Off the beaten track – Mafra

It’s that time again. Time to take off from our beautiful Lisbon for an afternoon and go off the beaten track and head towards Mafra, a municipality in the district of Lisbon, on the west coast of Portugal.

This area has an old history associated with it. The earliest archaeological remnants that were discovered in Mafra date to the early settlement of this region in the Neolithic period. The first agro-pastoral communities began to appear around 7000 B.C. in places like Penedo do Lexim (considered an important point in comprehending the Neolithic and Copper Age Iberian settlements). Mafra is an archaeological marvel and to this date tombstones, altars, tombs, coins, bins, ceramics and glass are still found hailing from the Roman era. These date back to the first and fourth century, including the Roman road connecting Sintra and Peniche, which crosses Mafra.

It is certain that the built-up urban area of Mafra was once a fortified community, with the area of Rua das Tecedeiras being the best example of the walls still being visible. The limits of the castle, which was implanted on the Neolithic settlement, was successively reoccupied until the Iron Age, and taking up the entirety of the old village.

Taken from the moors during the formation of Portugal, it has had varying degrees of importance throughout the history of the country, with the highlight being when King João V of Portugal order the National Palace of Mafra, in a promise made in case of a child being born to his wife, bringing continuity to the line of succession.

The Palace is also a Convent and was built this way to express the faith and to thank God for the fulfilment of the King’s wish. No expenses were spared. The construction employed 52 thousand people and the final project ended up providing shelter to 330 clergymen, and they built a royal palace, one of the most beautiful libraries in Europe, decorated with precious marble, exotic woods and countless works of art. The Palace has two carillons, built in Antwerp and Liège by say of King João V, with a total of 98 bells that weigh over 200 tons and make one of the biggest historical carrilons of the world.

The biggest treasure of Mafra its the library, with beautiful bookshelves and a collection of over 36 thousand books with leatherbound hard covers and gold engraved titles. It’s 88 metres long, 9.5 metres wide and 13 metres high.

The Palace is open all week except Tuesdays from 9am until 5pm and a normal ticket will cost you 6€ per person.

Outside of the Palace and close by exists the Tapada Nacional de Mafra. Created during King João V’s realm as a part of the monarchy’s and his court’s entertainment and leisure after the construction of the Convent, today it stands out as a natural patrimony of unique features with an area of over eight hundred acres where red deers, fallow deers, wild boars, foxes, birds of prey and many other species dwell in a scenery of an unusual rich and diversified flora. Open from 9 am until 7 pm on week days there are several activities you can partake there. Several walking trails, which can be done with or without a guide, although you’d need a group of over 20 people to book the guided tour.  Any of this walks will cost you 3,5€ per person. No matter what you decide to do it is always a worthwhile experience as the location is beautiful in its own right.

To get to Mafra:

Take the metro to Campo Grande (Green Line) and get on the Mafrense bus towards Ericeira (be sure to exit at Mafra). The bus ticket will cost about 4,50€ per person. Schedule

These are the main center pieces of Mafra and with reason. Visiting both the Palace and the Tapada will occupy all of your day and you’ll be sure to remember it. Bring your camara, take photos, appreciate the art, the architecture and the nature of it all, and above all else, have fun!

Ah! By the way, we’ll keep your bed waiting for you at The Elevator Hostel – it’ll be a long day!

fm14

Off The Beaten Track – Sintra

 

The Chalet of the Countess

You’ve probably heard about Sintra before. Owing to its 19th-century Romantic architecture and landscapes, it has become a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.

Besides the mountains and the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, the landscape is punctuated by royal estates, retreats, small castles and buildings from the 8th-9th century, along with many others completed between the 15th and 19th century. This includes places like Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors), taken by Christian forces from the Moors after the fall of Lisbon it was an important strategic point during the Reconquista, as well as the Pena National Palace, a Romanticist palace standing on top of a hill above the town of Sintra that is a national monument and sometimes even used by the President of the Portuguese Republic and other governament officials.

It’s a truly beautiful place, very much a natural sanctuary in the Lisbon area, even though it has seen a growth of population in the past years in which tourism has contributed quite a fair bit.

