Livraria Lello celebrates 119 years of living love stories

In 2025, Livraria Lello celebrates 119 years of history, magic and dedication to culture.
This year, inspired by the bicentenary of Camilo Castelo Branco and his masterpiece, Amor de Perdição,
we decided to transform literature into something that can be tasted: love in its sweetest form.

On this journey through feelings and flavours, we want to bring a celebration that combines literature and gastronomy to the table. So we decided to breathe new life into the Romeo and Juliet dessert by adding a touch of Portuguese flavour.

‘A dessert that only needs
two protagonists: cheese and marmalade.’

On 13 January 2025, we transformed this classic of our gastronomy into ‘Simão and Teresa’, the protagonists of Amor de Perdição, who so well represent the strength and endurance of love in our literature. A dessert that only needs two protagonists: cheese and marmalade.

‘Amor de Perdição’ tells of the impossible love of Simão Botelho and Teresa de Albuquerque, in a tragic story that echoes the classic Romeo and Juliet. Both works portray forbidden loves, in which Teresa, as Juliet, symbolises strength and sacrifice, while Simão, as Romeo, defies everything for love.

Gastronomy and literature are not isolated spheres, but deeply interconnected forms of expression, with the ability to transport tasters and readers to other times and places. Both reveal the history, emotions and values of the Portuguese people. Inspired by this connection, we renamed the traditional ‘Romeo and Juliet’ dessert ‘Simão and Teresa’, uniting gastronomy and literature in a tribute to Portuguese culture.

Livraria Lello, historically linked to the publication of Camilo Castelo Branco's works, has been a meeting point for Portuguese and international literature. This dessert is a way of honouring not only the author's work,
but also Portugal's rich cultural and literary tradition, which is intertwined with gastronomy,
reflecting the soul of our country.

In partnership with AHRESP - Associação de Hotelaria, Restauração e Similares de Portugal, we challenged several restaurants to pay tribute to literary and gastronomic culture. Several restaurants have embraced this initiative, incorporating the ‘Simão e Teresa’ dessert into their menus, thus celebrating the union between flavours and stories.

PORTUGUESE RESTAURANTS:
Ernesto
O Gaveto
Rogério do Redondo
Cafeína
Terra
Porta Rossa
Lucrécia
Casa Vasco
Restaurante Escondidinho
Pátio 44
C.S.P Poveiros
Peixe no Mercado
Noshi
Grama
Restaurante Fozzini
Restaurante Oficina
Restaurante Pregar/Mariscar
Cozinha dos Lóios
Florbela Pâtisserie
A Brasileira

'SIMÃO E TERESA - LOVE AT THE TABLE'