Peek through the door: that hall of endless mirrors is the Confeitaria Colombo, the best place to understand Rio's Belle Époque.
1Two Portuguese and a salon
It was founded in 1894 by two Portuguese immigrants, Joaquim Borges de Meireles and Manuel José Lebrão. Rio was then the capital of a newborn Republic, and Rua Gonçalves Dias a street of elegant shops. Between 1912 and 1918 the rooms were redone in Art Nouveau style: huge crystal mirrors arrived from Antwerp, framed in jacaranda wood, together with furniture carved by the craftsman Antônio Borsoi. In 1922 a second floor with a tea room was added, and an opening in the ceiling reveals its stained-glass skylight.
2A guest list for the books
Regulars included the composer Chiquinha Gonzaga, the writers Olavo Bilac and Lima Barreto, Rui Barbosa, Villa-Lobos and presidents such as Getúlio Vargas and Juscelino Kubitschek. Famous visitors also include King Albert I of Belgium and Queen Elizabeth II.
Facing mirrors multiply the room into infinity: the trick that made the Colombo one of the most photographed cafés in the world.
Order a coffee with a pastel de nata or a few salgadinhos and linger a while: the queue is usually worth it.
3What to look for
- The Antwerp mirrors in their jacaranda frames.
- The tea-room skylight, visible from the ground floor.
- The carved wooden cases, full of Portuguese sweets.
Documented
The confeitaria was founded in 1894; its rooms were refitted between 1912 and 1918 with mirrors from Antwerp, and the tea room was added in 1922.
Sources and credits
Confeitaria Colombo (official website and Espaço Memória); Instituto Rio Patrimônio da Humanidade, listing as Rio cultural heritage; Portuguese Wikipedia, «Confeitaria Colombo».
Photos:
- Entrance of Confeitaria Colombo with gold lettering and display windows: Isabellawt, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Main hall of Confeitaria Colombo with mirrors and chandeliers: Boaventuravinicius, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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