A Brasileira opened in 1905 to sell Brazilian coffee and became, through the accident of its location in Chiado and the habit of Fernando Pessoa, one of the defining coffeehouses of the Portuguese literary tradition. The interior is Art Nouveau: dark wood panelling, mirrored walls, gilded details, and the studied darkness of a place that has been taken seriously for over a century. The bronze of Pessoa sits at a table outside — the correct response is to ignore it and sit inside. The bica is the right order: a short, strong espresso served without ceremony.
Chiado, Lisbon, Portugal