UPDATE November 2016: bar ‘ANOS 60’ is closed
Young people from the US visiting Lisbon, bar ANOS 60 historic area Mouraria Lisbon, July 2014
History BAR ANOS 60 Mouraria (written in 2008)
This unique bar and top-class restaurant has been established in the nineties in the historic Mouraria neighbourhood and is located at Largo do Terreirinho. It is also one of the best places to talk politics (also in English) and to listen to live music (Fado/Brasilian a.o.). The owner, senhor Fernando Casanova, chose the area of Mouraria because of the historic nature of the neighborhood.
Bar/restaurant ‘ANOS 60’ in Mouraria Lisbon
Politicians, journalists and many local celebrities meet up in ‘Anos 60’ to discuss politics, dine and enjoy the live Brazilian and Portuguese music. Mariza, the internationally well-known fado singer started her career in Mouraria where she grew up and performed many times in ‘ANOS 60’.
Bar/restaurant ‘ANOS 60’ in Mouraria Lisbon
Che Guevara . ‘Anos 60′ means ‘the sixties’. The name was chosen because of the rough political times in the sixties in Portugal, when the Portuguese people suffered under the corrupt dictator António de Oliveira Salazar, president of the Council of Ministers of Portugal for 36 years, from 1932 to 1968, and founder of the Estado Novo (New Regime).
On April 25, 1974, the Estado Novo finally fell with the Carnation Revolution.
Bar/restaurant ‘ANOS 60’ in Mouraria Lisbon
ANOS 60 owner Fernando Casanova was, as a journalist, part of the intellectual opposition and in his bar still many discussion about the era of the revolution take place. Fernando contributed for 2 years to the political newspaper “Aqui” which was published during the period of the revolution. The ‘Club de Jornalistas’ in Lapa, which now has 700 members, has a strong connection to the bar.
Fernando Casanova , owner of bar/restaurant ‘ANOS 60’ in Mouraria Lisbon
The clock in ‘ANOS 60’ stands still at 04:10. Stories go round that this was the time that the Carnation Revolution started… But according to Fernando, it has another reason. It has to do with the official closing time: 04:00. In the weekends the bar usually closes later. After dancing the night away you walk out onto the street at 07:00, but the clock still indicates 04:10!
Bar/restaurant ‘ANOS 60’ in Mouraria Lisbon
Street parties in June
In the month of June, festivities take place all over Portugal to celebrate three popular Saints – Santo António, São João and São Pedro.
The traditional neighborhoods Mouraria and Alfama are decorated in many colours and all the people are dancing in the streets and having barbeques, grilling sardinhas (sardines).
Bar/restaurant ‘ANOS 60’ in Mouraria Lisbon in June: dinner outside
Bar ANOS 60 (closed in 2016)
Largo do Terreirinho 21, 1170 Lisbon.
I set foot in Lisbon back in 2001 after 9/11, and how refreshing not to understand a word as I went from café to café drinking galão, with TVs blaring in the background. I overheard an eager tourist trying to sum up this city as he scrunched his eyes under the vivid Atlantic light and scanned his vocabulary for words that fit. Faded elegance, he said.
