The Café Império, first opened in 1955, is one of Lisbon’s oldest restaurants – and even after renovations, closures and reopenings, it remains a true city classic. Now, the steak with its famous molho à Império is also available in Cascais. But it hasn’t come alone. In the space where Vítor Sobral’s Lota da Esquina once operated, the Império Market has been born: a food hall bringing together the group’s four brands (Café Império, Cook Food, ASAP and Sampa) all under one roof.
The new project is designed as a natural extension of the historic Lisbon restaurant, combining tradition with a more contemporary approach. “We come from Café Império in Lisbon and we’re developing our brand. We want to see it present in various places, and our expansion plan has always included the Cascais area”, explains the space’s manager, Carina Ribeiro. When the opportunity arose, the family saw the large market building as the ideal setting to unite all the concepts they had already created and tested. “Because this is such a big space, it allowed us to have all our concepts here. It’s the only place so far where we have all four brands together”, she notes.
Império Market Cascais is therefore a shared-kitchen food hall, where different brands live side by side through a single ordering system and quick service. Carina describes how these varied offerings make the space ideal for families and groups with different tastes. “There’s no table service here, it’s a more democratic concept. You order through the kiosks, follow your order on the screen, and collect it at the counter”, she says.
The menu reflects the group’s diversity: Café Império keeps its classics, such as the bife à Império made with rump steak (€17.90) and the croquettes (€2 each); Cook Food offers accessible homemade-style dishes, including beef stroganoff (€12), bacalhau à Brás (€12), grilled salmon (€14) and a Caesar salad (€10).
ASAP, which also has a location at Spacio Shopping in Olaias, focuses on pasta – with the carbonara (€10) already one of the most popular choices – and finally, Sampa, previously based in Restelo, serves burgers such as the cheeseburger (€8.50) or the bacon burger (€11).
But Império Market doesn’t want to stop at simply being a place to eat. Even if the weather at this time of year is mostly rain, the team behind the project wants to turn the venue into a social hub, making the most of the large outdoor terrace, where workshops and cultural events may soon take place. “We want to create some weekly buzz here – dance, street art, different things to bring the space to life and showcase different artists”, they explain.
Innovation is another cornerstone of the project. The digital ordering system and self-service model bring a modern twist to a brand with almost seven decades of history. “We wanted to bring tradition and technology together, to innovate tradition,” says Carina. The open kitchen allows diners to watch their food being prepared, reinforcing the sense of transparency and proximity that has defined the house from the very beginning.
All of this comes from a family-run business, led by Carina, along with her parents and sister. Since taking over Café Império in 2006, following the passing of the original owners, the family has made it their mission to “honour the legacy” while also expanding the name. “We’re a family, and that’s what gave us the courage to grow. We believe that good things deserve to be shared”, she explains. Today, alongside the restaurants, the group also produces its own wine and olive oil, under a motto that sums up the house’s philosophy and drive: “From Portugal to the world”.
Largo Cidade de Vitória. Mon-Closed; Tue 11.00-22.00; Wed-Sat 12.00-23.00; Sun 12.00-16.00