Graça | The Lisbon Connection

June 5, 2016August 10, 2020

Tasty & cheap: restaurant ‘O Cantinho do Custódio’ Lisbon & Garden Cerca da Graça city views

Not trendy or chic, but very tasty and cheap: typical Portuguese food in Mouraria, historic area of Lisbon, close to a new park with wonderful old town city views. Easy to reach from square Praça Martim Moniz (tram 28). Closed on Sundays.

Restaurant ‘O Cantinho do Custódio’ Mouraria Lisbon, owners & daughter Ilda

Away from tourist areas in Lisbon you can find good and cheap restaurants, like restaurant ‘O Cantinho do Custódio’ (Custódio ‘s Corner) in historic area Mouraria: tasty Portuguese food for a very good price: around 5-7 euro pp 😉

Restaurant ‘O Cantinho do Custódio’ Mouraria Lisbon: good and cheap Portuguese food

Our bill: bife da casa 7.00 € (Portuguese fried beef with an egg on top of the meat, rice, or fried potatoes and salad), polvo (octopus): 5.00 €, carafe of house wine 0.50 l (vinho da casa): 1.40 €, bottle of water (agua): 0.85 €, dessert (sobremesa): maçã assada (roasted apple) 1.50 €, 2 coffee: 1.20 €, licor Beirão (Portuguese liqueur) : 0,75 €

Restaurant ‘O Cantinho do Custódio’ Lisbon: polvo & batata cozida (octopus & potatoes) 5.00 €

Very popular: bitoque (Portuguese steak)

The Portuguese steak, bife, is a slice of fried beef served in a wine-based sauce with fried potatoes, rice, or salad.
Bitoque (toque means touch), comes from the idea that the meat only ‘touches’ the grill twice, meaning that it does not grill for too long before being served, resulting in a rare to medium-rare cut of meat. A fried egg is placed on top of the meat.

Restaurant ‘O Cantinho do Custódio’ area Mouraria Lisbon: tasty and cheap Portuguese food

Restaurant ‘O Cantinho’ do Custódio
Calçada Do Monte 3
Mouraria Lisbon
Tel.: (00351) 218860826, no WiFi

About 10 minutes walk from starting point tram 28 square Martim Moniz

More about ‘eléctrico 28′. This legendary tram is a tourist attraction in itself. It goes all around town.

Restaurant ‘O Cantinho do Custódio’ area Mouraria Lisbon: very tasty and cheap Portuguese food

Eat & drink like a local

Although this restaurant is quite close to the touristy areas of Lisbon, this is a local place that serves typical Portuguese food. You are very welcome, but the owners do not speak English.

Restaurant ‘O Cantinho do Custódio’ area Mouraria Lisbon & roasted apple 1.50 €

Historical area Mouraria & history

Historical area Mouraria exists more than 900 years, together with Alfama Lisbon’s oldest neighborhoods of great historical value. The former Moorish quarter is a muddle of very narrow streets, stairs and small squares, which gives the visitor a glimpse of a forgotten age.

Garden Jardim da Cerca da Graça Lisbon, wonderful views & the Saint George castle

Nearby garden Jardim da Cerca da Graça & wonderful old town city views

The new garden, with an area of 1.7 hectares, was inaugurated on 17 June 2015. It is the largest green space for public access to historic districts of Lisbon, the connection between the neighborhoods of Graça and Mouraria, opened to the public.

Garden Jardim da Cerca da Graça Lisbon & wonderful city views

Kiosk & childeren’s playground

According to the Lisbon Municipality, the project implemented on site included the planting of about 180 trees and shrubs. It was closed to the public for centuries.
There are three viewpoints, a picnic park, an orchard, a playground for children and a kiosk with a terrace. They serve soups, sandwiches and homemade cakes.

Garden Jardim da Cerca da Graça Lisbon, kiosk & beer: 1 euro 🙂

Jardim da Cerca da Graça
Calçada do Monte 46,
Graça, Lisbon
Opening hours: 10:00 to 22:00 (also on Sundays)
near children’s play ground, Wifi available

Garden Jardim da Cerca da Graça Lisbon & wonderfull city views

More pictures

January 27, 2015August 9, 2021

Amateur Fado Lisbon: cafe/bar ‘Tasca do Jaime’ & Dutch (!) Fado singer Henriquinha

Fado is a part of the culture in Portugal and many Portuguese have the idea they can sing just as wonderful as Carlos do Carmo or like the legendary Amália Rodrigues, Queen of fado, Lady of Lisbon..

Café/bar ‘Tasca do Jaime’ Lisbon & very talented Dutch Fado singer Henriquinha; Guitarra Portuguesa: Custódio Magalhaes; Viola do Fado: Duarte Nunes

Fadista (fado singer) Henriquinha Maria (Hendriktje Ruiter, born and professionally trained in Holland) is a very talented singer living in Lisbon. She really loves it to sing the fado; now she’s becoming famous in Portugal due to a Fado song contest on Portuguese TV.

YouTube Hendriktje ‘Amor de mel, amor de fel’

Dutch singer Henriquinha Maria & host Herman José on Portuguese TV, ‘Grande Premio do Fado’

Dutch singer Hendriktje Ruiter participated in a Fado talent show on Portuguese TV. After two rounds she won enough points to perform in the semi-final of this song contest in May 2015.

