Alongside Café Majestic in Porto and Lisbon’s Café Brasileira, Coimbra’s Café Santa Cruz rounds out the trio of Portugal’s most beautiful historic cafés. But before it became a beloved institution in Coimbra’s Baixa district, the building served as the side chapel of the Santa Cruz Monastery until 1834. After being deconsecrated, it housed a funeral agency, and then a fire station. Not what you’d expect for such an elegant space. The date that really matters is 1923, the year Café Santa Cruz opened its doors and began building the legacy it holds today. The confessional booths have been replaced by desks, a ceiling fan now spins beneath the vaulted roof, and the grand entrance has been fitted with a display window, but almost everything else remains as it once was. The stained glass, the arches, the carved woodwork, and the leather chairs once occupied by Coimbra’s intellectuals are still here, welcoming locals and visitors alike. If you happen to return in the evening, you might catch a live Fado concert, often held on weeknights. So keep your ears open!