Many buildings in the area are old and have a deep history associated with them, sometimes a tragic one. The Chalet da Condessa d’Edla (Edla’s Countess Chalet) (GPS: Lat: 38º47’06.45 N

Long: 9º23’57.95 W) is one of them. Built by king D. Fernando II of Portugal and his second wife Elise Hensler, the Countess, between 1864 and 1869, on the western area of Pena’s Natural Park. It was built facing the Pena National Palace. After the death of the king the Chalet, the Palace and the properties surrounding the same were left to the Countess. This was later disputed by king D. Luís and it was eventually agreed that the Countess would only make use of the Chalet and the surrounding gardens. In 1999, abandoned for quite some time, the build was subject to arson, which destroyed the beautiful interior leaving only bland and charred walls. In 2007 a project was started to bring new life to the building, a thorough restauration was in order to make right what was done wrong by human action. The work is complete and the Chalet is back to its previous splendour. The visit is not free however and a ticket to visit will cost you 9,50€ (+5€ if you want a guided tour) and it’s open for visit from 9:30am to 7pm.

There are not only things to see but things to taste as well. You should never visit Sintra without trying out the delicious Travesseiros and Queijadas de Sintra, most specifically the ones made by Sapa (GPS). As you probably know by now (you’ve at least tried Pastéis de Belém right? Well if you haven’t you should), our pastry is really unique and delicious and you’ll probably want to buy a few more to take home with you.

Getting to Sintra is easy if you’re in Lisbon as all you have to do is go to the Rossio train station and buy a ticket towards Sintra. The price of the ticket is 3,60€ and there’s a train leaving every 20 to 30 minutes depending on the day.

With all the planning don’t forget to have fun and experience every little second of your holidays, take pictures of the beautiful scenery and remember the taste of the food. After a day of exploring there’s nothing like coming back to Lisbon and resting with us here at The Elevator Hostel.

fm’14

Adventures South of the River – Setúbal

by “Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, License CC-BY-SA 3.0”

Setúbal is the main city in the Setúbal Municipality. In the times of Al-Andalus, also known as Muslim Spain or Islamic Iberia, a medieval Muslim state occupying at its peak most of what are today Spain, Portugal, Andorra and part of southern France, the city was known as Shetúbar. In the 19th century, the port was called St. Ubes in English and St Yves in French.

September 15 marks the date in the year 1860 on which King Pedro V of Portugal officially recognised Setúbal as a city. It is located on the northern bank of the Sado river estuary, approximately 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of Portugal’s capital, Lisbon.

In the beginning of the 20th century, Setúbal was the center of Portugal’s fishing industry, particularly well known for its sardines. None of the many factories then created are operating today. However, the existing maritime ports, either traditional, commercial and the new marinas, keep the city links to the ocean and waterways well alive and vibrant.

The beautiful existing natural conditions are one of the city’s most appreciated facets, due to its interconnected location with the Sado river on one side, and Atlantic Ocean on another. It is connected as well with the nearby coast of the Arrábida Natural Park – which offers unspoiled flora, fauna and beautiful beaches facing the Atlantic Ocean.

Across the river on the south bank lies the peninsula of Tróia (which we talked about in a previous post), a place with vast white/golden sand beaches. The Tróia peninsula can be sighted from the city, across the river. Albarquel, Figueirinha, Galápos, Galapinhos and Portinho da Arrábida are some of the city’s many beaches, located in the north bank of the estuary, at the very beginning of the Arrábida Natural Park.

The main historical monument of the city of Setúbal is the Monastery of Jesus, with a 15th- and 16th-centuries church that represents one of the first buildings in the Portuguese late Gothic style known as Manueline (which was developed during the reign of King Manuel I of Portugal).

The São Filipe Castle, is a 16th/17th-century fortress on the north bank of the Sado river, overseeing the city and it sports a fantastic view over the ocean.

The central Avenida Luísa Todi (avenue named after a lyrical singer) is a handsome tree-lined boulevard with a pretty fountain in the centre and coffee shops dotted here and there along its length. The covered market halfway along Luisa Todi is a joy: a large, clean and thriving commercial centre with fruit and vegetable, bread and cakes and fish stalls carefully laid-out within. Midway through Luísa Todi is the fine Bocage Square, with a splendid statue in its centre celebrating Setubal‘s renowned poet, and a number of cafés and restaurants. Running off the square in several directions are a labyrinth of small streets with boutiques, shops and small cafes; here and there the streets open up to squares with a small church or monument. Following these old town streets eastwards the visitor climbs towards the high-point overlooking the Troia car ferry and culminating in the excellent Work Museum, celebrating the city’s long industrial heritage.

