published on 2026-10-27 · by Fábio
Parreirinha de Alfama — the house of Argentina Santos
One of the oldest fado houses in Alfama, next to the Museu do Fado. A €68 menu with the show included, Tuesday to Sunday. The house's history and what to expect today.
Short answer
Parreirinha de Alfama is a fado house with dinner on Largo do Chafariz de Dentro, next to the Museu do Fado. It was the house of the fadista Argentina Santos for almost seventy years. Today there's a €68 menu per person with the show included, Tuesday to Sunday. For those who want a house with history, in a quiet corner of Alfama.
The place was already a tavern and coal shop when, around 1950, Argentina Santos took it over. She started in the kitchen and went on to sing; she stayed there for the rest of her life. She died in 2019, aged 95, and the house's dessert still bears her name. Amália Rodrigues, Alfredo Marceneiro, Lucília do Carmo and Celeste Rodrigues all passed through this room.
In 2014 the house passed to two musicians, Paulo Valentim and Bruno Costa. Since January 2025, Bruno Costa — who plays the viola — has run it on his own.
Parreirinha de Alfama at a glance
- Neighbourhood
- Alfama
- Address
- Largo do Chafariz de Dentro (Beco do Espírito Santo, 1)
- Format
- Dinner with fado
- Price
- Menu with fado: €68 (drinks extra)2026 prices
- Days
- Closed: Monday
- Booking
- Booking advised
- Website
- parreirinhadealfama.com
What the night is like
It's a dinner house: you sit down, you eat, and the fado comes in between the courses, with professional fadistas. The house's website speaks of a "homely and informal" atmosphere, and the room has tiled walls and white tablecloths. The cast the house lists includes voices such as Joana Veiga, Marta Alves and Pedro Galveias, and guitarists such as Ricardo Parreira and José Manuel Neto — without saying who sings on which night.
How much it costs
The menu costs €68 per person and includes couvert, starter, main, dessert and the show. It's charged from age six. The seafood main carries a €10 supplement. Older guides mention €45: that's no longer the price.
Who it's for — and who it isn't
It's for those who want a house with real history, away from the busiest street — Largo do Chafariz de Dentro, at the end of the day, is one of the calmest spots in Alfama. It pairs well with a visit to the Museu do Fado, right next door, before dinner — the museum closes at 18:00.
It isn't for those who only want to hear fado without dinner — there's no ticket. For that, Fado in Alfama is an hour of music for €19.
How to book
Through the house's website, by email (booking@parreirinhadealfama.com) or by phone. Closed on Mondays.
Book online · Alfama
Dinner and fado at Tasca da Bela
The house's own free tables, right here. Pay a €10 deposit per person and the rest at the house. €60 with dinner, drinks and fado.
- How much does Parreirinha de Alfama cost?
€68 per person, with couvert, starter, main, dessert and the fado show included.
- Who was Argentina Santos?
The fadista who ran Parreirinha de Alfama from around 1950 until her death in 2019, aged 95. She started in the house's kitchen and ended up as one of the most respected voices of traditional fado.
- Is Parreirinha de Alfama open every day?
No: Tuesday to Sunday. It's closed on Mondays.
Before or after the fado
The rest of your day: Sintra, the Douro, the river at sunset or an afternoon in Lisbon — and how each one fits around a fado night.
Sintra · by day
Sintra by day, fado by night — how to fit both into one day
You can do Sintra and a fado night in Lisbon on the same day, but only with a plan. Train or tour, what to check before booking, and which fado to pick after nine hours of palaces.
See the planDouro · with a night in Porto
The Douro from Lisbon — is it worth it in a day?
In a single day from Lisbon, the Douro is too far. The plan that works: train to Porto, a winery tour from there, and the fado saved for Lisbon.
See the planTagus · at sunset
Sunset on the Tagus and fado — how to fit both into one evening
A sunset sail and a fado night fit into the same day, but the boat's departure time moves with the seasons. When it works, when it doesn't, and which fado to pick afterwards.
See the planLisbon · in the afternoon
An afternoon in Lisbon before fado — three plans that end with fado
A tuk-tuk through Alfama, a pastel de nata class or a food tour through Mouraria: three afternoons that fit well before a fado night, with times and what each one includes.
See the planMore guides
See also
More fado nights I recommend.
Tasca da Bela — dinner and fado in an Alfama tavern
from€60A small room on Rua dos Remédios, petiscos arriving at the table and fado between the courses, until midnight. €60 with everything included — and I make the booking for you.
Fado in Alfama — a show in the neighbourhood, with port wine
from€19An hour of fado in a small room, in the heart of Alfama. No dinner, with a glass of port. The most direct way to hear fado where it was born.
Fado with tour and dinner — a guided night through Mouraria and Alfama
from€55Four hours: a walk through the streets where fado was born, dinner in a traditional house, and a live show. For those who arrive in Lisbon without context and want to leave with it.