Café O Poeta, offers poetry, music and friendship, surrounded by the city park
An expression he heard a lot when he was a little boy said that ‘everything is against old music’. I ended up realizing, years later, that the expression could mean the difficulty in carrying out any task. Now, the music that is often heard in the Poet is not exactly old, perhaps homesick, but its notes faced difficult times in the design of this cafe, present in São João da Madeira since 2013.
The Poet is born from a dream and the courage of those who dare to try fate. Catarina Moreira, dissatisfied with her work, decided to participate in a contest for a vacant commercial space, at Rua do Condestável Nuno Álvaro Pereira, nº 334. When she won the contest, both she and her partner, Carlos Pereira, realized that the participation in the event, almost as a joke, had probably opened a path that would be worth exploring. Many stories of restaurants or bars start almost from birth: people who grow up behind counters, who know the ‘tricks and tricks’ of the business and for whom the business no longer has any secrets. The same did not happen with Carlos and Catarina. Both of them, aware of their inexperience, went to work with the only weapon capable of fighting this obstacle: claw. They started by rethinking the concept of the establishment, as well as its decoration. The Poet would be a bar defined by a serene and familiar atmosphere, guided by Carlos’ musical passion, present in the undulating melodies that invade the space with ‘old days’ touches, and by the human warmth of Catarina that invites him, as well as the nature of himself space, to enter.
The name of the establishment is related to Catarina’s passion for poetry and to the writer who gave the name to the park where the café is located (Ferreira Castro Park), who, despite not being a poet, shared the enthusiasm for letters.
In an attempt to make the space more transparent and accessible, Carlos and Catarina also made a point of entering into a dialogue with the camera to improve the lighting of the park where the establishment is located. The somewhat camouflaged facet of the previous café was thus replaced by a space in keeping with the nature that surrounds it. To finish off the whole ‘new face’ of the place, a children’s space was built in the Ferreira de Castro park, which makes it the perfect cafe for a Sunday stroll with the children, or a simple hop outside to relax. Ultimately, the Poet was not only revitalized as a commercial space, he was also responsible for dynamizing a somewhat forgotten part of the city.
The success of this story is, however, built by several friendly people who had knowledge in the field of catering and who did not hesitate to help our couple of entrepreneurs, as well as suppliers who were giving valuable tips and helping with the handling of the equipment sold. Many lines could be written about the merit of those who pursue a dream, but suffice it to mention the amazement that Catarina revealed when she said: ‘the machine has many buttons!’ when he saw his new coffee machine, to realize how much dedication it took to carry this project forward.
It has already been said that it was necessary to ‘inject’ the Poet for his reinvigoration, but not what was withdrawn from the experience. For both Carlos and Catarina, his commercial adventure was translated into countless friendships, from people who had just come to know the house, as friends who had helped his design, going through musical projects that were born in the bar, namely Carlos Pereira and the Antimónio, Eva Danin and Notes Loose. Yes, this space has live music, but not only. It also piques the curiosity of all Sanjoans with magic shows, starring Carlos himself. Of note is ‘Varuna’, its largest production to date. Magic, fire, lots of lights and a motorcycle to enter the bar is just a tip of the veil of a show that almost never happened. That same day it rained profusely before and after the show … but not during! A stroke of luck or fate? The question remains in the air and a note of appreciation to the many people who helped create a memorable event.
After the many adventures and obstacles that have been overcome, our Poet remains very lively. It is a case to say that it has already passed Bojador. He faces the future with optimism, wandering from pen to hand, continuing to write a success story…
An expression he heard a lot when he was a little boy said that ‘everything is against old music’. I ended up realizing, years later, that the expression could mean the difficulty in carrying out any task. Now, the music that is often heard in the Poet is not exactly old, perhaps homesick, but its notes faced difficult times in the design of this cafe, present in São João da Madeira since 2013.
The Poet is born from a dream and the courage of those who dare to try fate. Catarina Moreira, dissatisfied with her work, decided to participate in a contest for a vacant commercial space, at Rua do Condestável Nuno Álvaro Pereira, nº 334. When she won the contest, both she and her partner, Carlos Pereira, realized that the participation in the event, almost as a joke, had probably opened a path that would be worth exploring. Many stories of restaurants or bars start almost from birth: people who grow up behind counters, who know the ‘tricks and tricks’ of the business and for whom the business no longer has any secrets. The same did not happen with Carlos and Catarina. Both of them, aware of their inexperience, went to work with the only weapon capable of fighting this obstacle: claw. They started by rethinking the concept of the establishment, as well as its decoration. The Poet would be a bar defined by a serene and familiar atmosphere, guided by Carlos’ musical passion, present in the undulating melodies that invade the space with ‘old days’ touches, and by the human warmth of Catarina that invites him, as well as the nature of himself space, to enter.
The name of the establishment is related to Catarina’s passion for poetry and to the writer who gave the name to the park where the café is located (Ferreira Castro Park), who, despite not being a poet, shared the enthusiasm for letters.
In an attempt to make the space more transparent and accessible, Carlos and Catarina also made a point of entering into a dialogue with the camera to improve the lighting of the park where the establishment is located. The somewhat camouflaged facet of the previous café was thus replaced by a space in keeping with the nature that surrounds it. To finish off the whole ‘new face’ of the place, a children’s space was built in the Ferreira de Castro park, which makes it the perfect cafe for a Sunday stroll with the children, or a simple hop outside to relax. Ultimately, the Poet was not only revitalized as a commercial space, he was also responsible for dynamizing a somewhat forgotten part of the city.
The success of this story is, however, built by several friendly people who had knowledge in the field of catering and who did not hesitate to help our couple of entrepreneurs, as well as suppliers who were giving valuable tips and helping with the handling of the equipment sold. Many lines could be written about the merit of those who pursue a dream, but suffice it to mention the amazement that Catarina revealed when she said: ‘the machine has many buttons!’ when he saw his new coffee machine, to realize how much dedication it took to carry this project forward.
It has already been said that it was necessary to ‘inject’ the Poet for his reinvigoration, but not what was withdrawn from the experience. For both Carlos and Catarina, his commercial adventure was translated into countless friendships, from people who had just come to know the house, as friends who had helped his design, going through musical projects that were born in the bar, namely Carlos Pereira and the Antimónio, Eva Danin and Notes Loose. Yes, this space has live music, but not only. It also piques the curiosity of all Sanjoans with magic shows, starring Carlos himself. Of note is ‘Varuna’, its largest production to date. Magic, fire, lots of lights and a motorcycle to enter the bar is just a tip of the veil of a show that almost never happened. That same day it rained profusely before and after the show … but not during! A stroke of luck or fate? The question remains in the air and a note of appreciation to the many people who helped create a memorable event.
After the many adventures and obstacles that have been overcome, our Poet remains very lively. It is a case to say that it has already passed Bojador. He faces the future with optimism, wandering from pen to hand, continuing to write a success story…
+351 256 878 116
mitologiadopoeta@hotmail.com
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