The most unexpected place to find a coffee and cake bar – in the middle of a Portuguese style homeware store in Chiado. What is even more unexpected is that the little chairs and tables of the cafe are set up as if they are part of the showroom, placed carefully next to sideboards full of pretty, rustic blue and white crockery that is for sale. Go into the store and head up the stairs on the left.  

Whilst wandering towards the goods situated near the windows, you find yourself next to a coffee bar. You can buy simple beverages like coffee and various teas and there are always a couple of scrumptious looking cakes for sampling too, so this is a perfect (and quiet) place to rest your feet whilst you are doing some shopping. There are only a few chairs and tables, but it is a very calming atmosphere.

This fabulous store contains mainly Portuguese-made goods – textiles for the home (both for indoors and outdoors), cosmetics and restored furniture. It also has a variety of beautifully-packaged homemade gourmet goodies like jams and pickles for sale and these are all displayed invitingly on a table at the top of the stairs – you cannot miss it.

I recommend you pop in and browse (and drink coffee and eat cake too!).

For one of the freshest, warmest, most delicious pastel de nata in down town Lisbon, go to Café Martinho da Arcarda. This very old (established in 1782), very famous cafe is situated in the top right corner of Praça do Comércio (as you stand with your back to the river) and has an esplanade under the arches of one of the buildings that line the edge of the Praça.

The decor has not changed since Fernando Pessoa used to frequent the cafe in the early 1900s and there is a typically Portuguese tiled scene behind the bar counter showing the kitchen and the baking of the above mentioned pastéis de nata. There are signs up in the cafe proudly stating that the pastéis de nata are cooked on the premises on a daily basis. There are only a few tables inside the cafe with the majority of them being situated outside on the esplanade.

This café, in my opinion, is actually nicer than the far busier, more touristed one that is in Rossio on Praça Dom Pedro IV. Whilst sitting outside this cafe you have a view directly across the newly-refurbished Praça do Comércio to the river.

There is a restaurant attached to the café and although I have not eaten there, a glance at the menu suggested that it is rather a pricey and perhaps touristy restaurant. Nonetheless, I would highly recommend a traditional pastel de nata and a coffee at the café.

Chiado is definitely one of the most charming areas of Lisbon. The main street is has some nice historical cafés, but they tend to be very touristic. A great alternative is Café no Chiado.

The location is excellent: smack in the middle of Chiado, with tram-line 28 passing right in front of you! The place has been renovated in 2006. It nowadays has a very cool interior and a great terrace.

Come here to have a cup of coffee or lunch, read a book on the terrace or just to enjoy the setting. Try the salads, they are great!

At night it’s a great place to dine, especially after visiting one of the nearby theatres, since they serve dinner until 02:00. Try the steak with mustard sauce. I did for a dozen times already

Kaffeehaus is located in the middle of Chiado, just next to one of Lisbon’s most famous theatres, São Carlos. It fits in the old, and almost lost, tradition of literary cafés that were the trademark of Chiado. Kaffeehaus, however, does it in her own, Viennese style.

The place is hard to classify since you can go here for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a drink at night. A better way to describe it would be its style: a great place to get up to date on what is happening in Lisbon, read a newspaper, have a coffee or a drink.

Besides the setting, the food helps! Try great Austrian pastry in the middle of Lisbon! Amazing Apfelstrüdel and a lot of other surprising dishes. There is something different written on the chalkboard every day, so you can always come back for something new!

Great place for a pit-stop on your Saturday-shopping in Chiado or a more prolonged break on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Be patient though, it is becoming and awful popular place! So popular in fact that they increased their capacity. No more waiting (almost )

Hidden away next to the picturesque Largo do Carmo, Vertigo is one of the more trendy places in Chiado. It’s a perfect spot to have lunch or a cup of coffee in the afternoon. Or have a drink here before going for dinner in Bairro Alto!

The menu is rather healthy and features lots of salads, sandwiches, fresh juices and more exotic offers. (Not that easy to find in Lisbon, trust me!). The interior is very cozy yet stylish.

The area around Vertigo is becoming more and more interesting, with lots of cafés, shops and restaurants opening. Check it out.