Go there and contact
A cultural center, café and coworking space. Located in a historic building with 120 years of history.
It is a Jesuit cultural center, a café and an event space. A mixed place but above all a place where you can isolate yourself from the hustle and bustle of the city center. Debates, exhibitions and seminars are held here. To make matters worse, it is located in a historic building with 120 years of history. The café/restaurant area is located in an inner courtyard. On the menu, Chef Carlos Robalo offers fish and meat dishes, tapas starters, vegetarian options and desserts.
Did you know? This review was written by our professional authors.
Members' reviews on BROTÉRIA CAFÉ
The ratings and reviews below reflect the subjective opinions of members and not the opinion of The Little Witty.
WARNING! Do not talk to the lady with the shirt gray and black hair, she might be the rudest manager I’ve ever came across.
Find unique Stay Offers with our Partners
It features an art gallery, bookstore, library, noble rooms, and a café-restaurant with a secret courtyard.
The palace, built during the second half of the 19th century on an existing building in the Bairro Alto district near Largo da Misericórdia, belonged to António Bernardo da Costa Cabral, the 1st Count and 1st Marquess of Tomar.
Over the years, it served as the headquarters of the Royal British Club, and in 1973, the Lisbon City Council installed the Municipal Hemeroteca (Newspaper Library) there with a catalog of approximately 35,000 bibliographic records.
After more than 40 years of service, the palace underwent renovations carried out by the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (Holy House of Mercy of Lisbon), with architect José Neuparth leading the project.
Its management was entrusted to the Society of Jesus on a commodatum basis to establish a library and house the centenary magazine Brotéria, founded in 1902 and considered the longest-running Portuguese cultural publication. The space holds about 100,000 volumes covering history, humanities, literature, philosophy, and theology.
This cultural space, open to all, aims to "combine religion and faith with urban and contemporary culture."
It also includes an art gallery, several work/study rooms, multipurpose halls, and a restaurant led by chef Carlos Robalo, complemented by a sunny courtyard where visitors can relax.
The Jesuit community involved in the day-to-day activities of Brotéria resides on the top floor of the building, observing the dynamics of contemporary Lisbon as they explore.
The different spaces:
Staircase
The staircase is the most visually striking element at the entrance, featuring an impressive statue at the beginning of the handrail.
As you ascend the single flight of stairs directly to the third floor, you can appreciate the elegant elliptical curve. The surrounding walls, adorned with 19th-century stucco, also showcase four large medallions representing the seasons of the year.
Casa dos Escritores (Writers' House)
Also known as the leather room, the Casa dos Escritores hall is the flagship space of Brotéria.
Its walls are covered in carved, gilded, and painted wood and repoussé leather, featuring the figures of rampant goats, the insignia of the Cabral family.
In the center, there is a black marble fireplace.
The capacity of the hall is 16 people seated for work.
Library
Writers, researchers, or simply curious individuals can physically consult around 95,000 books and 65,000 magazines in Brotéria's library, open from 10 am to 7 pm.
The space holds an important collection related to the history of the Jesuits in Portugal and overseas, as well as a collection of rare books from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries that are gradually being made available online through preservation, restoration, and digitization efforts.