Fado in Coimbra

In the town of Coimbra, home to Portugal’s oldest university, the shops and museums start closing their doors around 5 PM. However, the restaurants don’t open until 8 (and people don’t start eating until 9.) The bar hours are even later. Our choices were:

1. Drink coffee in a cafe – Bad idea at night.
2. Head back to the hotel for a nap – Bad idea at night.
3. Embrace our roles as tourists and check out the Coimbra-style Fado (Portuguese music) performance which includes a cup of port. 10€ each.

We went with the entertaining Fado show where we learned the university students use the music to serenade girls, rebel against the government, and say goodbye to the city when they graduate.

A few hours later, we have eaten dinner at the proper time. While wandering the narrow alleys near our hotel, we hear the sound of guitars and signing spilling out from a hole in the wall with 6 tables. We are compelled to walk in and grab a seat.

We quickly realize a group of young musicians is just goofing off at a table in the corner of the restaurant. The waitress tells us the place is closed, but still takes our order for beers. After we are sipping our beers the waitress heckles the band to start performing because there are “clients”. As she explains to us afterwards in English, the other 2 tables are just friends. The musicians heckle back for another pitcher of wine – which is supplied, and the music begins.

During the next 2 hours we hear:

• Smells Like Teen Spirit
• The chef/owner emerging to sing classic ballads
• Fado jamming
• Adam singing along to The White Stripes because: “Adam, you have good English”

At this point we’ve had multiple rounds of beers, have gotten to know the band and regulars, and learned that “closed” is relative. After 2 hours and a bill 0f only 6 €, we are feeling generous. We offer to buy a bottle of red wine for the performers, and Patricia the waitress let us know she prefers white wine and requests that, too. The guys insist that Adam have a glass of the red wine with them, and Cara is happy to share a carafe of white wine with Patricia.

Some time later, the Fado resumes for 2 songs in thanks for our generosity. The owner and the group sing a serenade for Cara on behalf of Adam. They wrap up with a goodbye song, and we think we learn a bit of the spirit of the Coimbra Fado.

* The musicians perform at Tasquinha do Fado in Coimbra every Saturday. Our bill was 14€ – we tried.