History - Memórias 57

Bairro Alto

"And in the uppermost quarter", where the catastrophe of 1755 caused serious damages (as infall city), the reconstruction of Lisbon was carried out by the noble and financial families of the town square. This is where they made their palaces, and houses for living. Since the 80's, Bairro Alto is the best known area of ​​Lisbon nightlife, with countless bars and restaurants, along with fado houses. There were also numerous press agencies until the 70s and 80s of the 20th century. Since then, it has acquired a very own and characteristic life, where different generations cross in the search of nocturnal fun. It is also gradually becoming sought after as a place to live, with its population being renewed and rejuvenated. During the 19th century and until the third quarter of the 20th century, the neighborhood was home to the main newspapers and typographies of the country. Even today it is possible to find echoes of that time in street names such as Rua Diário de Notícias or Rua do Século. This district of the capital, just a step away from Chiado, frequented and inhabited by journalists, writers, artists and students, was also a place for sailors, charcoal shops and places of bad fame and prostitution. Vitorino Nemésio allusions to this environment in the novel Mau tempo in the channel.
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A Atalaia

In the complex os streets of Bairro Alto is located the Atalaia Street, whose name dates back to 1554. Atalaia is a word of Arab origin that means high place or sentinel, "where a watchtower of Castilian people stood [at the time of the election of the Avis Master] and that signs and notices were exchanged ... "Pastor de Macedo, an Olissippographer, refers as former residents of this street Josefina Santos, the cast of the Theater of the Gymnasium and widow of maestro Lino (1898), as well as the Counts of Atalaia in the Palace which later became the headquarters of the Record sports newspaper, and in the front building, where it is the headquarters of the Lisbon Club Rio Janeiro, the Diário newspaper also resided. Still in this street, in the old Palace of the Counts of Tomar, was the headquarters of the newspaper País and the store of the famous portuguese stylist Fátima Lopes.

The Memory of No.57

     ​In this street in nº 57, which was then one of the charcoal and tasca, later in the height of the 80s - 90, a meeting place of political, social and cultural elites, where the gastronomy of Portuguese tradition was not lacking in repast in a space where luxury and exuberance marked the motto and dictated the rules. It was the time of the famous "Pap'açorda", an environment for high society, which contrasted with the bohemian life and of bad reputation, with the houses of fado, also, some of them linked to the bad life that more and more were looked for , visitors who wanted to have contact with the city's nightlife and nostalgia and memory of the past, transmitted by fado.

The New Room

 The restaurant Memories57, located at Rua da Atalaia, no. 57, may have another name, since it is intended to bring to mind the space, atmosphere, gastronomy and personalities of Lisbon in the heyday of the 80s and 90s of the 20th century. A special menu on traditional Portuguese cuisine, with all its knowledges and flavors in which given the experience of its owners, with that of other establishments, such as The Salgadeiras, allows the transmission of knowledge, trust to its customers and collaborators. They maintain a calm environment, complete service of tables, guaranteeing comfort and convenience. It is a remodeled space, which maintains the previous tracing, connecting link to its previous time. It has a maximum capacity of 80 people, arranged in two rooms, allowing the reception of groups. We invite you to visit our Memories ...
An election place in town...
At Bairro Alto's heart, Lisbon
Full of History
More than a century of history...
Personality
A new brand, for a new Era.