This shop is located on the 1st floor of an old and large store that used to sell textiles. As you enter the store and climb up the large stairs, you start the trip back to Portugal in the old days, when life seemed simpler and products original. You start by noticing the large windows, lighting the old dark wooden floor and cupboards, and the iron pillars rising to the high ceiling.
Vida Portuguesa (or “Portuguese life”) tells Portuguese old stories in the objects they sell. And they are good at it! The products and brands they sell were almost lost in time, but were recovered by this vintage trend “movement”, and now bring back memories to almost everyone. It feels good.
From soaps packed by hand in beautiful papers, to pencils we all used back in the old days, to notebooks used in elementary school, wood or metal toys which were sold in fairs many years ago, beautifully hand-painted tiles (Portuguese “azulejos”), they have a bit of everything. “Vida Portuguesa” also has a food section: food in vintage-decorated cans, candy and chocolates, wine, liquor, tea and coffee, and the list goes on.
Even if you don’t like all this retro-vintage-classic-ish trend so much, just drop by and you’ll see a bit more of Portuguese everyday life back in the old days. If you like vintage, you’ll feel at home and… prepare your wallet!
Just 20-30m up the street, check Livraria Lello, the 3rd most beautiful bookstore in the world!