Choosing a bar in Bairro Alto was like deciding between Swiss or Belgian chocolate — is it even possible to make a bad choice? Every place we passed seemed to possess great energy and a lively, good-looking crowd. We had originally planned on attending a performance at one of the many fado houses that are famous in Bairro Alto. I’m embarrassed to say, we never made it there. Maybe I can blame that last shot of Port we had at dinner — it had put us in the mood to find something a little more debauch.
While there were no swinging trapeze artists in our cards that night, CENA DE COPOS was a dimly lit bar that played a sexy mixture of Portuguese hip-hop and dance tracks. It consisted of two rooms, one where you can sit on stools at the bar, the other a living-room style lounge. The windows in these rooms had been rolled back so we were completely open to the activity out on the street. This naked exposure gave the bar a nice feeling, like it was an equal opportunity spot where anyone could come on in and join the party.
We were shocked by how inexpensive our drinks were. A pint of Sagres cost a little less than €2 and a very strong mojito came out to only €3 (and I’m talking a very strong mojito indeed). The bar served up all types of cocktails, both Portuguese and American, as well as Russian vodkas, American whiskeys, and a decent selection of beer.
We started chatting to the bartender and before we knew it, he was scribbling down the name of a party at the Oriente in Cintura Do Porto. He warned us not to show up before 3am, as clubs close late (6am) and nothing ever happens before 3am.
We were dead curious to find out exactly what "nothing" was....but did I mention how strong my mojitos were?? Hhmm, maybe next time.