2 ao Quadrado

After Café Saudade closed the door at midnight, we decided to look for something else. The owner of the place felt a bit bad for sending us away and suggested 2 ao Quadrado (2 squared).

This is the classic bar. Noisy, with a little cheapness touch to it (we call it "tascas", but this was not quite) and you can feel the comradeship between the people that frequent this place.

The posters on the walls are amazing ice-breakers, and I always thought the more stuff a place has, more conversation topics you can pull out of the bag. Well, I am not insinuating people need them but it is always interesting to look around and comment. SAY IT!

They have cool prices, but not so cool people (at least for me). A three ingredient toast is 2.60€ (you can choose from mushrooms, ham, cheese and tomato). A mini beer is 1€, a mug with double is 1.90€, a Licor Beirão is 2.50€ and a port wine is 2€. They even have half doses for half price.

Here I drew a cat and baptized it, if you see it there, send a picture for Tarzan Urbano/Urban Tarzan e-mail given on the left column, I would love to check if it's still present.

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Monday to thursday from 18h to midnight and fridays and saturdays from 18h to 2h.

Café Saudade

The word "saudade" is such a portuguese thing. It has a melancholic vibe and refers to the deep feeling of missing something or someone. I use it a lot when I am away from Lisbon, it is not only the people but the city itself, it has some kind of mesmerizing power only understood when you explore it deeply.

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I asked for this super big super sweet lemonade (1.60€). It was amazing. It was painful (I have loads of aphtae) but I survived. A hot chocolate was also our demand (the girls), and the boys shared some tea (how awkward does that sound?). There is no rule that says that men can't share a teapot.

We didn't stay long in Saudade but it was long enough to explore the place. It has an exhibition space, rooms with stuff for sale, and a kitchen situated in the middle of everything. They usually have some events but the facebook should have information about that, since their blog is a bit pointless.

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Monday to wednesday from 8:30h to 20h. Thursday to saturday form 08:30 to midnight and sunday from 08:30h to 20h.

Encontros de Alternativas em Sintra (Alternative Encounters in Sintra)

In the municipal library garden there was a little three day festival called "Encontros de Alternativas em Sintra". I came for the concerts. There were little booths with artisan stuff and food, alternative clothes, a little in the Andanças Festival spirit.

I enjoyed it a lot, here goes my favorite song Desnorte for a future listen. I also love this instrument, the Adufe, there is a bar with that name, I should talk about it someday.

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Salla de Estar

If you go to Lisbon you CANNOT miss Sintra. There are some sweet spaces in between the jagged streets. Salla de Estar reminds me of Wanli mixed with the Chinese Pavillion (a very interesting fancy place in the center).

The entrance hall gives access to both up and down floor. This down floor seems to be the most lively one, with a snooker table, the bar, a piano, and a tv set.

On the top floor we have wonderful view for the menu written on the sides and for the bald heads of the passing by people.

The velvet curtains give it a burlesque look and we only expected some vintage looking woman to come from there and dance for us.

This is a hodgepodge of styles! Bottle packages are floating on the wall, Chaplin is there, Heineken stuff everywhere including even a beer fountain, vintage "posters" on the walls, paintings with no special criteria, equestrian material, music discs, plates, books, nautical stuff, art nouveau wall pattern, whoa!

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The toast degustation moment was particularly interesting. Me and my friend asked for a chicken and tuna sandwiches. But they traded them. Worst part is: we didn't notice! In our defense, tuna is a meaty fish, and with mayonnaise on top, I mean... Could happen!

Well but they're pretty big and delicious and only 3.50€ each. They had a fish shape and reminded me of a delicious dessert from the north city of Trancoso called sardinhas doces (sweet sardines).

Overall this is a kickass place to visit when you are in Sintra and I totally recommend it.

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Couldn't find the schedules of this place but ask away on facebook!

Pois, Café

"Pois..." is though to translate but it is one of the most commonly used portuguese words. It is better understood through examples I guess:

- And do you have money to do all that?
- Pois... Esse é o problema (Well... That is the problem).

It is kind of a confirmation/agreement/acknowledgement of what others said:

- But you can't make an omelet without eggs!
- Pois!!! Foi o que eu disse! (Exactly!!! That was what I said!)


Pois, Café has austrian owners, austrian stuff, and a portuguese soul. Arriving to Lisbon they were faced with this portuguese filler word, and that was the sure name for the place. So "pois" is crucial. If you find this word is missing in your language, we can start aiming for an universal mix.