The fishing port is picturesque and colourful, even if a bit industrialized, although it is a golden opportunity to see fishermen on their normal day to day routine cleaning fish, scrubbing boats or fixing fishing nets.

The best restaurants lie on the seafront near the fishing port at the western end of town. Local delicacies include Choco Frito (fried cuttlefish), as well as fresh sardines and many other kinds of fish. If you want to try some really good fried cuttlefish we recommend a restaurant called “Adega Leo do Petisco” which is located at a corner of the westernmost point of Avenida Luísa Todi (GPS).

You even have the choice to buy some fried cuttlefish in a bun to eat while you stroll around the docks (trust us, it’s tasty).

Setúbal is a place which you can and should visit any time of the year, however if you’re looking for the beach you should do it in the summer. A roofless bus operates to Figueirinha (during the summer only), a pleasant beach some 4-5km west of Setúbal. The trip takes you through the edges of the National Park and winds around a small river and through a cement factory before arriving at the beach.

How to get there:

If you’re driving you can get there rather easily as indications on the road are not lacking when it comes to Setúbal. (GPS)

In the Oriente Bus station you can take the bus to Setúbal that departs roughly every hour of the day (Schedule) and a one way ticket costs 4,30€ per person.

If you’d rather take the train you can go to the Sete Rios train station, six stops from The Elevator Hostel on the blue line and get the train there towards Setúbal, which is also roughly every hour (Schedule). A one way ticked will set you back 4,35€ per person.

As you can see they cost about the same, so just decide on which method of transportation you prefer and ride along to visit Setúbal!

 

fm’14

Restaurant tip of the day – Cantinho de S.José

Cantinho de S.José is another quintessential place right on our street.

Don’t be put off by its outside looks, that said, not that it is a palace inside, but you’ll get my point in a minute.

You go through the pair of sixties’ aluminium frame doors and down a few steps. As you proceed and your eyes adjust to the place you’ll reckon there are quite a few tables, maybe ten or a dozen.

To the left, at the end of the space, which is right there, there is a counter with the fridge window displaying the desserts, behind there’s a decoration of sorts with bottles of wine.

The friendly very talkative waiter will hand you the menu but by the time is done with it you no longer need to read it because he’ll have said it all using plenty of adjectives and descriptions very much his own. Well, of course this all depends on how much your Portuguese has improved since checking in at The Elevator Hostel.

Possible options are…

…Arroz de Pato. Duck Rice is a traditional recipe from the North of Portugal. The duck is cooked in a broth the flesh is removed and shredded. Then duck stock is used to cook the rice, giving it the flavour and the rich taste) and…

… Cozido à Portuguesa (a traditional stew of different meats and vegetables, with numerous regional variations, with rice, potatoes, cabbage, a plethora of sausages, including of course the blood sausage, the meat sausage and the flour sausage which is made mainly from wheat flour).

It’s difficult to tell in advance how far you’ll be able to move after any one of these mains, both excellent choices. By then, the talkative waiter will return to your table and start reciting the desserts of day. Invariably he’ll start with the calorie bombs, like for instance that egg pudding that takes bacon or lard or both, by saying, ‘first the light ones…’

Just in case, let me spell out here some basic survival instructions…there are four steps that you have to negotiate to return to our street. Make a left go straight ahead at the first intersection and left on the first street up, following the tracks of the funicular, back to The Elevator Hostel.

Adventures South of the River – Corroios

by Francisco Santos

Corroios is a Portuguese town and parish, located in the municipality of Seixal, south of Tagus River, on the opposite side of Lisbon. The bridge 25 de Abril connects this town to the capital.

The oldest traces of human presence in the Corroios territory date from the Roman occupation. In 1385 a part of Corroios, was donated to Constable Nuno Alvares Pereira by King João I. Afterwards D. Nuno used his land in Corroios to create a farm and in 1403, he built the first mill of the municipality of Seixal. The Corroios parish was then finally founded in 1369.

