CHAPITÔ à MESA
Where Circus Magic Meets Culinary Delights in Lisbon
Would you believe me if I told you that there was a secret circus-restaurant under one of the most frequented places in Lisbon?
Located in Alfama, the highest of Lisbon’s seven hills, Chapitô à Mesa is the restaurant of Chapitô, an art, culture and education community.
I found them by chance during one of my exploratory walks in Alfama.
The staircase, located at the end of the small opening where you step into what looked like an ordinary handicrafts shop, presented me with different surprises on each floor, like a dowry chest that opened layer by layer as I descended.
Even though at first glance I couldn’t believe what I discovered, the child inside me was almost about to scream with joy.
Standing calmly among the chain of vivid buildings of Lisbon, this building contained a huge world inside, unlike its whitewashed façade that you could easily pass by. (Maybe this contrast was made on purpose, who knows?)
The small terrace, which welcomes you with its colorful objects on both sides on the first floor and an extraordinary view of Lisbon at the end, gave way to the flamboyant circus-tent awning that started slowly to appear beneath. As I approached, the wonderful smells emanating from the kitchen and the customers chatting happily below began to come into sight.
However, there was a much different feeling that this obvious-at-first-sight circus themed restaurant emitted that day.
I don’t know if I’ve mentioned before, but some places seem to whisper to me that they have a good story to tell the moment I step into them. A whisper you can hear, if you listen closely.
So while I was waiting for my order, I set out to explore the surroundings, where I realized that it was much more than just a thematic business.
That’s when I discovered the acrobats training indoors next to the restaurant, Bartô, the objects in the indoor area of the restaurant, the unique photographs that exhibit memories and performances of Teté and her friends and so on. (See many more visuals of this beautiful discovery on my Alfama highlights on Instagram)
How Was Chapitô Born?
O Chapitô, (meaning “circus tent”) has been founded by Teresa Ricou (Teté, as she is called), a clown woman when she wanted to realize her dream and started gathering her friends -artists & intellectuals- around and thus the Project came to world.
Returning to her country with the Carnation Revolution, from which she had been away for a long time, Teté saw a ray of hope in her country and wanted to find a way to reintegrate poor neighborhoods and recovery of especially the children and young people at risk and/or vulnerability, or in “cocked and ‘repatic’ or blocked trajectories”, into society through art.
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After performing many spectacles all over the country for 7 years, she founded the Mariano Franco Circus School in an area provided by the Lisbon Santa Catarina Charity House. Thus, the foundation of the Chapitô project was laid.
With Chapitô which was founded in 1981, Teté and her friends, perform shows in neighbourhoods in need of aid and try to guide children and young people here to make better choices through art.
It would be fair to say that Chapitô, which moved to its current location in 1986, was built literally from the ground.
The community, which also carries out international projects with many countries, was declared “Manifested Cultural Interest” and “Superior Social Interest” by the Portuguese Ministries of Culture, Finance, Labor and Social Solidarity.
Chapitô, – a “modern circus” as they call it – has been growing ever since.
What Can I Find in Chapitô?
Today, Chapitô, which is a house of education, culture, art and entertainment shaped around circus arts, does not only have beautiful events every month.
It is also a school where regular classes are given to raise the artists of tomorrow.
And at Bartô, Chapitô’s bar, different artistic and cultural activities take place every week, such as live music events of many types, from samba to fado, from jazz to choir club, film screenings, theater and dance performances, conferences and debates.
In short, Chapitô is a formation that has taken the colorful spirit of the circus to a completely different dimension, and in a much more beautiful direction.
If you would like to visit this beautiful Collective at their house, you can find them at the address below. To access their monthly bulletins announcing different events, or details of Chapitô a Mesa and Bartô for reservation, check their website here.
I hope you liked the story of this brilliant Collective, that has won the hearts of many people with the work they have devoted themselves for more than 40 years. If you did, don’t forget to share it with your loved ones so that it can reach more people.
What do you think about Chapitô? Don’t forget to share your experience with me and check my Alfama highlights on Instagram!<3
Address: Costa do Castelo 7, 1149-079 Lisboa
Tel: (+351) 218 875 077
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