“Casa de Ló” the “Ló” house is a bar that opened in the “baixa” town centre of Porto in 2007. It was reconstructed by the current owner from an old “Pão de Ló” factory; this Portuguese speciality is a traditional cake that is made with over a dozen eggs. The recipe changes depending on the region which it is made. It is such an engraved part of Portuguese culture that the cake was introduced to Japan in the 16th century and now is known as “Castella Cake” by the Japanese.
This Bar is surprisingly cosy and the owners have tried to maintain the “Pão de Ló” tradition that dates back to 1860, when the original “Pão de Ló” factory resided here. The original bakery lasted until 2004, when it was shut down due to certification issues, as the ovens could not be operational below a residential area.
Even though the space was converted into a Bar the current owner did an impeccable job maintaining as much of the tradition as possible with the restoration of the original layout and cabinets, as well as maintaining the original recipe of the “Pão de Ló” which they have outsourced to an external bakery. You can still buy a whole cake here or ask for it by the slice, also.
The specialities here include, the “Pao de Ló” that I mentioned above and “cavacas” egg based pastry that is coated with icing sugar. In terms of food it changes on a daily basis but normally they always have quiche, biscuits and cake as well as muffins. They also have a large selection of tea, if that tickles your fancy; I have been told that blueberry liquor is also worth a try.
On a Sunny day they have a spacious terrace near the back which is worth taking advantage of. “Casa De Ló” is a good place to go after lunch or dinner for a coffee/tea, a digestive and slice of cake, which has lived for over 150 years.
Address: Travessa de Cedofeita 20 A
Contact: (00351) 914900409, casadelo@gmail.com
Opening times: 12:30-2:00 Mon-Sat
Links: Facebook