During the Age of Discovery, this was an important loading area of shipments to Lisbon. Corroios has an important natural heritage, with a deserved mention, the Sapal, the marshland of Corroios. Marshlands characteristic to certain river formations, are areas of coastal grassland that are regularly flooded by seawater and function as hubs of young animal life. The Sapal de Corroios is integrated in the REN-National Ecological Reserve.

The most important site of interest in Corroios is the Moinho da Maré, constructed in 1403 under the order of Nuno Álvares Pereira. It was largely destroyed in the Earthquake of 1755. In 1980 it was restored and became a part of the Municipal Ecomuseum.

The Moinho de Corroios is one of the two rare tide watermills that still function in the area by the Tagus Estuary. In early 2007, it closed down to further the conservation and requalification of the building. Said works ended in September 2009 and since then the Moinho de Corroios is open to the public once again. Being so close to the Tagus and its Estuary you can’t help but feel close to nature.

The ornithological richness and existing aquatic fauna is very noteworthy, particularly in the Corroios Marshland. This site serves as a temporary landing for many migratory birds like the flamingo, the tailor, the long leg, the heron and mallard, as they seek food and shelter. The Marshland also functions as a ‘nursery’ for various species of molluscs, crustaceans and fish.

How to get here:

Take the metro to the Jardim Zoológico and climb upwards into the train station of Sete Rios; there you can take the train towards Setúbal and simply exit at the Corroios train station (Schedule – 2.10€ single ticket)

Since you’re so close to Lisbon just take your time to appreciate everything as much as you can.

After you’re tired and have taken more pictures than your camera can handle you can simply return to Lisbon and rest here with us at The Elevator Hostel.

fm’14

Adventures South of the River – Cabo Espichel

by Joana Sequeira

Not very far from Sesimbra, just to the west, lies Cabo Espichel, a cape with extremely tall cliffs overseeing the Atlantic Ocean. The location is famous for a sanctuary complex (Santuário de Nossa Senhora do Cabo Espichel), built extremely close to the edge of the tall cliffs, which includes a church still in use today.

This area is also famous for the dinosaur fossil trackways (ancient route of travel for people or animals) that have been exposed due to the erosion working on the sheer cliffs. It is said that local superstition interpreted the trackways as the path taken by the Holy Virgin (Nossa Senhora) when riding a giant mule from the ocean and up the cliffs, which led to the eventual construction of the convent at that location.

The church is flanked by a series of royal dependencies that provided and cared for the pilgrims that would head there. Built in 1701, the building is in baroque style and in the interior there are pieces of important artistic value including the retable of the main altar in Portuguese baroque containing a statue of Our Lady of the Cape and the ceiling, painted in perspective.

A few meters from Sanctuary, there is the small, 15th century Ermida da Memória (Chapel of Memory), predating the Sanctuary itself. Its interior is covered in 18th century tile panels that depict the legend of the Lady of the Cape. According to tradition, the Virgin appeared to an elderly couple in 1410.

Some of the best preserved dinosaur footprints of Portugal are located on the headland of Cabo Espichel. The Cabo Espichel dinosaur tracks are actually two sets of very different prints, one from the Late Jurassic era (the Pedra da Mua) and one set of the cretaceous period (the Jazidas de Lagosteiros). It is quite amazing that the two sets of prints are less than 500 meters apart but are separated by about 50 million years.

So if you love beautiful and haunting cliff sides, the sound of the raging sea crashing against them and a privileged view of the Atlantic Ocean this is a one of a kind location to do so. Within walking distance there are three notable attractions; the cliff top sanctuary and dinosaur footprints (mentioned before) and the lighthouse. The lighthouse is the lesser of the three attractions at Cabo Espichel but it is one of the most important lighthouses along the Lisbon coastline. There has been a lighthouse on the site since 1430 but the current 32m hexagonal masonry tower dates from 1790.

On a clear night the light from Cabo Espichel lighthouse can be seen for 22 miles out to sea. The light house is open to the public on Wednesdays between 14:00 – 17:00.

A direct method of public transportation from Lisbon to Cabo Espichel (GPS coords) is not available and to fully explore the region the use of a rental car is highly recommended. However, there is a public bus from Sesimbra to Cabo Espichel operated by TST and is the local bus service No.201 (Schedule). A single ticket costs €4.05 and the journey time is 35 minutes. (You can easily get from Lisbon to Sesimbra by bus as well, refer to our Sesimbra post).

