Martinho da Arcada
Café Martinho da Arcada
Martinho da Arcada is a café and restaurant in the north-east arcade of Praça do Comércio, at No. 3. It opened on 7 January 1782, and Portugal’s register of listed heritage describes it as the oldest of Lisbon’s cafés. Fernando Pessoa used to write there. It opens Monday to Saturday and closes on Sundays.
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Is Martinho da Arcada the oldest café in Lisbon?
That is what its entry in Portugal’s register of listed heritage says, describing it as the oldest of Lisbon’s cafés. Its official opening date is 7 January 1782.
The business started around 1778, in a shop in one of the first buildings on the new square, rebuilt after the earthquake. It sold drinks and ice. As owners changed, so did its name: Casa da Neve, Casa de Café Italiana, Café do Comércio, Café da Arcada do Terreiro do Paço, Café Martinho.
Since 1993 it has been listed as an Imóvel de Interesse Público, a property of public interest. The listing covers the café itself, outside and in, not just the building.
The history of Martinho da Arcada
It opened as Casa da Neve in 1782 and has had its present name since 1845. In 1990, a new company, with state support, restored the café.
1778
It starts as a drinks shop where you can also buy ice.
7 January 1782
Julião Pereira de Castro, ice master to the royal household, opens the house under a sign in gold letters: Casa da Neve, the house of snow. This is the official opening date.
1829
Martinho Bartolomeu Rodrigues names it Café Martinho.
1845
To tell it apart from another café that had opened in Largo de Camões, it becomes Martinho da Arcada.
1935
Fernando Pessoa has his last coffee here, three days before he dies.
1990
A new company, with state support, restores the café.
1993
The café is listed as an Imóvel de Interesse Público.
Fernando Pessoa’s table
According to the café, Fernando Pessoa wrote part of his work here. The table where he sat is still kept reserved in the poet’s memory.
He had his last coffee there on a Wednesday, 27 November 1935, with Almada Negreiros. Two days later he was admitted to the Hospital de São Luís dos Franceses, where he died on 30 November.
Portraits of the poet hang on the wall by the table. Almada Negreiros and Mário de Sá-Carneiro met at the café too.
Other tables carry the names of well-known regulars: Eduardo Lourenço, José Saramago, Júlio Pomar, Manoel de Oliveira and Ruy de Carvalho.
Café or restaurant?
Both. The dining room serves Portuguese food at lunch and dinner. Next door, to the left, there is a small café for people in a hurry.
The small café
It has its own door, to the left of the restaurant’s. It serves anyone who just wants a coffee or a pastel de nata, which has a good reputation.
The dining room
The house specialities are bife à Martinho (steak), bacalhau à Martinho and bacalhau à lagareiro (salt cod), espetada à ribatejana (skewered meat), venison medallions and grilled sardines.
The terrace
The outdoor tables are under the arcade, in the shade, facing the square.
The interior
Wood-panelled walls and ceiling, stucco and old furniture.
Martinho da Arcada opening hours
From Monday to Saturday, lunch is served 12:00 to 15:00 and dinner 19:00 to 22:00. It is closed on Sundays.
| Service | Monday to Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|
| Lunch | 12:00 to 15:00 | Closed |
| Dinner | 19:00 to 22:00 | Closed |
These are the hours Martinho da Arcada publishes itself. The small café next door has no published hours, so check by phone before going outside mealtimes.
Prices and booking
On this guide’s price scale, Martinho da Arcada is at €€, the second of four levels, like most of the restaurants in the arcades. You can book a table by phone or by email.
The menu published on the website lists the dishes, from starters to cheeses, but not the prices.
To book: phone +351 218 879 259 or email reservas@martinhodaarcada.pt. The café’s website also has a booking form.
Where Martinho da Arcada is
On the north-east corner of Praça do Comércio, at No. 3, under the arcade, 3 min on foot from the statue. Walk through the Rua Augusta Arch from the Baixa and it is on your left, on the corner.
The building turns the corner into Rua da Prata, where it has Nos. 2 to 8. The metro entrance in the east arcade and the Lisboa Story Centre are a few steps away, in the east wing.
From Martinho towards the river, the square’s arcades carry on with the other restaurants of the east wing.
Frequently asked questions
Is Martinho da Arcada open on Sundays?
No. Martinho da Arcada is closed on Sundays. It opens Monday to Saturday: lunch is served 12:00 to 15:00 and dinner 19:00 to 22:00. If you are on the square on a Sunday, there are other cafés and restaurants in the arcades.
How do you book a table at Martinho da Arcada?
By phone, by email to reservas@martinhodaarcada.pt, or with the booking form on the café’s website, which asks for your name, phone number, email and a message. Bookings are for lunch, 12:00 to 15:00, or dinner, 19:00 to 22:00, from Monday to Saturday.
Can you sit at Fernando Pessoa’s table in Martinho da Arcada?
No. The table where Fernando Pessoa sat and wrote is still kept reserved in the poet’s memory, with portraits of him on the wall beside it. The other tables are open to customers, and some carry the names of other well-known regulars, such as José Saramago and Manoel de Oliveira.
Can you just have a coffee at Martinho da Arcada?
Yes. Next door to the restaurant, on the left, there is a small café for people in a hurry, where you can have a coffee or the house pastel de nata without staying for a meal. The dining room serves lunch and dinner. The café does not publish its prices.
How much does a meal at Martinho da Arcada cost?
On this guide’s price scale, Martinho da Arcada is at €€, the second of four levels, like most of the restaurants in the arcades. The food is Portuguese, with dishes such as bife à Martinho and bacalhau à lagareiro. The menu on the website has no prices, so ask about them when you book.