The Portuguese passion for coffee is well known, and it's no exaggeration to say that rarely can you find better coffee than in Portugal.
Introduced after foreign voyages of discovery, this drink started arriving from different places all over the world: vibrant Africa, brother Brazil and distant Timor. Coffee became a national institution, a social moment, taken in places that became famous throughout the country.
The historic cafés in Portugal contain within four walls victories and defeats, loves and heartbreaks, freedom and persecution. They have always been seen as a pièce de resistance, hosting everyone from poets, filmmakers and politicians to the anonymous citizens who cannot do without their coffee, served in 1,001 ways. Today, many of these almost mythical places continue to serve a cup of the Portuguese soul to those who visit.
One of the most famous will always be "A Brasileira do Chiado", a café founded in 1905 and internationally recognised for the countless images of the statue of Fernando Pessoa, which invites passers-by to sit down for a coffee or a chat outside the café.
It was the venue of many literary gatherings, attracting some of the most famous names in Portuguese literature, an art gallery for painters who are today renowned in 20th-century Portuguese visual arts, and a place of conspiracy, especially in the aftermath of the declaration of the Republic in Portugal, in 1910.
Martinho da Arcada for social gatherings and cultural events
Having opened its doors in 1782, "Martinho da Arcada" is even older and another essential stop among Portuguese historic cafés.
Located in Lisbon's Praça do Comércio, it is also very much linked to the arts, again with Fernando Pessoa as a central figure. Regulars also included Amadeo Souza-Cardoso (an extraordinary painter who died tragically young) or the poet Cesário Verde.
It has always been a place for cultural gatherings and events, and one of the most visited by tourists who come to the capital.
The Majestic, one of J.K Rowling's favourite places
Occupying a noble space in Porto's busiest street, Rua de Santa Catarina, the Majestic opened in 1921, and soon became known for its literary gatherings, which included writers, philosophers, students and professors of Fine Arts. It was also one of the favourite haunts of J.K Rowling, the author of Harry Potter, when she lived in Porto.
Further down the city centre, Porto invites visitors to enjoy a coffee in the "Guarany", a café dating back to 1933 and evoking the memories of the tribes of South America and Brazil.
It is yet another establishment full of history, from the panels by Graça Morais, to the high relief by Henrique Moreira: two major names in Portuguese arts. It continues to be a favourite venue in the city amongst artists and writers.
Further north, in the historic city of Braga, we find another famous café with a well-known name. It is also called "A Brasileira", the best-known café in the city of the archbishops. The reason is simple: it was founded by the same person who opened an establishment with the same name in Lisbon. It is the leading meeting place for locals and an absolute must for tourists visiting the city.
This is a nation that has a close relationship with coffee, a drink served all over the world but rarely with the quality enjoyed in Portugal. And anyone who says otherwise clearly needs a coffee. Make it a strong one.
