When I’m heading to a new city—no matter where—my Must Visit list always consists of 1. pastry shops and 2. bookstores. You can see where my priorities lie. Bonus points if they’re beautifully designed.

Concerning that second category, I recently stumbled on Good Company, an English-language bookshop and cafe in Lisbon designed by Perrine Velge, the Belgian-born, Portugal-based designer behind Studio Pim. Join us for a virtual look around—and if you’re lucky enough to be in Lisbon, pop in (it’s at Av. Visc. de Valmor 2).

Photography courtesy of Studio Pim.

The duo brought in Perrine of Studio Pim for the interiors. “The most instructive stage of the process was visiting Samuel and Giovanna’s favorite spaces in Lisbon together, most of which have been around for more than half a century,” says Perrine, including Cafe Nicola, Galeto, and Pastelaria Mexicana, among others. “I understood quickly that Good Company had to feel like it belonged here, like it had evolved out of the city. We borrowed a number of design elements from these inspirations—the marble bar, the display in the entrance, the fresco above the bar—but more broadly we were captured by the sense of egalitarianism and beauty that went hand in hand in so many of these places.”

The window banquettes were inspired by Scottish designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh, to keep the backs partially open to the street, and are upholstered in Radiostar fabric by Pierre Frey.

As for the bespoke light above: “It’s deliberately oversized, in part because of the high ceiling but also so that it guides customers back to the center of the space,” says Perrine. In the evenings, “the light is visible through the large windows and functions as a sort of beacon, drawing people in.”

All of the lighting throughout the space was custom-made by artists throughout Portugal, like the pink cotton light at the far end of the space, over the children’s area, made in collaboration with Lisbon-based designer Camille Gaidier of Atelier Uba.

For more—and to visit—head to Good Company. And for more in Lisbon, might we suggest:

• Rosamar: A Seafood Restaurant in Lisbon with Retro Seaside Style
• Elegant Minimalism in Lisbon: Santa Clara 1728
• Armchair Souvenir Shopping: 8 Favorites from A Vida Portuguesa