Nata Lisboa (changed place)

Note: I think this palce changed location so I will put the nearest one to Principe Real

I think I was one of the first to try this (I hope! Finally!). It made some noise when it opened in Principe Real and now it is expanding very quickly! A success history. I actually hard some bad rumors about who could be the one behind this franchising, well, that aside, it is really a nice place, it surprised me in two peculiar aspects:

One: (because I was there to work) there are electricity sockets in the backyard but not inside! This is the total opposite of most coffee shops. Ok, moving on.

Two: The other thing was an interesting and interactive wood sculpture placed in the middle of the garden. The stairs were pretty wobbly and we were scared to death from falling but we did climb, and what it does is that it enables you to see beyond the enormous roof that is obstructing the view at ground level.

It reminds me of a work from the tv show Work of Art. We were kind of alone so we just started to behave like little kids and tried every single chair and thingie on the garden. We also questioned why was a cactus in the bathtub.

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The name is not by accident, the famous pastel de nata is the main item sold on the café.

First time I went there I ate a ham and cheese sandwich (1.65€), a faux pas, maybe... But it tasted like no other, at that time, it was the best thing I could have had. The bread was amazing, the prices are competitive, the service was impeccable (put an emphasis on that). The cold tea was 1.15€. No pictures because it was so good I forgot.

Second time I went there I did try the pastel de nata. Oh mamma. I won't say no more, just go.

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Monday to saturday from 8h to midnight and sunday from 10h to 18h.

Pensão Amor

I have a curious relationship with this space. First time I heard about it, it opened along with two other cool bars in what I considered to be a sudden cultural movement in Lisbon: the pink street, named as so due to its manly pink color.

This fostered a very interesting mesh of people, on the one hand, the squalid people that hang out in the sleazy bars that dominated that area before, on the other hand, the high classes that eat tapas and caviar, that began do be attracted to this filthy street due to is new fancy places. And there was harmony, go figure!

Then, when I returned from my first trip to Budapest, Pensão Amor seemed like a wannabe Ruin Pub with selective clientele and boosted prices. And I became more disappointed, because my expectations came high. 

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Nevertheless, I still can enjoy this place. There is a cabaret feel, kitschy stuff and furniture decorating the place. In the big room there is some space to dance and a bar with night and day prices (so watch out and don't be fooled!). On the wall a big deer head is staring at us. It is lightened by a spotlight so it comes as an important piece of the room. There is also a more kinky room near the erotic literature and accessories shops, with leopard print, psychedelic ceiling, a strip pole and mirrors.

It is not the same as the ruin pubs, but it sure is over crowded on fridays and saturdays.

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Open from monday to wednesday from midday to 2h and thursdays and fridays from midday to 4h.

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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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.

Café da Gulbenkian

 

Gulbenkian library is a place where a lot of students take refuge to work. It has everything needed for a perfect study session: individual space, plugs for everyone, books for consultation, café, restaurant, esplanade where people can relax and smoke a cigarette, and it is situated in the middle of a big garden where you can lay belly up and take a nap.

The most boring thing is that they know we are dependent of the library, so they rise the prices for the meals. A small coffee with milk is 1.5€ and a smallish little cup with a dessert was 3€. The sweet dessert was good but the price takes away a little bit of the enjoyment. If it would cost 50 cent that would taste amazing. For 3€ I expect royal quality.

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The galão story made me remind of a new product: powdered galão from Nescafé. My problem with it is that you do it by adding milk to the package content. But if normal powdered coffee with milk is already galão, where does this differ? Aare making us look stupid by saying: join coffee to milk and you will have coffee with milk! The powdered cappuccino, for example, is done with water.

And they call it the original galão! What do they mean original? Should I invent the original ham and cheese toast?

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Gulbenkian esplanade is pretty nice but you ought to be careful with the sneaky crumb stealing birds as they can fly and inch short to your scalp.

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Open from tuesday to sunday, from 10h to 17:45.

Ler Devagar

I have a deep fondness for Ler Devagar (Read Slowly). This junction of a bookstore/library and a café/bar/restaurant proves that there are certain barriers that exist for no reason and that prohibition only makes breaking rules more tempting. There is a belief that food doesn't go with books. But library goers are smart enough to appreciate and respect the book as an object. Who doesn't like to read while sipping a coffee? There is nothing wrong with placing a coffee plate over a Dostoevsky, Calvino or Boris Vian.

This bookstore offers trust and people feel it, that is what makes it so good. If by accident we ruin a book (accidents do happen) then we know the price to pay.

The beauty of this place is to submerge in the old books. It is virtually impossible to reach some, as the highest shelves are way beyond human reach. If you are brave enough you can try to ask for the library stairs, but the temperament of the owners is unpredictable. Sometimes they are darlings, others not.

The good part of this indiference by the owners is that we can sit quietly without asking anything and they wont bother, each one on its own, which I kind of like.

The price is a though bone to chew on, it is one of the most expensive places maybe in terms of coffee, but the space is so amazing (and they know it). I already have my prefered place near the window and the cheeses. And there go 3€ for a galão, and more 3.5€ in a tiny weenie sandwich.

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This old printing factory was considered one of the prettiest libraries in the world. On the top floor you can still see the rusty printing machines, and this is also an exhibition place.

There is also what I like to call the Moustache Chilling Room. Maybe to dark to read inside but it is relaxing for sure. On the ceiling there is a rope that when pulled triggers a mechanic hand that hits a drum or plate and makes a small sultry sound. There is no point here, but the silliness of it all is pleasant and addictive.

Under the big stairs there is another surprise: a space reserved for small children to play (yes, in a library).

There is also a small exhibition/conference room, with a big piano that anyone can play (at least we did). The funny thing is that some people join sometimes, if you are a good piano player, and it may end up in some very interesting moments.

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Open tuesdays to thursdays from midday to midnight, fridays and saturdays from midday to 2h and sundays from 11h to 22h.