A Baiuca
Type: Live Entertainment, Live Music, Local Picks, Nightlife District
Last updated on May 8, 2022
10Best Says
This shoe box-sized taberna in Alfama serves up ensopado de borrego (lamb stew and toasted bread) among other rich, hearty Portuguese fare. But what really is special about this family-run eatery is... Read More
This shoe box-sized taberna in Alfama serves up ensopado de borrego (lamb stew and toasted bread) among other rich, hearty Portuguese fare. But what really is special about this family-run eatery is the amateur fado performances (fado vadio) that take place between Thursday and Monday. Instead of hosting professional singers, the proprietor, Isabel, invites members of the public to sing in front of diners. Invariably, these are local residents who offer their own unique renditions of favourite fado songs. A surprise is the two cooks, Carla and Paula, who briefly swap kitchen duties for the spotlight and delight the audience with their beautiful singing. The atmosphere is homely and wonderfully amateurish but absolutely genuine. The singing is from the heart and makes for one of the most authentic dining experiences in the city.
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EXPERT TIPS BY:
Paul Bernhardt
Lisbon Local Expert
- Fado: "This is a very small restaurant so arrive early to bag a table."
- Alfama/Graça's Best Nightlife: "If you like your dinner served with plenty of leg room, best look elsewhere. The place is tiny."
- Best for Fado Because: Delightfully informal and absolutely grass-roots authentic, A Baîuca really is the place to meet and listen to locals.
- Best for Alfama/Graça's Best Nightlife Because: One of the best places to hear amateur fado sung with genuine passion.
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