5.1.19 A Tasca Do Chico

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 and join the queue. The doors may not open for punters until a few minutes later than that, but the point is to be in the queue. Because if you don’t get in just after 1900 hours, you won’t get in until after 2100 hours, if at all. The queue of hopefuls is there outside the door - don’t expect those in front of you to give up. Because, mainly, they won’t.

Food and drink orders are taken, the food and drink is brought out, and only after that are the doors closed and lights dimmed. There are no microphones, no amplifiers, just two guitars and the Fado singer. No reading music, no lyric sheets, this is an authentic Fado experience. The whole space falls silent, attention is focused on the singer, and you realise it was worth the wait.

Tram 12, 24 and 28; Buses 19B, 22B and 758. Middling walk from the Metro at Baixa-Chiado.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

7.2.6 May 2025

Image
Padrão dos Descobrimentos , on the Belém waterfront, has reopened! Works on the “ water mirror ” fountain in Parque Recreativo Alto da Serafina have been completed, and the result is worth a visit on its own. The 770 bus from the north side of Sete Rios will take you there - an ideal place to chill for an hour or two, especially in the summer heat. Water Mirror at Alto da Serafina Next Sunday, May 18th, is International Museums Day, and Museu da Carris - the bus and tram museum - is offering free admission. Link HERE . For beer lovers, there is a craft beer festival on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th May, called Ponte & Pints, at Escala 25, below the Ponte 25 de Abril, on the north side of the Avenida da India, and close to the LX Factory. 14 craft brewers from across Portugal will be represented. There will also be food trucks, and what is called a “sustainable market”. Link HERE . On the subject of craft beer outlets, Crafty Corner , situated on the south side of the Cathedral, h...
Read more

7.2.8 July 2025

Image
Trams - same as in June, the roadworks in Rua do Forno do Tijolo continue, so the 28 cannot run its usual route between Martim Moniz and Graça. But one big change - the viewing platform atop the Elevador de Santa Justa has reopened. A new and higher guardrail has been installed, but a maximum of just 20 people is allowed up there at one time. ALSO, it will cost you €5 per person to access. That’s in addition to all other transport costs. AND the payment can only be made by bank card. View from the top of the Elevador de Santa Justa Access to the viewing deck is via a spiral staircase, and not for the faint hearted. The staircase is on the same side of the lift as the cabin exit. When I visited, both lift cabins were operating, and the queue (line if you like) to go up was not so long. Maybe not for long. SCAMS 1: anyone offering what they claim are drugs out there on the street is almost certainly not offering drugs. Don’t fall for it: it’s just bags of mixed herbs. Maybe some punters ...
Read more

7.2.9 August 2025

Image
The month has begun with more of that very warm weather; the mercury in Lisbon hit 40 degrees Celsius on the 3rd. There will be more days with temperatures in the mid-30s. So keep on keeping hydrated. Torre de Belém No more of those two-hour waits for a year or so. In fact, no waits at all, because the Torre de Belém has closed for renovations. It’s a very old structure, and the daily assault by tourists has meant push coming to shove. The renovation work will probably take a whole year to complete - so don’t expect it to reopen until well into 2026. Tram 28 At last, folks! The 28 is back to its full route, all the way from Prazeres to Martim Moniz. Also, the 12 has been returned to turning at Camões, so if you’re in central Lisbon, and can’t get on a 28, the 12 might be worth a look. Craft Beer News BREW! Chiado has a tap takeover by Siren Craft Brew. AMO Brewery has a variation on their Coyote IPA. It’s still strong, and still worth sampling. No news yet on Desfile dos Classicos, the...
Read more