There are some people that keep everything they have ever owned or come upon: they collect every little toy from their childhood, the memories from their first lover and any kind of object that serves as a little piece of memory.
There is a bar in Lisbon whose owner seems to belong to this kind of group of people. Pavilhão Chinês is a small café-bar on the north side of the Bairro Alto which is actually more a museum than a bar. Not particulary chinese, the interesting and unusual interior is made up of a collection of the owner’s personal items. These include thousands of miniature soldiers, model trains, antique mugs, ceramic bulls, flags, medals, china dancers and a number of teapots dangling from the ceiling. Short, every nook of this former woodworking shop and 19th century “fine” grocery store is filled with peculiar items, that all together create a sense of an almost organized chaos.
All of this creates an atmosphere that is none to other. There are five different rooms which all are all over-decorated with things to admire. The objects in this cabinet of curiosities are sadly not for sale – but the drinks are! With over 100 cocktails and many Portuguese specialities, there is sure to be the right drink for everyone to choose from the wide selection. You can either sip on your drink in the comfortable chairs, listen to some music from the jukebox and enjoy a little conversation. Or you can head back to another room with pool tables to enjoy an exciting game of billiard. Rumor has it that the most intense games take place after 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, when the place is packed with whisky-drinking locals and admiring tourists alike.
Pavilhão Chinês is truly a unique places with works of art wherever you look. Even the menu is special: it is actually a real book, which was designed by the owner. Antique store, museum or bar, this place is worth a visit.
Come and have a drink in this magic junk shop! Look at our apartments in Lisbon to get started.
