Livraria Bertrand - Chiado — Local services in Lisbon

Livraria Bertrand in Chiado is a must-visit for book lovers. It is officially recognized as the oldest operating bookstore in the world, and walking inside feels like stepping into history. The atmosphere is cozy and full of character, with long wooden shelves and quiet corners perfect for browsing.

The selection of books is excellent. Most are in Portuguese, but there is also a section with English titles and other languages. The range of topics is wide, from literature and poetry to history and art. The staff are friendly and helpful if you need assistance finding something. They clearly care about the store and the experience of their visitors.

What makes this place special is the sense of tradition. You can imagine the many writers and readers who have walked through the same doors over the centuries. The layout is charming, with small rooms that lead into each other like a maze. It feels very different from a modern chain bookstore.

The location in Chiado is also ideal, close to cafés and other historic spots. Prices are fair, and the quality of the...

This bookshop should win the Guinness World Record for the slowest checkout lane in the world. There were two cash registers open and about six customers ahead of me. I waited 25 minutes and gave up. I was next in line and one of the salespeople spent 15 minutes with the people ahead of me giggling and joking around. I guess they were looking up books, but I wish they had had some respect for people waiting. At some point they were just smelling candles and standing around… at a checkout lane. I had a tired baby and couldn’t wait that long. You know it’s bad when people in the line start commiserating about how slow things are. Everyone around me was furious. At some point I thought we must be getting filmed since it was a joke. Eventually, still the next in line but having waiting 30 minutes, I said something and then left. I hope a manager sorts this out, because I’ve lived in six countries, traveled to dozens more, and this was the slowest customer service I’ve ever...

This bookshop is usually my first stop when I travel to Lisbon. I love it for its wide selection of books and magazines, despite its charm as a more traditional bookstore. Unfortunately, yesterday I had a very uncomfortable experience with an employee who refused to let me go to the bathroom. I had already bought a book and a magazine a few days ago, and the book with the bookstore stamp was still in my bag (as I informed her). However, without the receipt from the same day, she refused to let me in. There were only very few people in this part of the store and the employee didn't seem very busy. But she told me to find a restroom somewhere else to then just come back later to buy something. After this experience I didn't feel like going back and bought my book in another bookshop. Unnecessarily arrogant treatment, especially when I was still carrying my latest...