Pastelaria Mexicana

Coffee and cake in an institution.

Historical traces linger at Praça de Londres, once known as Mexico Square in the 1940s — hence ”Pastelaria Mexicana,” nestled amidst the resurgent Salazar-inspired architecture, currently experiencing a revival akin to the prefabricated buildings in former East Germany.

The present-day appearance of Mexicana dates back to the 1960s under Jorge Ferreira Chaves, who ranks fairly high on the list of modern Portuguese architects. As was customary at the time, there's a restaurant and a counter area — specifically, a ten-meter stretch of sweets. The rear room is now reserved for events; it’s worth peeking inside on your way to the restroom — the interior design is magnificent, even if the budgerigars behind glass don’t quite seem to understand it.

The exceptional setting has also caught the eye of location scouts. For example, some scenes from ”Corte de Cabelo” were filmed at Mexicana. This film stands as one of the greatest Portuguese cinema successes, serving as a precursor to the modern understanding of alternative film and allegedly a foreshadowing of Dogma in 1995: a marriage nearly falls apart when the bride gets a short haircut, until they realize, thanks to skinheads and hip-hoppers, that there are more important things in life.