It might be a long day, but then your bed at The Elevator Hostel is waiting for you…

The journey to this location is worth it if you love nature, the feeling of wind in your face and to travel through time, either by walking the halls of century old buildings or while checking out the footprints of the long lost dinosaurs.

 

fm’14

 

exploring Lisbon and hunting for hidden spots

 

One of the great pleasures of Lisbon is exploring the city and hunting for hidden spots.

Even in newer neighbourhoods you can always find unique features.

Think for example of Chiado, the neighbourhood past Rossio on the way up to the higher areas of the Bairro Alto.

In the summer of 1988 a terrible fire lit up the Lisbon night while the flames ravaging many eighteenth century buildings and the firefighters were kept at bay by a number of ugly huge concrete flower pots, on Rua do Carmo, preventing the access of the emergency vehicles.

It started in an old department store, that used to be next to where the FNAC store is nowadays and it changed forever that part of the city, leaving scars, physical and psychological, that took decades to heal.

Architect Sisa Vieira was called in to project the reconstruction and he ensured that, at least the facades can still remind Lisboners and tourists what it looked like before.

As you go up the Rua do Carmo, after you pass the Santa Justa lift on your left hand side, you see this dark green milk truck of sorts, which is a record shop – at least it was when there were still records (vinyl) being produced. An old record shop called Discoteca do Carmo never reopened and this truck, permanently parked here on the pedestrian street is also a kind of memento to it, forever playing fado music.

A few steps further up, there is an opening on one of the buildings with a stairway enabling access to the back of the buildings. Here you find a yard with some cafés and a terrace where you can have a light meal, but if you go further along the building you find after a sharp bend to the right, at the end of a passageway, a unique bookshop.

It is one of those bookshops you enjoy even if you don’t understand a word of what is written everywhere or if you prefer to get your books online or don’t read at all 😉 but anyway here you’ll understand quite a lot as they stock a fair number of foreign language titles. The atmosphere is really unique and enhanced by a certain uniformity of the book binds that are mostly published by the same company and thus have a common aesthetic.

This place is only a 10’ walk from The Elevator Hostel so come here at any time for a moment of quietness in this very new, very old area of Lisbon.

restaurant tip of the day: Stanislav

Still on the series about ‘our street’ and all its great sites we want to write today about a different cuisine…since a few months ago, after a long and detailed work of refurbishing and decoration that kept us mouthwatering, the new Russian restaurant Stanislav, opened, on São José street.

Once again you follow the funicular to the lower station and make a right into Rua de São José. Pass the traffic lights, the church and after 2 streets on your right hand side you find Stanislav at number 184.

The first impression is great. The decoration with plenty of little details is very nice and welcoming. The key element is wood and there are two areas one upfront ‘lighter’ and a back room which is warmer and more elaborated.

They have a choice of Ukrainian beers – yes, Ukrainian 😉 curiously enough labelled with numbers up to 9 according to strength and flavour: ask for baltika.

And naturally they have also a vast variety of vodkas whose names you probably never heard of, but of course you should not worry about that, just relax, follow their experts’ advice, and get ready to order.

The food is excellent very well presented and the portions are generous. The service deserves many of those stars that brighten up the skies under which they grow the grains that fire up the vodka in your glass. They are always attentive and helpful being friendly and professional at the same time – which isn’t easy…

The filo pastry wraps with braised mushrooms make a superb starter. Then our preference goes for the cabbage rolls filled with minced meat and the chicken filled crepes, but if you feel that you really need to put in a few extra grams and don’t want to exaggerate with the vodkas served in the neat frozen glasses, then you can always order the Kazakh stew that will leave you there waiting for the cab to come and take you back home… 🙂 don’t forget you still have the steep ascension of the funicular tracks to get back to The Elevator Hostel.

Adventures South of the River – Sesimbra

by Filipe Rocha http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usu%C3%A1rio:Sacavem

Sesimbra is a municipality located right near the mouth of the Sado River, and its natural harbour, hence why fishing is the main activity in the area, be it professionally or for sport. Sesimbra is a popular diving location close to Lisbon and the most famous dive site is the wreck of the River Gurara, a Nigerian cargo ship, that sunk in 1989. The other main source of revenue in Sesimbra is tourism, which can be explained by its beautiful beaches, the Arrábida National Park, fish and seafood restaurants, as well as the nightlife.

