The Living Room

The Living Room is a community café on Avenida Dr. Dias da Silva in Celas, a residential part of Coimbra. Its American owners, Cristi and Michael Gerecke, moved to Coimbra with their four children. Cristi is from Houston, and the idea came from a Texas restaurant where families sat together while children played outside. They could not find anywhere like it in Coimbra, so they made one.

They found the building by chance. Coming back from the supermarket one day, Cristi saw the door of the old Mercearia Morais grocery shop ajar, looked in and asked the elderly owner about it; the owner was planning to sell. The renovation took three years, helped by more than 100 donors on GoFundMe, and the café opened in June 2022. The original tiled floor was kept. Much of the furniture is second-hand or donated by friends and neighbours, and a bookshelf by the door holds donated books.

Children get as much room as adults here, which is the whole point of the place. Coimbra Coolectiva, the city’s local-life magazine, lists toys, games, books, balls, dolls’ houses, a small play kitchen and tricycles, plus a chalkboard. There is also a tucked-away play corner that children get excited about when they find it.

Out the back is a large garden with tables, a round swing, a climbing structure and games, so parents can sit outside with a coffee while children play in sight. The toilet has been adapted for small children, which saves a lot of lifting.

The owners are open about their approach. Cristi told Coimbra Coolectiva that American parents tend to be more relaxed and let children play without constant supervision. The café does not look after children, though, so you stay with them.

The food mixes Texan recipes with Portuguese ingredients, and the owners buy from Portuguese suppliers. When Coimbra Coolectiva visited, the counter had bagels, brownies, ice cream and doughnuts in banana, chocolate chip, lemon and cinnamon flavours, plus some savoury things. The coffee is drip coffee and espresso drinks such as flat whites and cappuccinos. It is a snack-and-coffee stop more than a place for a full lunch, and Google users put it at €1 to €10 a head.

The tables are long and shared on purpose. Michael told Coimbra Coolectiva they built them to make people sit together, and that anyone who dislikes that is in the wrong place. For families who have just moved to Coimbra, that makes it one of the easier places to meet other parents.

The owners live upstairs and run evening and seasonal events. They have included back-to-school parties, Halloween, Taco Tuesdays, Thanksgiving, bingo, outdoor cinema, games nights, neighbourhood dinners, readings and a book club. The café can also be hired for private events.

Hours have changed since the café opened. In 2022 it opened Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 6.30pm, and the 2024 guide gave 6.30pm as closing time. The Google listing, confirmed by the business in summer 2026, showed it open until 7.30pm. Check the café’s Facebook page before you go, especially at weekends.

The café is a short drive or bus ride from the city’s big family sights. Portugal dos Pequenitos, the park of child-sized Portuguese houses, and the riverside Parque Verde do Mondego are both across town by the river. For a rainy day, the university’s Museu da Ciência and the Exploratório science centre are good with children.

Is this Coimbra café good for toddlers?

Yes. There are toys, dolls’ houses, a play kitchen and tricycles inside, a garden with a swing and climbing frame, and a toilet adapted for small children.

Does the café serve lunch?

It is mainly a café for coffee and snacks: bagels, brownies, doughnuts and ice cream. Don’t count on a full cooked lunch.

Do I need to book?

No, not for a coffee. Tables are shared. Ask the café if you want to hire the space for a party.

Can I leave my children to play while I work?

The garden and toys are there for children to use freely, but staff do not supervise them, so an adult needs to stay with them.

What are the opening hours?

It opens in the daytime and closes in the early evening, but days and times have changed over the years. Check its Facebook page before you go.