get there.

My food arrived quickly and was beautifully presented and plentiful. The dish of the day was a kind of bread and mushroom savoury pudding served with chinese cabbage, rice and a Japenese sauce. I really enjoyed it and it was very filling. The apple juice I ordered was straight out of the apple.

I had quite a few places to visit the day I ate at Os Tibetanos so I didn’t have time to visit the little shop that’s beside the restaurant. Next time I go I think I will book a table outside as it would be nice to sit down in the gardens.

Os Tibetanos is a lovely place to eat and a safe haven for vegetarians. The service is very friendly and the food gorgeous for a reasonable price. To walk off your food you could take a wander to the Botanical Gardens or sit quietly on Praça do Alegria (square of happiness) nearby.

To find out more visit their website (in Portuguese)

Os Tibetanos

Azulejo by Insula on Flickr

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If you’re a strict vegetarian or vegan you might find that Lisbon is not one of the easiest places to eat out. Most menu’s are full of the nations favourites which means lots of fish and meat. However, over the past few years, several establishments have opened which means you’ll far from starve.

As my travelling companion was vegan I made a list of places we could potentially go for food, one of which was MegaVega.

Finding it was the first hurdle, tucked away of Rua dos Sapateiros we managed to walk past it twice before finally the wind blew in the right direct and we smelt food.

Inside the decor is quite sparse – minimalist I guess would be the best term to use. There’s bright pictures of healthy food and a variety of menu’s over the main counter. Everywhere is extremely clean. At first glance I wasn’t too sure how it all worked but it turned out that there are a variety of set options at a range of prices. The food is laid out under glass right along the counter like a buffet.

The next main hurdle was figuring out what was vegan and what was vegetarian. Note that it isn’t strictly veggie so make sure you have learned the words and phrases you might need to determine whether what catches your eye is suitable for your diet. I’m planning a future post on this. My sense was that although vegan food was served, veganism is an extremely new concept.

As we were ravenous from our Lisbon wanderings we plumped for the 8.50 euros menu which included a main, 3 vegetable or salad servings, a desert and a huge glass of fresh juice. I’m a bit of a salad girl myself but there was both hot and cold dishes available.

The food was delicious. I chose a wrap that contained a gorgeous rice and vegetable centre plus 3 salads. One general green salad, a bean salad and a red salad similar to colslew with beetroot, red cabbage and seeds. It was all tasty, satisfying and obviously made fresh that morning. Desert was a tempting sweet mango compote. I believe there may have been a hint of peach and apple in there too and it was decorated with cinnomon stick. The juice was carrot and apple – not one of my favourites but again very fresh and using good quality ingredients.

The food was certainly excellent and good value as the portions were generous. We had to walk a good few hours after that before we needed to even think about supper. Personally I felt the only thing lacking was atmosphere. It feels quite austere with it’s bright lime green walls and light wood furniture. I tend to prefer a cosier environment where I can relax and watch the world go by.

All in all however, if you are looking for a good vegetarian place to eat in Lisbon I would definately recommend this as a quick lunchtime stop.

Address
Rua dos Sapateiros, 113, Baixa/Downtown, Phone: 21 346 8063
Opening Hours
Mon – Fri 8.30-23.00; Sat 10.00-23.00. Closed on Sundays.

There’s a review (in Portuguese) here - click on ‘ver fotos’ to see pictures from inside MegaVega and a selection of foods they serve.

Azulejos by Jumento on Flickr

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