Café Martinho da Arcada

Lisbon’s oldest café, founded in 1782 on the edge of Praça do Comércio.

Under the arcades of the Baixa, at the corner of Praça do Comércio, the Café Martinho da Arcada is the oldest café of Lisbon, serving the city since 1782. Statesmen, writers and artists have passed through its rooms, and the table of Fernando Pessoa, who wrote here, is kept as part of the café’s memory.

History and character

The house was founded in 1782, in the years of the rebuilding of the Baixa after the earthquake, and took its name from the arcade where it stands. Over the centuries it became a meeting place of the city’s political and literary life — a tradition it keeps today, between the river and the old squares of Lisbon.

What to discover

The historic rooms, under the arcades of the Baixa.
The table of Fernando Pessoa, kept in his memory.
The setting at the edge of Praça do Comércio, facing the river.
The café traditions of Lisbon — coffee, pastries and conversation.

Visiting

The café is at Praça do Comércio, in central Lisbon, reached on foot from Baixa-Chiado or Terreiro do Paço. It works through the day as a café and restaurant; check the official page for details before your visit.