A Brasileira

A Brasileira (Portuguese for "The Brazilian Woman") is one of the oldest and most famous cafés in Lisbon. It is located 120 Rua Garrett, on the Chiado Square ("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. A shopper who bought a kilogram of ground coffee, for 720 reis, was entitled to a free cup of coffee. 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. It 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.

It was a favoured haunt of intellectuals, including Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa, and writers Aquilino Ribeiro and Alfredo Pimenta. A bronze statue of Pessoa by sculptor "Lagoa Henriques" was placed outside the café in 1988 (although his favoured café was "Martinho da Arcada" on the Praça do Comércio, which was founded in 1782). An early proprietor allowed painters to hang their works on his wall. The interior was refurbished in the 1960s, when paintings by José de Almada Negreiros and other prominent artists were moved to the Centro de Arte Moderna (now Chiado Museum).

It is a popular tourist destination, and prices are high.

References

* [http://travel.guardian.co.uk/article/2000/jan/08/lisbon.portugal.shortbreaks Fado away] , "The Guardian", 8 January 2000
* [http://revelarlx.cm-lisboa.pt/gca/?id=663 Café A Brasileira do Chiado] pt icon
* [http://www.museu-emigrantes.org/Brasileira-lisboa.htm Cem anos de história do café "A Brasileira" em Lisboa] pt icon
*Jorge Melicio hyperrealistic artist, contributed in the looks of the café with his painting