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5.1.20 Café Império

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Avenida Almirante Reis 205A Location HERE . Open daily 1200-1600 and 1900-2300 hours On the southwest corner of the intersection of Alameda Dom Henriques and Avenida Almirante Reis, Café Império is the “ downstairs ” of the former Cinema Império, a grand building designed by Cassiano Branco, the same architect who designed CineTeatro Eden on the western side of Restauradores. The latter has been restored to its former glory, and is now the Eden Aparthotel, while the “ upstairs ” of the former has become a place of worship for the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (the cinema closed in 1983). It is, though, completely separate from Café Império. Entering from Av. Almirante Reis, one can visualise the space as part of a cinema. There is a ground floor level, with tables laid out around the opening that enables diners to look down into the rather larger basement level, which has several large tables laid out for work, reunion and family gatherings. There is also a distinctive mural, ...
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7.2.23 Volta - Explained

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Your bottled water and canned drinks just got ten cents per container more expensive. The name of the culprit is VOLTA. I put all my cans and bottles in the recycling as a matter of routine, but it seems that a lot of people don’t. So, in order to apply a nudge to all of us and get recycling rates up, a national scheme has been launched , and its name is Volta. Meaning Return. The plastic bottles, and cans, have the extra charge added at the till. You can identify a Volta bottle or can by the symbol on the outside of the package. If you want your ten cent deposit (or, as soon happens, multiple of ten cents), then you take the empty containers to your local supermarket - my local Pingo Doce has a machine in the foyer - and return them. The machine has instructions (including in English, should you wish) and doing the depositing is straightforward. When you’ve finished, press the Pagamento button and get a credit voucher. When paying for your next bag of groceries, you can scan the vouch...
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5.4.10 Zaytouna

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Rua Ângela Pinto 19 Location HERE . Open 1000-2300 hours, closed Sundays. It’s in Arroios Market! Not just Middle Eastern, but a Palestinian café and food store. There is not so much seating behind the shop, but if you get there by 1900-2000 hours and are not a large group, you should be OK. The menu has lots of vegetarian choices, and indeed plenty of vegan choices, too. Where the menu says “ sandwich ”, it means Pitta Sandwich. And they’re rather good. The olives are also rather good. You may encounter the phrase “ From Palestine With Love ”. It’s a peaceful vibe. It should surprise no-one that the staff are welcoming and helpful, while at the same time the front window has a poster advertising “ The Voice of Hind Rajab ”, and the window onto the seating area displays solidarity with the Gaza flotilla. Thus empathy for those suffering terrible hardship is shown front and centre by some of those unable to ease it. You leave, after paying a modest bill, perhaps understanding that Pales...
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7.2.22 May 2026 Take 2

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TRAM NEWS Tram 28 is back to its full route, and full schedule. The advice is as before: don’t waste your time queuing at Martim Moniz. If you want to ride the 28, get on at Prazeres, at the other end of the line. Get up there on weekdays using Tram 25 from Praça da Figueira, Praça do Comércio, or Cais do Sodré. Or, every day of the week, bus 709 from Rossio. One other warning: those trying to ride the 28 while carrying rucksacks or luggage - if at all possible, DON’T. It gets uncomfortable enough without the extras. 28 Trams (and a 25) at Prazeres Tram 18 and 24 Reliability, or not. The 18 is a route that Carris tried, and failed, to abandon some years back. There was even a proposal for a group of enthusiasts to take it over, which was most likely scuppered by the potential liability insurance premiums. Also, the 18 has a relatively long run away from the rest of the network, all the way from Santo Amaro to Boa Hora and up to the Ajuda terminus, and without an intermediate turning lo...
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7.2.21 May 2026

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Still no sign of the final report into the accident on the Elevador da Glória, and so we start, once more, with the alternatives to using funiculars. Don’t slog up those hills just because the funiculars have been suspended. Minibus 51E gives an alternative to the Santa Justa lift, and an alternative to the Glória funicular; Bairrobus 19B gives an alternative to the Lavra funicular; Bairrobus 22B gives an alternative to the Bica funicular. HOWEVER there is one piece of good news on funiculars: the new funicular from Rua dos Lagares to the Miradouro da Graça has now reopened after being inspected and passed safe for travel. TRAM 28 NEWS Once again, the 28 tram is turning back at Camões due to work in Calçada da Estrela. Substitute minibus operating between Camões and Prazeres, and the usual reminder that, on Monday to Friday (but not public holidays) you can get to Prazeres by tram on the 25 from Praça da Figueira, Praça do Comércio and Cais do Sodré. The works are estimated to last ...
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6.2.38 Pravda Craft Mission (Parede)

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Rua Miguel Bombarda 344 Location HERE . Third outlet for the beer from Lviv, this one a little out of town, and outside Zone L, but an option if you got a day ticket that includes trains out to Cascais. A short walk from Parede station on the Linha de Cascais. From the Cascais-bound platform there is an underpass from the east end (CAUTION: steps). From the Cais do Sodré bound platform, just walk off the east end of the platform face and follow the road alongside the railway. In either case, where the underpass comes out is just opposite the bar. And the bonus this outlet has over the ones at Marvila and Estefânia is Plenty Of Outside Seating. A full list of Pravda beers is offered on tap; there are also plenty of bottle and can choices. Good place to chill when the weather is good. Rail services at Parede station. [ HOME ]
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5.1.19 A Tasca Do Chico

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Rua do Diário de Notícias 39 Location HERE . You want Fado? Here it is. THIS OUTLET IS CASH ONLY In the middle of the Bairro Alto, this small and intimate space presents Fado more or less every evening. You’re a couple? You’re sharing that table with two other people, who may be a couple, or two solo visitors. Wooden tables, wooden benches, no seats-with-backrests. If you wanted something comfier, you came to the wrong place. Around 30 punters (at most) accommodated. The food is fairly basic, with few changes to the menu over time. Flaming sausage, chick pea and bacalhau salad, Caldo Verde, breaded chicken pieces, Pasteis de Bacalhau, olives, bread basket, all washed down (mainly) with house wine. You can have the menu brought to you in English, but don’t think that this is a tourist only place. Because it isn’t. Prices are not bargain basement cheap, but that isn’t the point: Fado is what you come here to experience, and no Fado experience is free. Get there at or before 1900 hours an...
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