Café Majestic

Café Majestic on Rua de Santa Catarina is one of Europe's finest surviving late Belle Époque coffeehouses, opened in 1921 under the name 'Elite' and almost immediately adopted by Porto's artistic and intellectual set. The interior remains essentially untouched: gilded mirrors, ornate stucco ceilings, dark wood panelling and leather banquettes create an atmosphere of unhurried, early-20th-century grandeur. J. K. Rowling, who lived in Porto in the early 1990s while teaching English, is said to have drafted the opening chapters of Harry Potter here — a story that now draws literary pilgrims alongside dedicated coffee drinkers. Open Monday to Saturday, 09:00 to 23:30, with pavement seating outside.