10 Coffee Shops not to miss in Lisbon! #Part1

A bica, please! . This is perhaps one of the most heard sentences in Lisbon, right in the morning. For those who don't know, a bica is an expresso coffee, it is quite Portuguese. You drink it whilst standing, when you're in a rush or on the most relaxing days, at a terrace table of the most charming places in the Portuguese city. The coffee culture is a reality for the Portuguese. If you need to decide on something: go for a coffee! A meeting? At the café. A friend you haven't seen in a long time?... It's a habit that is repeated daily, once or twice, that's a part of being Portuguese.

For those who want to drink a good coffee but also want to enjoy a good atmosphere, a breathtaking view or the perfect musical choice, I leave you some suggestions of the places I'd mostly like to go to in the capital and others advised by my colleagues that of course, also studied in Lisbon and know every corner of it. Without further adieu, the list:

1 - A Brasileira

R. Garrett 120, 1200 - Lisboa

The interior - Source

This is perhaps one of the most iconic Lisbon cafés. Situated on top of the street that takes you from Armazéns do Chiado to Camões Square, it's frequently visited in the capital, not only by tourists but also locals. It's a museum localization, decorated according to the time when it was inaugurated - 1905 - by the hand of a Portuguese that had emigrated to Brazil and returned to Portugal due to his wife's health problems. He decided, in order to grant survival, to create a space in Lisbon where it was possible to drink the real "Brazilian coffee", imported by himself.

The space was notorious and became an important bohemian location of the city. Fernando Pessoa, a great Portuguese poet, perhaps one of the best known in and out by his heteronyms and his famous book about Portuguese Fado, "Mensagem", was one of the most popular attendants of this café. As an homage, a coffee drinking bronze statue of the writer was placed in the square, where it's possible to take photos and register the moment.

On the outside, there's a small interior esplanade, pleasant even in the hottest days due to the shadow given by the awnings and on the inside, some seats and the possibility to have a coffee by the counter. The interior decoration is very beautiful. The ceiling is mirrored and the employees are dressed in their garments. The atmosphere is classic but casual. On the walls, there are several important works of art in Portuguese art history, that attract art lovers.

The prices aren't the cheapest in the city but that is also expected seeing as how popular the café is and the products are all high quality - besides the coffee, such as in the similar cafés, there are also pastries and small meals. The schedule is relatively large, being open until later in the Summer.

Even if your budget doesn't allow a small snack, you can't skip this place full of history and beautiful details, pleasant to the eye of the beholder. An important place in the city, with lots of secrets!

2 - Café Mexicana

Avenida Guerra Junquero, 30C - Lisboa

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This café was recently renewed and it opened again to clients and those curious. It's possible to find it near Praça de Londes, next to the Areeiro metro stop. It's a cosy place that serves the local and traditional population that live in the proximities.

Inaugurated in the 60s, it was visited by important personalities in the Portuguese Modernism and Surrealism. On the inside, in the tea room, there's a painted mosaic signed by the sculptor, Querubim Lapa: a sun, colourful and vibrant, providing heat to the place and making it unique.

On the inside, there are two floors: on the first next to the main entrance, develops into a tea room that turns into a restaurant during meal times. On the bottom floor, hidden and more private, forgotten by a lot of the visitors, there's a brewery. The tea room is a large room, where the original furniture was united with the recent decoration in perfect harmony. A phone booth was equally preserved, fun fact, in other times where most had a phone at home and lots of luck. It's said that the most loyal clients of the café, received direct calls in this café.

In the inferior floor, in the brewery, the space is different, way more casual. It's known by the Portuguese bikers who have meals here when travelling to other places. The steps leading to the inferior floor lead to a wooden cloakroom. The room is medium-sized and it serves dinners, mostly meat dishes, different from the fancy dishes served upstairs.

I must say that the bakery is pleasant in this area, as everything is hand crafted. A space that deserved to be visited, maybe for a long snack on the weekends leading to a lighter night meal. The prices are very acceptable compared to others in Lisbon.

3 - Nicolas

Praça Dom Pedro IV 24-25, 1200-091 - Lisboa

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Another place close to down town Lisbon, as iconic as A Brasileira; so iconic that it gives the name to a big and well known coffee brand in Portugal. It was one of the first cafés or similar space to cheer Rossio in the XVIII century by the hand of an Italian whose name is namesake to that he later gave the café.

The façade can't go unnoticed to those who walk by, due to the marble columns and the black letters carved in stone that say "NICOLA". The employees wear shirts and black bow ties. Similar to A Brasileira, it was also an important cultural place in Lisbon, surviving till this day as a must-see in the capital.

One of the most frequent clients, the poet Bocage, popular and very Portuguese, celebrated the place in several of his writings. Today, it's highly searched by tourists, covered in white awnings. The atmosphere is a little more formal and selective. It's a calm space of coffee production, where this product is king, the star of the play. It's worth passing by! The prices are a little high, comparing to the common Lisbon café.

4 - Padaria Portuguesa

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A café business, created a few years ago but which has been granting loyal costumers, coffee lovers. There are several of these spaces. You could track it on Google Maps to locate the nearest one: they are spread, almost equally, through the various areas of the city and plan to open new spaces in the future. Therefore, finding them won't be a problem.

The spaces are small but beautiful, decorated in a retro and clean way. The employees are usually nice and helpful. There are breakfast and lunch menus, therefore, it is appropriate for all times. The prices are pretty accessible: last time I had breakfast there I think I spent about 2. 50 euros (September 2017), which included a coffee, juice and a sandwich or croissant.

My favourite pastry is the snail roll baked on the spot. For lunch, I recommend the salmon salad; fresh but tasty. The combinations are always original and very tasteful. At certain times of the day it can become a bit chaotic, especially during breakfast or after lunch. In business areas, it is also very busy at lunch time.

One of my favourite shops is Chiado's. It's located in the Camões Square and it has two floors that open over a glass structure, from where it's possible to watch over the square. It's very inviting for a coffee for two - or more - followed by conversation. Ideal for quick meals, cheap and tasty, that besides being typically Portuguese has inspiration and deserves to be tried out!

5 - Pastéis de Belém

Rua de Belém, nº 84 a 92, 1300 - 085 - Lisboa - Portugal

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I've already mentioned this space separately - see this link - but I couldn't help but mention it again on this list. In Belém, close to the Jeronimos Monastery, there's a traditional house that was founded by the religious who lived close by and needed something to help whilst keeping the Monastery. Here you can taste the real pastel de nata, the original, and according to some, the best in the capital. It's one 1€ a piece (prices in September 2016). Out of the oven and sprinkled with cinnamon or powder sugar, they're a treasure.

On the inside, there's a labyrinthine room, which seems endless, where you can sit calmly and taste this pastry and goes well together with a hot drink or a refreshment in the warmest weather.

For those who are just passing by and want to eat on the way, this is a good option that does take-away's. The pastries are packed in a package - it takes 6 of them and it costs 6€ (prices in September 2016).

Ideal for a calm afternoon in the western area of the city, close to the river and where you can see an incredible sunset. There are a few times of the day where there are long lines and it sometimes takes a while but don't be mistaken: there's a lot of staff inside to help with the requests.

One of the things I like the most in this space is the white and blue Portuguese mosaics that are always present in the space decoration, which gives it a typical Lisbon atmosphere and I've noticed that it is appreciated by the tourists. You can't skip this area of Lisbon!

There will be a second part with 5 more suggestions, since this post is a little big! Go out on the street and try it!

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