Café Santa Cruz — Restaurant in Coimbra

From the outside, this place looks like a charming, historic café – the kind of spot you’d expect to enjoy a relaxing breakfast in. Don’t be fooled. The moment you step inside, the illusion shatters. The atmosphere is unpleasant, the air smells stale and dirty, and the overall level of cleanliness is appalling. Tables were sticky and the whole place felt neglected.

The staff? Incredibly unfriendly, almost hostile. No smile, no courtesy, no attempt to make you feel welcome – just a cold, dismissive attitude. We ordered two orange juices, which turned out watery, bland, and clearly made from the cheapest supermarket orange juice pre made they could find.

But here’s the real trick: they DON’T ACCEPT CARDS, and instead of telling customers clearly, they hide this fact in a tiny sticker written only in Portuguese, stuck on a napkin holder, and another tiny note on a small cart hidden by the entrance. Unless you’re actively hunting for it, you’ll only discover this when you go to pay. This little setup forces you to run to the ATM – and it’s not hard to guess why: they also don’t give you any receipt. This strongly suggests their goal is to avoid declaring sales and evade taxes, something we fully intend to report to the relevant authorities.

In short: dirty, unfriendly, overpriced,...

This café lures you in with its lovely historic façade, but step inside and you’ll regret it. The smell hits you first – stale air mixed with neglect. The floor was dirty, the tables sticky, and the general level of hygiene completely unacceptable. It’s as if no one here cares about keeping the place clean.

The service is just as bad. The staff act like serving you is a burden, speaking with an unfriendly, dismissive tone. We ordered two orange juices: watery, sour, and clearly made from the cheapest, worst fruit available. Price? €6 for something I wouldn’t drink even if it were free.

And here’s the sneaky part – they don’t take cards, but don’t expect them to warn you. Instead, there’s only a tiny sticker in Portuguese on a napkin holder and another hidden note on a cart by the door. Completely invisible unless you go searching for it. Of course, when you go to pay, they’ll send you to the nearest ATM. And just like that, you’ll notice they don’t issue any receipt either – an obvious tactic to avoid declaring sales. We’ll be reporting this to the authorities, because this is not just bad service, it’s dishonest business.

Filthy interior, rude staff, overpriced drinks, and shady practices. Don’t make the mistake we did –...

Inaugurated in 1923, this cafe-restaurant that celebrates the history of Coimbra occupies the old parish church of Saint John of the Cross. It was built in 1539. The Café Santa Cruz is located next to the church of the same name, in front of the square Oito de Maio. Do not be surprised if here, at dusk, you come across poetic presentations or reading sessions. The Café has a rich cultural agenda, with musical presentations, artistic interventions and educational activities aimed at the general public.

In addition to contemplating its architecture or simply staying on its esplanade to watch the passers-by in the daily life of the city, visitors can order the crúzios - a popular regional sweet of monastic origin that takes its name from the members of the Order of the Holy Cross.

If you're curious about what's in the region, take a look at the free audio guide at this link:

https://izi.travel/en/c125-coimbra/en

I hope you enjoy your...