British Bar Lisbon

The drinking hole of international spies during WWII

The British Bar was a sanctuary for spies during World War II and although ordinary now, it must have been full of intrigue and mystery.

The British Bar Lisbon is definitely not an oil painting and when there on a couple of occasions it was mainly frequented by locals even though this was not always the case. During World War II, Portugal remained neutral and its mainland European location served as a sanctuary on the edge of what was chaos.

Lisbon was identified by the warring parties as a city where their international spies could gather to take, shelter and relay their stories. The British Bar is located in the district of Cais do Sodre which was then and still now is a transport hub of Lisbon, often frequented by sailors and international travelers. With the nearby bustling fish and food markets it was the perfect neighbourhood for spies to blend into the background.

It's a pity that the bar doesn't embrace this history as the potential to share it is clearly evident but ignored. So like me, order a cold beer and let your imagination take over and try to get that sense of mystique which must have encapsulated this small but significant Lisbon bar.

British Bar Lisbon is located Here