Discover the restaurants in Porto that surrendered to a love story of perdition and changed the name of a popular Portuguese dessert, Romeo and Juliet, to Teresa and Simão, alluding to the characters in Camilo Castelo Branco’s novel.
What if instead of Romeo and Juliet, the popular dessert made from cheese and marmalade was renamed Simon and Teresa? The idea came from Livraria Lello, which on Monday, January 13th, celebrated 119 springs and dedicated the next year to the theme of love.
Alluding to the main characters, Teresa de Albuquerque and Simão Botelho, from the most famous work of the romantic writer who lived much of his life in Porto – and whose bicentenary will be celebrated in 2025 -, Camilo Castelo Branco, the emblematic bookstore launched a challenge to the restaurants in Porto. city, through the Hotel, Restaurant and Similar Association of Portugal (AHRESP) to change the name of this traditional dessert.
And several dozen have already accepted the challenge. In spaces such as O Gaveto, in Matosinhos, Ernesto, Rogério do Redondo, Cafeína, Terra, Lucrécia, Porta Rossa and Casa Vasco, Restaurante Escondidinho, Pátio 44, CSP Poveiros, Peixe no Mercado, Noshi, Grama , Restaurante Fozzini, Oficina, Pregar, Mariscar and Cozinha dos Lóios, in Porto, the menus updated the name from “Romeu and Juliet” to “Simão and Teresa”.
“Like Romeo and Juliet, Love of Perdition narrates a forbidden and tragic love that defies social impositions, elevating love to the condition of an act of resistance and courage”, says Lello in a press release.
“This anniversary marks the beginning of a thematic year dedicated to love — a transformative force and essential for facing the challenges of the present. Throughout 2025, love will be explored in its different aspects, starting with romantic love, inspired by the bicentenary of Camilo Castelo Branco and his masterpiece Amor de Perdição”, says Aurora Pedro Pinto, administrator of the bookstore, in a note sent to the press “With this particular action, we wanted to use gastronomy as a bridge to bring the public closer to literature and the arts, showing that Portuguese culture is made up of flavors and stories that cross generations”, he continues.
The change remains open to gastronomic spaces that wish to join. Food establishments that already have the dessert on the menu are invited to rename the sweet under the name “Simão e Teresa”. Those who don’t have it are, in turn, challenged to include it on their menus, as a way of paying homage to Portuguese literature and celebrating the 200th anniversary of Camilo Castelo Branco and the 119th anniversary of Livraria Lello.
“This initiative symbolizes the fusion of literary tradition with gastronomic creativity, reinforcing the mission of this partnership: transforming Portugal’s cultural heritage into memorable experiences”, says Ana Jacinto, general secretary of AHRESP. “The recreation of the “Simão and Teresa” dessert demonstrates how the appreciation of culture can be integrated into restaurant practices, helping to tell stories and create memories”, he concludes.
