The Shop

Café Restaurant Nicola de Coimbra is located on one of Coimbra’s busiest streets. In the renowned Baixa district, specifically at No. 35 Rua Ferreira Borges, the entrance opens into a large, inviting coffee lounge filled with tables. Toward the back of the room, a pink marble spiral staircase leads to the first floor, with a cream-toned mosaic wall accentuating the sculpture “Diana – Goddess of the Hunt.” The second floor houses a dining room, while the third floor accommodates larger tourist groups. The uppermost floors are where the ‘magic happens’—the spaces dedicated to preparing food and pastries.

Shop History

Café Restaurant Nicola has been serving the community since 1939, originally as a café, gradually evolving and expanding to meet the changing needs of the city. Over time, the restaurant and its grand event hall became a hub for countless weddings, christenings, and sociocultural events in Coimbra.
From its early days, Nicola was a place for intellectual and social gatherings, where lively conversations sparked new ideas and “intellectual and political development.” The café attracted a distinguished clientele of writers, university professors, lawyers, doctors, and bankers—figures of influence. This intellectual atmosphere played a vital role in the city’s social, economic, and political evolution. During politically turbulent times, it even served as a discreet meeting place for secret gatherings, with an entrance via Largo do Arco de Almedina that ensured privacy.
Today, Café Nicola upholds its classic identity as a coffeehouse and street-level dining venue while actively engaging in the city’s sociocultural events. Its reconfigured event hall now welcomes large tourist groups for lunches and dinners. With a commitment to its heritage, Nicola de Coimbra continues to serve the local community and businesspeople, while increasingly introducing visitors to the rich traditions of local cuisine and pastries.

Products and Services

Café and restaurant services.
This establishment stands out for its traditional convent-inspired sweets, along with its handcrafted, artisanal Easter almonds (including toasted, sugar-coated, and white varieties). Café Nicola has long been featured on the Coimbra Confectionery Tour, where it proudly presents its signature dessert, “Barriga de Freira”.

Business Hours

Contacts

Parish: União das freguesias de Coimbra (Sé Nova, Santa Cruz, Almedina e São Bartolomeu)
Address: Rua Ferreira Borges 35 , 3000-180 Coimbra
Postal Code: 3000-180 Coimbra
239094066
cafenicola1939@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553644106249
https://www.instagram.com/nicola coimbra/profilecard/?igsh=MXM3MWNtMm82cXVwOA==

General Data

Main activity: Restaurants, pubs, café and Hotels
Opening Year: 1939
Main Code of Economic Activity (CAE): 56301