Monthly Archives: May 2010

The famous café “A Brasileira”

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A Brasileira – in portuguese “the Brasilian woman” is one of the oldest and most famous cafés in Lisbon. It is located 120 Rua Garrett, on Largo do Chiado, in the Chiado district, near the Baixa-Chiado metro stop.
A Brasileira was opened by Adriano Telles on 19 November 1905 as a shop selling “genuine Brazilian coffee” from Minas Gerais state. It was the first shop to sell the “bica”, a small cup of strong coffee, similar to espresso. It was remodelled in 1908 and again in 1922, concentrating on selling drinks. The Brasileira café was also a favoured location of intellectuals, including Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa, and writers like Aquilino Ribeiro and Alfredo Pimenta.
In 1988 a bronze statue by Lagoa Henriques of Fernando Pessoa was placed outside the café. The Brasileira café was decorated in Art Deco style, with a green-and-gold entrance and an interior with wooden booths, mirrored walls, brass fittings, and a long oak bar.

In 1907 the owner of Brasileira open a similar establishment in Braga. It is a main meeting point and located on the Largo Barão de São Martinho, in the historic city. Just go there and explore the feeling of a Brasilian cafe.

Valerie Polacek

valerie.cultura.rum@gmail.com