Interested to know where this Dutch fadista will sing in Lisbon? Mail to: hendriktje@gmail.com ; more pictures: facebook ; phone: 00351 917 035 578

Lisbon, cafe/bar ‘Tasca do Jaime’ December 2014 & Fado Vadio (amateur fado)

Amateur setting of Portuguese Fado is called FADO VADIO

In the old neighborhoods of Lisbon there are local bars or tascas where everybody can sing fado (max. 2 songs). Even you, if you might like it! 😉 …. In this setting only the guitarists are paid to accompany the singers.

Café/bar ‘Tasca do Jaime’ Lisbon December 2014

Silêncio que se vai cantar o fado (Silence)

In case you don’t understand the Portuguese language: when the light is dimmed, it means that ‘silence is asked because fado is going to be singed” …

Tasca do Jaime Graca area Lisbon, FADO VADIO December 2014: fadista Fernanda Proença. (YouTube). This lady has a wonderful voice! 🙂

Fado Vadio: ‘Dying cats or divine song’

The Portuguese have a lot of respect for the performers who like to express their emotions. You can enjoy a fado singer who sings so beautiful it will give you goosebumps, followed by someone who think he or she is a really good singer…..

Or, as Tasca do Jaime’s neighbors Mike and Alice described on their blog: ‘ It’s a very authentic little cafe bar in our neighborhood. The fado heard there can sound like dying cats or divine song..’ 😉

Dogs in Lisbon, help homeless dogs & BIANCA Association Sesimbra

There are lots of dogs in Lisbon, and a lot of them are quite happy…except the abandoned ones… they deserve a better life! You can help…read more about ‘BIANCA’ , Association for the protection of homeless Portuguese cats and dogs.

Poster near Miradouro da Graca Lisbon

“” Passeio o seu cão de saquinho na mão!” ‘Take your dog for a walk with a poop bag in your hand!”

I saw this funny poster near one of my favorite places in Lisbon, Miradouro da Graça, a splendid viewpoint offering a panoramic view over Lisbon.

Dogs in wintertime at flea market Feira da Ladra home made dog dresses

Home made coats… Feira da Ladra,

Lisbons’ legendary flea market in wintertime (about 18 degrees C…..)

Little dog church Rossio

This one has very sad eyes….

Near the church in Rosssio, close to Palácio da Independência (Palace of Independece) and the famous small ‘A Ginjinha’ cafe.

Rua da Costa do Castelo

Rua da Costa do Castelo,

Walking up to the old castelo São Jorge (Castle of Saint George), located on the highest of the seven hills of the historic center of Lisbon.

doggy in the window Alfama

Alfama, at lunch time (almoço).

Alfama: famous historic old neighborhood in Lisbon.

I manage to get lost every time I walk there…! It’s a labyrinth of lanes (becos) paved with pebbles, tiny alleys, steps, arches, courtyards and small squares. Houses, shouldering each other, with tiles (azulejos) and wrought iron balconies with lazy cats, birds in cages and sometimes a sleeping dog…. 🙂

Cafe Noo bai Santa Catarina Lisbon

Cafe Noobai near the river Tagus

The entrance of Cafe Noobai is located on Miradoura de Santa Catarina, also known as Adamastor. This bar and restaurant is certainly worth a visit because of the wonderful view over the Tejo river side.

Lisbon beggars using dogs Baixa

🙁 Beggar with his small dog in Lisbon city center 🙁

Beggars & dogs

In Lisbon there are many beggars on the streets. Sadly enough some of them use animals, many tourists give money to this boy. The dog doesn’t look very happy on the street in the heat of the summer……you’ll find him ‘working’ in the city center Baixa.

Dogs in Lisbon Praca Dom Pedro IV Chistmas time

Praça Dom Pedro IV at Christmas time 2009

Portugeuse waterdog Bo Obama

Portuguese Water Dog (picture: Chicago Tribune)

Obama’s daughter Malia walks the First Family’s new puppy, Bo, on the grounds of the White House.

So far, I never saw a Portuguese ‘Water Dog’ in Lisbon…… But maybe Obama bought him because these very smart dogs were often taken with sailors during the overseas Portuguese discoveries ? 😉

You can help Portuguese homeless dogs and cats…read more about ‘BIANCA’ , Association

April 30, 2008November 13, 2018

Traditional Fado Vadio Lisbon: taverna ‘Tasca do Jaime’ & black shawl of mourning

UPDATE 2015

Enjoy the real fado while munching on freshly-fried cod pastries in the late afternoon in Tasca do Jaime, one of the most intriguing of Lisbon’s ‘tavernas’. Traditionally, the Fado houses are popular and a meeting spot for families and friends. Close to Lisbon’s legendary flea market ‘Feira da Ladra’

tasca do jaime 2

‘Tasca do Jaime’ taverna Lisbon: real fado music

You won’t always find the best fadistas, but don’t let that scare you off. This is real traditional fado, out of the tourist circle, where the fado singers can enter spontaneously and improvise.

tasca do jaime 1

‘Tasca do Jaime’ taverna Lisbon, Saturday afternoon

As soon as somebody gets up to sing the audience stops talking and all the attention is on the singer. The Portuguese have a lot of respect for the performers and it is of utmost importance that the singers can concentrate and express their emotions in their singing. When the song is about to finish the audience starts applauding and cheering.

tasca do jaime 3

‘Tasca do Jaime’ taverna Lisbon

Fado Vadio on Saturdays, Sundays and public Holidays from 16:00 to 20:00, Rua da Graça 91, Lisbon.

tasca do jaime 4

‘Tasca do Jaime’ taverna Lisbon

Fadistas, as fado singers are known, often wear a black shawl of mourning, as one of Maria Severa did after her heartbreak. Her story epitomizes fado’s connection with saudade, “a feeling of longing or nostalgia”.