Mesa de Frades

THE CHAPEL

Mesa de Frades

This former chapel with walls covered with 18th-century tiles is truly a Fado cathedral

DINNER

Mesa de Frades

Experience the unique atmosphere while you taste the traditional Portuguese cuisine

FADO

Mesa de Frades

Through the dimmed lights and the silence, the sounds of Fado music fill the air, making time stand still outside and transporting us to another world

ATMOSPHERE

Mesa de Frades

This is a place to meet friends, to enjoy long conversations, where singers of Fado and other music genres get together and where you can create unforgettable memories

The Concept

Much more than a restaurant, this is an iconic stop on the “Fado route”. In this former chapel full of 18th-century tiles, renowned Fado singers, as well as singers from the new generation of fadistas perform every night. Enjoy an informal atmosphere and a dinner menu full of tasty traditional Portuguese dishes.

Espaço

Uma capela única

Being one of the most well-kept treasures in the heart of Alfama, this former chapel of the D. Rosa Palace is beautifully decorated with 18th-century tile panels that bear the Royal Coat of Arms and were painted by King Joseph’s official artist. The story goes that King Joseph had this chapel rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake for secretly meeting his Spanish mistress, D. Rosa. Nowadays, the seductive and romantic atmosphere becomes more notable through Fado. Prova o brazão Real no seu interior. Hoje, há lugar para este ambiente sedutor e romântico que ganha maior expressão através do Fado.

The Place

A unique chapel

Play Video

1775

The palace is destroyed by the earthquake of 1 November 1775.

18th century

King Joseph of Portugal orders the D. Rosa Palace to be rebuilt and offers the tile panels with the Royal Coat of Arms, painted by his official artist.

19th century

The Chapel is desacralised in the 19th century and converted into a charcoal works. In the late 19th century, it is transformed into a small tavern where famous Fado nights take place, remaining so until 1994. (Article of Diário de Lisboa newspaper dated 1923)

1934 to 1994

It was granted a license to sell wine and its derivatives, served in bottles and by the glass, becoming a tavern with amateur Fado nights until the mid-eighties.