Tea and lunchroom Pastelaria Versailles: elegant atmosphere, outstanding service & quality
If you like visit one museum make it the Gulbenkian. It’s the collection of the Armenian oil billionaire who made Lisbon his home. It covers everything from Egyptian to 20th Century art
After visiting the Gulbenkian Museum a must-do is to go to the nearby and wonderful old tea and lunchroom Versailles (1922) at Avenida da República, which has it’s own bakery. The homemade cakes and pastries are delicious, like the Pasteis de natas. The decor is rich, with chandeliers, gilt mirrors, stained-glass windows, tall stucco ceilings, and black-and-white marble floors. It looks like it could be straight of Paris…Mostly elderly people and greats of the Lisbon cafe scene enjoy their bica (espresso) here.
When Pastelaria Versailles was inaugurated on November 25 1922, the objective was to turn into a symbol of the fashionable Avenidas Novas, an elegant and new neighborhood in Lisbon. Remaining a courageous resistant to the construction fury that replaced many of the beautiful small palaces and stylisch houses of the first halve of the 20th century by today's unattractive buildings at Avenida da República, where 'Versailles' is....
The Pastelaria also knew how to resist to the fast-food wave that assaulted many of the most well-known cafes and pastry shops in Lisbon, transforming them into uncharacteristic places where people can only grab a fast meal. The wide variety of snacks includes codfish balls and toasted ham-and-cheese sandwiches. They are also famous for their confectioneries served in a glass case.
Pastelaria Versailles, long known as the 'grande dame' of Lisbon' coffeehouses, was quite recently declared a part of the national heritage. It still serves the famous Mozambique black tea that was introduced in 1662. Lunch, served in a back room, is a full meal of such Portuguese specialties as codfish with almonds. Most visitors come here for tea or coffee, served with sandwiches and snacks. Desserts, including duchesses (whipped-cream cakes) are justifiably famous.
As an old-fashioned and formal touch, immaculately attired waiters serve customers from silver-plated tea services. In addition to coffee and tea, the house specialty is hot chocolate. It's open daily from 7:30am to 10:00pm. Metro: Saldanha.
[...] famous Avenida Republica. A must-do on Avenida Republica is to have breakfast in the wonderful old tea and lunchroom Versailles which has it’s own bakery. Pastelaria Versailles was first opened in 1922. On Saldanha Square [...]
[...] Saldaña square. A must-do is to have breakfast or lunch in the wonderful old tea- and lunchroom Pastelaria Versailles (opened in 1922) which has it’s own [...]