Inside Galeto, Lisbon’s legendary counter-culture classic

Galeto opened its doors on Lisbon’s Avenida da República in 1966 and has been buzzing ever since. Operating from morning until late at night, seven days a week, it has become a city institution. “The way I see it, Galeto is almost like a hospital or a post office,” says Francisco Oliveira, the restaurant’s current owner – in other words, a place that residents rely on.

Sixty years ago, it offered something new to the city. Brazil’s Italian community had popularised canteens centred around a chicken dish known as galeto. Inspired, six Portuguese restaurateurs living in the country at the time – including Oliveira’s father – brought the concept home. The idea was to create an eatery shaped by modern habits: neither a restaurant nor an ordinary snack bar. While the chicken failed to capture the Portuguese imagination, this speedy yet refined approach to dining proved an instant hit.

Galeto attracts an eclectic mix of patrons to its address on one of the city’s main arteries. Families and tourists fill the terrace by day; at night, journalists and politicians rub shoulders with groups of youngsters over a prego and an imperial. “The counters have a particular quality that makes it easy to meet people,” says Oliveira. “Over the years, Galeto has been responsible for both marriages and divorces.”

The menu is vast but some dishes – such as the bife à Galeto with ham and pickles or the hamburger with chips and creamed spinach – have become cult classics. Likewise, a handful of people among the almost-170-strong staff have become staples of the service, waiting counters with speed for more than 40 years. “This is a family-owned business with a mission,” says Oliveira.
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