When we opened our shop on Columbia rd in 2013 we had the aim to share the best of Portugal with you. Our memories, our flavours, our passion for life and our love for our country! Despite the fact that we love our shop on Columbia rd and it will always be our baby, we never got over the fact that Portugal is also a lot about food, about seating on a table with friends and family, about eating and drinking and laughing and just being there and being happy!!
In 2016 we decided to open a little deli-café, on Hackney rd, to let our dreams come true and it has been a great fun.
Hope you are enjoying as much as we are!
Columbia Road was originally a weekday market that emerged in the street in the early 1800’s. In 1864 Baroness Coutts decided to build a proper market for the traders. This would take the form of a large building with shops around the edge of a market square, with living accommodation for the traders included in the design. Unfortunately most of the traders were not keen on the new market and its new rules and went back to selling on the street - the market building was gradually taken over by the furniture traders.
As most of the furniture makers moving into the area were of Jewish origin, permission was granted for Sunday trading to be allowed in Columbia Road. The weekday market gradually died out and a specialised Sunday market became a permanent fixture. The licensing of pitches in 1927 to sell specific goods caused traders selling other goods in the market to gradually disappear and create Columbia Road Flower Market.
Since then vibrant Columbia Road is known for the flower market and the overflow of beautiful flowers and plants, friendly atmosphere and independent shops.
In the last few years, with the cultural explosion of East London, the street became livelier keeping the charm of 1860’s - This is a must see street!
The early 1850s and 1860s directories place the Nags Head near to the junction of Birdcage Walk, in Hackney Road, and in 1848 to 1856 it is at 2 London Terrace, Hackney Road, renumbered to 324 Hackney Road by 1869. The pub was re-built in its present form in 1888. It closed in 1991 and now houses our beautiful deli-café.
We love simple traditional food like the one we cook for ourselves at home and that's what you will find here! Fresh fish from Billingsgate Fish Market, great meats from Armazém Brazil, veggies from UK farmers and organic salads from our neighbours on Hackney City Farm.
Ah! And we have the best pastel de nata in London... the rumours say.. freshly made and baked every morning.
