Pastelaria Versailles

Pastelaria Versailles opened in 1922 on Avenida da República, in the Avenidas Novas district north of the centre, and it was the first large café in what was then a new residential quarter. For generations it has been a place for families, office workers and neighbours to meet for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea or a late coffee, and it is part of Lisbon's Lojas com História programme recognising the city's historic shops.

The interior is the reason many visitors make the trip. Very high ceilings, large mirrors and marble surfaces give the room a sense of grandeur, the furnishings have sinuous lines inspired by Art Nouveau, and paintings by Benvindo Ceia and carved woodwork by Fausto Fernandes cover the walls and ceilings. The long counter displays rows of cakes and pastries, and there is table service in the main room. It is easy to see why the café survived difficult decades in the 1980s and 1990s, when the district's population fell sharply, before being bought by a company and returned to life.

The menu covers the whole day. Breakfast is popular, with toast, pastries and coffee, and at lunch the café serves Portuguese dishes, including a tenderloin steak. In the late afternoon, the house chocolate cake is the classic order, and the croquettes are a favourite savoury snack. Many people come simply for a galão and a pastry from the counter. Prices are reasonable, and portions are generous.

Versailles suits anyone who enjoys grand old cafés, and it is a good stop when visiting the Gulbenkian Museum or exploring the Avenidas Novas, an area of early twentieth-century buildings, wide avenues and offices that tourists often miss. It is busy at weekend breakfast and at teatime, when local families gather, so expect a short wait for a table. There is also a newer branch in Belém, but the original on Avenida da República has the historic interior. There is no dedicated website, so call ahead if you want to check hours.

The café is a few steps from Saldanha metro station, where the red and yellow lines meet, and the Gulbenkian Museum and garden are about fifteen minutes' walk away. Campo Pequeno, with its neo-Moorish bullring and shopping centre, is a short walk further up the avenue.