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They have some of the best toasts in Lisbon in terms of flavor and creativity. I love the Romy (bacon, leek, honey curry sauce, arugola, purple cabbage, carrot and pepper) and I ask for it all the time because there is no better! However it has become more expensive with time (6.90€). It is justifiable though.

This is an awesome place for erasmus, and also to study or work (sometimes can become noisy though). Imagine this: feeling the summer breeze and working while eating an apfelstrudel. And speaking of those, I met a weird german character named Malte who taught me to say it correctly, here is some precious knowledge for you.

I took a little excert from Lifecooler website because I found it interesting so I will translate it:

The tables are inspired in the cities that give them name. This way, we have Buenos Aires, a corner with sofas and little tables, a feel-at-home vibe; Marrakech, a high couch between three walls with a breakfast-in-bed table in the middle - perfect for tea; Vienna, crafted wood and the only one with the chairs all of the same type, good for meals. The remaining ones are Sydney, Moscow and Fiji.

I specially love Marrakech, we have to eat in a less conventional way and that brings a fun factor to it: crossed legs, table on the knees. I had a wonderful dinner here before Filho da Mãe concert. I recommend you to check this guy.

Pois is part of the Bookcrossing community and all the books can be replaced with you own.

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Go to their website for weekly menu.
Pois is open from 11h to 22h everyday except monday.

Pastéis de Belém (Belém's Custard Tarts)

How silly is it that I didn't mention this place until now, and that I had never explore it like this before? I barely come here but it is the most touristic café there is, this place is actually cool and it has no end inside, I was surprised I can tell you.

I am not a fanatic for the Belém custard tart (pastéis de Belém) and the price is getting higher in a sneaky way (1.05€ for each, I remember being 80cents). I drank my usual coffee with milk (galão) and took annoying pictures while my friend was chewing this pre-historic recipe.

Meanwhile in a deep research I found somewhere that the secret was potato starch and a little pig fat on the dough. Hmmm...

This place is so crowded sometimes it gives me the idea of "the mass society":
- entering the place written in the tourist guide;
- stay on the queue and wait;
- look at random people until it reaches your turn;
- ask for the order in a newly acquired portuguese language basics;
- Wait for the package patiently;
- Scream at your children;
- Pay and say "owbereegahdow" (obrigado - thank you);
- Think her/his pronunciation is awesome;
- Sitting his/her fat ass in one of 600 tables;
- Feel medieval, fat and slightly portuguese due to eating a "pastel de Belém".
Note: this applies to portuguese people, except the thank you part, that sometimes doesn't exist.

I was looking everywhere to search for details and I noticed a hole in the ceiling with some clothes hanging. I don't know if it is part of decoration or some sacred beast that is living there and keeps the famous recipe under a guarding eye.

There are ancient relics, plates and vases, mosaics similar to my countryside house, old school registering machines, paintings, a weird fish and some foreign accents. We passed by all this and we left the sacred temple.

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Open everyday from 8h to 23h.

Aquário Vasco da Gama (Vasco da Gama Aquarium)

Little post with the purpose of making you go away from the center and finance this place. It is not a café, restaurant, bar, and you should have that figured out already unless you are thinking this is some kind of seafood palace.

This is a museum dedicated to the water fauna, with living species swimming peacefully through their fake habitats. For those who have interest in these animals it is a really nice place to go, a long time ago I came here with my school to draw them but they were not the most cooperating beings.

But I guess the most amazing thing to do is sit by the lake and feed the giant starving carps with food from the container nearby (some 50cent plastic spheres). They are more than comfortable with your presence already, pet them, feel their slimy skin, do whatever you want.

The museum prices are 4€ for adults and 2€ for youngsters (6 to 17). The garden is free of course. It is a nice afternoon plan, it is always a laugh to see the silly carps, take some food for yourself if you want.

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The museum works from monday to sunday, 10h until 18h.

Arte e Manha (closed) (now: Sagrada Família)

 

It is not the most obvious place, but it is one of the most multifunctional ones. Food, events and workshops, something new everyday announced in the calendar.

On the first floor you can enjoy some calmer music while you eat, or you can pay 5€ and go downstairs for the bigger concerts. Beware that the drinks are not cheap, my martini was 3.5€. This basement is a little bit Bacalhoeiro style (another cool place you should definitely go). I came to see this concert.

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The space is open from wednesday to monday from 11h to 6h, and tuesday from midday to 15h.
The kitchen is open for lunch from midday to 16h and for dinner from 19h to 3h.
Snack-bar works form 8h to 4h.