Casa de Ló

Casa de Ló is a cafe/bar located in Cedofeita, a downtown neighborhood of Porto. This used to be a small store where you could by “pão-de-ló” (traditional Portuguese cake, similar to sponge cake, but much better!), “marmelada” (quince paste) and “geleia” (quince jelly). For years and years it was the best place in town to buy these delicacies – if you didn’t have a grandma who made all of these at home, like I did!

This spot is the perfect mix between something old and something new. The building is old. The shelves are original. So is the safe, where, rumor has it, they used to keep the weights so they could measure the ingredients for the “pão de ló”. The store (the first room you walk in when coming from the street) keeps all the original features. As you walk through the door towards the cafe/bar area, you’ll notice a fusion between the old and the new.

There’s a terrace on the back, where you can enjoy a cold glass of wine in the summer or a hot tea in the winter. Usually on weekend nights (from thursday to saturday) they have a DJ to keep the spirits elevated through the weekend! I enjoy going there especially in the spring or summer nights, having a a glass of wine and enjoying some good music and chatting with my friends in the terrace.

Casa de Ló is located in Cedofeita, a commercial area in downtown Porto. It’s in a walking distance from Clérigos tower, Cordoaria gardens, Portuguese Photography Centre, Carmo and Carmelitas churches and the Arts Disctrict – where you can find art galleries, designer stores and Rota do Chá. You can also grab a bite or a cup of coffee at Moustache Coffee House, Pipa Velha or Luso Caffè. It’s also in the Entertainment District so there are plenty of bars and cafes where you can have fun!