On a mountain top right above the village lays the Moorish castle, taken by the portuguese during the Reconquista in the year 1165. On the battlements you can enjoy an amazing panorama over Sesimbra and its harbour as well as the surrounding countryside and parts of Serra da Arrábida, (a mountain range which extends from Setúbal to Sesimbra). Near the castle, in the early 13th century, a small Romanesque chapel was built by king Sancho I. Where the chapel once stood, another church was built in 1721 and throughout the years it was abandoned. However, it was restored very recently and you can now appreciate its walls inlaid with azulejos (painted and decorated ceramic wall tiles).

How to get there:

Go to the Praça de Espanha Bus Station and find the TST (bus company) stop for the 207 – Lisboa (Pça de Espanha) – Sesimbra (via AE). A one way ticket would set you back around 5€ per person and the trip takes about 45 minutes. Schedule (be aware that the frequency of transportation on the weekend is very low, we advise you to travel there during the week).

What to do there:

If you travel there early in the morning you could appreciate the view from the Moorish castle and visit the church. Perhaps if you’re more adventurous you could hike in the Arrábida National Park. Lunch in one of the dozens of seafood and fish restaurants in the village and after a walk along the beach maybe get your feet wet.

If you have diving as a hobby or maybe you want to try it out you can do so in here. The waters in Sesimbra are crystal clear but a bit chilly, if you are used to Caribbean Waters. You will need a 5 mm suit to protect you. Water temperature is the same year round. There are a few reputable diving school also doing tours and renting equipment. Some even lead deep water dives in Sesimbra waters.

Have I mentioned the seafood? It’s worth to mention it again, as every restaurant is supplied with fresh caught seafood and fish from the local fisherman and it is delicious. So if you like food that comes from the ocean you’ll definitely be in the right place. And I’ll share a little secret with you, my number one seafood restaurant in Portugal “O Rodinhas”. You can take my word for it, or even the many reviews, but you should really try out for yourself. Be aware though, arrive early or you’re going to have to wait a while for a table.

As always, be mindful of the transportation schedule and don’t get yourself trapped there without a way to get back (unless you want to pay 60€ for a cab). Remember to just take in as much as you can and enjoy to the fullest!

fm’14

restaurant tip of the day: Alvario

Visitors to Lisbon following the lights and the glamour of  Lisbon’s fashion street, Avenida da Liberdade, might miss “our” street.

Our street is actually 2 streets and none of them is ours 😉

Where the Elevator tracks start, you have, running south the Rua das Portas de Santo Antāo and running north, Rua de S.José.

One is more touristy with all the outside tables on the pedestrian street and the vociferous restaurant staff greeting the people walking by and trying to hand over the menu.. … the other, is our favourite.

Rua de S. José is a point in case for the city that in the twenty first century regained all the colourfulness and the diversity it first had back in the fourteen hundreds when it became a global hub.

What is special about the area is the harmony of the cultural and ethnic mix and the feeling that you’re actually sharing your experience with the locals away from brouhaha of the places designed with the tourists in mind.

Today I want to talk about all gastronomical alternatives available ‘around the corner’ in the upcoming posts we shall review the best options in the neighbourhood.

The first one is a tiny little place, right after the traffic lights with the misleading sign “Pastelaria Alvario” it is misleading because it is not a “pastelaria” a place where you have sweets and snacks but rather a restaurant. When step in, past all the signs with the day’s specials and the little transparent fridge where stands a radio playing fado tunes, you find four or five tables, not more.

The service is very correct with the cook shouting from the oven to precise whatever your waiter is telling you about the menu.

Unlike many of these popular restaurants they tend to have a diversified offer often covering the most popular dishes of the Lisbon local fare.

One that you should try is the ‘pataniscas com arroz de feijão’. Pataniscas are pieces of shredded ‘bacalhau’ (Codfish) previously coated in a wheat flour batter and deep fried. And the ‘arroz’ is rice that is cooked on a mirepoix, a mixture of chopped onion, maybe some carrot and beans. Red beans.

It is very enjoyable to seat there in a quiet and friendly atmosphere, listening to the fado background while figuring out what to do next to get the night started and all that for less than 10 euros per person including a drink and dessert.