Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(Rua Almeida Garrett 7; 11pm-6am Mon-Sat)
This club plays mainly rock and goes loud and very
late. It's not subtle but it's a reliable local favourite.
Entertainment
Free fado performances take place periodically at Café Santa Cruz - consult the weekly
schedule of events posted at the cafe. From late June to mid-September, you'll also find
evening folk music and dancing in Praça 8 de Maio.
Á Capella
( 918 113 307;
www.acapella.com.pt
;
Rua Corpo de Deus; admission incl 1 drink €10; 9pm-2am)
A 14th-
century chapel transformed into candlelit cocktail lounge, this regularly hosts the city's
most renowned fado musicians. The setting is as intimate as the music itself, with heart-
rendingly good acoustics. These shows cater directly to a tourist crowd, but atmosphere
and music are both superb. There's a show every night at 10pm.
FADO
Fado ao Centro
FADO
( 913 236 725;
www.fadoaocentro.com
;
Rua Quebra Costas 7; show incl drink €10)
At the bottom of the
old town, this friendly fado centre makes a good place to introduce yourself to the genre.
There's a performance every evening at 6pm (and other shorter ones during the after-
noon). Shows include plenty of explanation in Portuguese and English about the history of
Coimbra fado and the meaning of each song. It's tourist-oriented, but the performers enjoy
it and do it well. You can chat with them afterwards over a glass of port (included).
Teatro Académico de
THEATRE, CONCERT VENUE
Gil Vicente
(TAGV; 239 855 630;
www.tagv.info
; Praça da República)
This university-run auditorium is an im-
portant theatre, cinema and concert venue.
Shopping
Coimbra is famous for its distinctive handpainted pottery depicting whimsical, stylised
hunting scenes with twirling tendrils and graceful animals. The best place to watch a
painter at work and pick up some ceramics is the shop and studio of
Carlos Tomás
