Café Santa Cruz

I went to this iconic café during my visit to Coimbra last year and I consider it a must in the same way that Majestic coffee in Porto is a must. This luxurious cafe was inaugurated in 1923 in its namesake plaza, but today offers more affordable prices than it once did. The cafe was once a chapel attached to the Monastery of Santa Cruz, and the previous Manueline-style architecture with its very wide rooms and high ceilings still stands, complete with the stained glass found in most medieval chapels.

This is a cafe you will find it in the village of Coimbra (Portugal) and is the former sacristy of the Church of Santa Cruz (right next door). It was a unique conversion that actually suits it quite well. The vaulted ceilings and stone walls are conserved well, which together with antique decor: old wood, large fans that remove air in summer, embossed leather covered chairs, marble tables with wrought iron base ... give it a colonial feel and it is very welcoming. It has a large bar where you can have a coffee. It has an outdoor terrace and some days live entertainment performs at night. It is very well situated.