The name is said to reference an old fountain once located near the restaurant’s original site along the Tagus River. Over time, the phrase slipped easily into everyday language, becoming how one orders an espresso, the tap that pours a draught beer, and a term that can also signify a fountain, a spout, a flow. The word resists singular definition, instead evoking movement and exchange. When Bica do Sapato opened in 1999 under the helm of Manuel Reis, Fernando Fernandes, and José Miranda, the restaurant emerged at a moment when Lisbon was recalibrating its identity, opening itself to the world.

From the beginning, the space occupied a position between the local and the international. That balance became more pronounced through its long-standing partnership with John Malkovich. Drawn to the city over many years, his involvement reflected a genuine fascination. For him, Bica became a site of convergence, where gastronomy, art, and the rhythms of Lisbon life intersected organically.

Photography by Eduardo Gonçalves

The restaurant’s appeal cultivated a quiet magnetism, attracting a mix of Lisbon regulars and visiting creatives who understood the value of interdisciplinary spaces. Over time, it became more than a place to eat. “Bica was open to the river, open in every sense,” Fernando Fernandes once said. That openness marked a shift in the city’s tempo. Facing the water and embracing the night, the restaurant mirrored Lisbon’s evolving confidence as a cultural capital.

What made Bica do Sapato enduring was its willingness to remain porous. It absorbed the city’s changes without losing its core. Guests returned not only for the food or the setting, but for the sense of belonging that developed over time. As one visitor recalled, “I loved the Bica. I spent more time there than anywhere else.” Today, the restaurant’s legacy is defined by flow rather than permanence, a reminder that the most meaningful places are often those that allow life to pass through them freely.

Photography by Eduardo Gonçalves