Martinho da Arcada is Lisbon's mythological oldest cafe. Thanks to a friend's recommendation, I passed through it just to experience the phenomenon and look inside. The cafe was founded in 1778! as Café do Gelo (the Ice Cafe) and mostly sold beverages and ice. After having passed through the hands of a set of different owners, in the early nineteenth century it was called the Casa da Neve (the House of Snow) and sold ice cream to the best of Lisbon’s society. Only in 1845 it received its current name after its owner at that time, Martinho Bartolomeu Rodrigues, who turned it into one of the finest and most popular cafes in the city. Its history of over two centuries is closely linked to the social, political and cultural life of Lisbon. If you come for dinner, highly recommended to make reservations.

Martinho da Arcada, Praça do Comércio 3, 1100-148 Lisboa