Realising the dream
Art Café is housed in a 400m² traditional Portuguese rural warehouse which has been transformed into a large studio and gallery space, offering stunning views of the surrounding countryside. After many years and much hard work, our dream was finally realised when the warehouse is at last transformed into the extraordinary, inspirational and welcoming place it is today.
A short, easy 20 minute drive from Lisbon International Airport will take you to the door step of our studio in Malveira.
Turn right on Rua Do Casal Novo at the stone wall of a traditional cemetery that has been there as memorial to those of the Saloio people who have called this area of Portugal home for centuries.
You will see on the horizon the modern wonder of three wind turbines which seem to stand in sharp contrast against the age old rustic stone walls and fields.
Our studio is one of three warehouses, one of which is actually the stonemason for the local area. The studio is remarkably restful and the cemetery is a celebration of memory and life well lived.
Our studio is also our home. You will meet our two wonderful Jack Russels. You will enjoy home made tapas flavoured with the herbs grown in our organic garden.
You will hear the neigh and whinny of the horses of our neighbour who rides his horses in colourful dressage and trains them in a coral behind our studio. He farms cows and pigs, shepperds goats. His geese and chickens are plentiful. Our studio is rich in the sounds of rural Portugal.
On a clear day you can see Sintra Pena Palace on the mountain top in the distance.
Over the past six years, we have transformed our warehouse into a home of art and a garden of happiness created from materials recycled and rescued from our local surrounds. In the heat of our summer from July to September our studio is cool but you may be tempted to take a dip in one of our small pools.
In the chill of our winter months, our studio is full of the warmth of laughter and the heat of our fireplace - and our espresso machine in the bar pours out endless cups of coffee. Downstairs our homely and fully equipped kitchen produces meals and tasty tapas of great delight and you can sit on a comfortable bench in our cozy Adega and savour a great bottle or two of local red or vinho verde.