BROTÉRIA CAFÉ

The former Condes de Tomar Palace in Lisbon has reopened as a cultural space managed by Brotéria, the centenary magazine of the Jesuit priests of the Society of Jesus.
It features an art gallery, bookstore, library, noble rooms, and a café-restaurant with a secret courtyard.
The palace, built during the second half of the 19th century on an existing building in the Bairro Alto district near Largo da Misericórdia, belonged to António Bernardo da Costa Cabral, the 1st Count and 1st Marquess of Tomar.
Over the years, it served as the headquarters of the Royal British Club, and in 1973, the Lisbon City Council installed the Municipal Hemeroteca (Newspaper Library) there with a catalog of approximately 35,000 bibliographic records.

After more than 40 years of service, the palace underwent renovations carried out by the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (Holy House of Mercy of Lisbon), with architect José Neuparth leading the project.
Its management was entrusted to the Society of Jesus on a commodatum basis to establish a library and house the centenary magazine Brotéria, founded in 1902 and considered the longest-running Portuguese cultural publication. The space holds about 100,000 volumes covering history, humanities, literature, philosophy, and theology.

This cultural space, open to all, aims to "combine religion and faith with urban and contemporary culture."
It also includes an art gallery, several work/study rooms, multipurpose halls, and a restaurant led by chef Carlos Robalo, complemented by a sunny courtyard where visitors can relax.
The Jesuit community involved in the day-to-day activities of Brotéria resides on the top floor of the building, observing the dynamics of contemporary Lisbon as they explore.

The different spaces:

Staircase
The staircase is the most visually striking element at the entrance, featuring an impressive statue at the beginning of the handrail.
As you ascend the single flight of stairs directly to the third floor, you can appreciate the elegant elliptical curve. The surrounding walls, adorned with 19th-century stucco, also showcase four large medallions representing the seasons of the year.

Casa dos Escritores (Writers' House)
Also known as the leather room, the Casa dos Escritores hall is the flagship space of Brotéria.
Its walls are covered in carved, gilded, and painted wood and repoussé leather, featuring the figures of rampant goats, the insignia of the Cabral family.
In the center, there is a black marble fireplace.
The capacity of the hall is 16 people seated for work.

Library
Writers, researchers, or simply curious individuals can physically consult around 95,000 books and 65,000 magazines in Brotéria's library, open from 10 am to 7 pm.
The space holds an important collection related to the history of the Jesuits in Portugal and overseas, as well as a collection of rare books from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries that are gradually being made available online through preservation, restoration, and digitization efforts.

If I could give this place a 0 star I would for service. I was brunching in Lisbon with my American friends, expecting a delightful experience, but little did we know it would turn into a horrifying ordeal. Our patience was tested with a staggering 50-minute wait for our food. Finally, our orders arrived, but the worst was yet to come. As my friend took a sip of his beer, a chilling realization washed over us—the presence of seven glass pieces at the bottom of his drink, with two already swallowed. Concerned for his safety, I calmly called over our server to address the dire situation. In a nonchalant manner, he replied, "Yeah, I know..." and casually nodded before sauntering away. Our shock and frustration grew as we waited anxiously for the manager to appear. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she emerged with a disinterested "Heyyy!" Her interrogative tone and skeptical demeanor left us speechless. Despite our sincere complaints about the appalling incident, the manager displayed no sympathy and remained dismissive. In the rudest of tones, she muttered, "I'm sorry that happened to you," before swiftly walking away. To our dismay, no compensation was offered, and the tainted beer remained on the bill. It was a truly terrifying experience that shattered our belief in the importance of customer service.
WARNING! Do not talk to the lady with the shirt gray and black hair, she might be the rudest manager I’ve ever came across.

Great garden, great service, very tasty food!

Um espaço bastante agradável para almoçar ou simplesmente desfrutar de uma bebida.

Local muito bonito. Quase sempre cheio à hora de almoço e os colaboradores não conseguem dar conta do recado. Estive 15 min para ser servido de um café. Pedi com amabilidade que fossem um pouco mais rápidos porque estava com pressa de entrar no serviço a horas e o que obtive foi uma resposta rude a dizer que esperasse como todos os outros (que estavam a almoçar e não a pedir apenas um café).