Lisbon · Portugal
A Ginjinha
A practical guide to A Ginjinha, Lisbon's oldest ginja bar: how to order, with or without cherries, what it costs, why it's cash only and which traps to watch for on Largo de São Domingos.
Yes, it's worth it as a five-minute ritual: a drink from 1840 for about €1.50. Don't oversell it to yourself; it's sweet, quick and almost everyone around you is a tourist.
A Ginjinha is Lisbon’s original ginja bar: a closet-sized counter on Largo de São Domingos that has poured the same sour cherry liqueur since 1840. There’s a single product, with or without a cherry, and the transaction takes 30 seconds. You pay, step out into the square with the little glass, drink it and move on.
Our experience
We got there at 11:20 on our first day, coming down from the São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint by the Calçada do Duque. We ordered ginjinha com elas at the counter and drank it standing in the square before crossing to Rossio. We put it there because it sits right on the way to the Carmo Convent and because it’s a stop that asks for no time: five minutes and around a euro and a half. The whole day is in our arrival in Lisbon.
A bit of history
Ginja is a liqueur of sour cherries soaked in brandy with sugar and cinnamon, and convents in the region were already making it in the 17th century. The bar was opened in 1840 by a Galician, Francisco Espinheira, with a recipe credited to a monk from a nearby church. Many blogs say Espinheira himself was a monk, but the city’s registry of historic shops describes him as a lay merchant. The company still trades as Francisco Espinheira & Cia. and today produces about 150,000 liters a year in Arruda dos Vinhos.
The square has a heavier history. The Igreja de São Domingos, five steps away, was the setting for the Inquisition’s autos-da-fé, and in 1506 a massacre of New Christians began at its door and lasted four days. In 1890 the rival, Ginjinha Sem Rival, opened 30 meters away, and the two have been neighbors for more than a century.
What to see, in order
-
The storefront
A small wooden shopfront with a blue tile sign and the Loja com História plaque. That's how you tell the original from the copycats on the same square.
-
The counter
The size of a closet, with the dark bottles behind it. They've poured the same recipe since 1840, and the city's heritage protection requires the counter and tiles to stay.
-
Ginjinha com elas
The sour cherry liqueur with the soaked cherry at the bottom of the little glass. That's what we ordered. Sem elas is the same without the fruit.
-
The Igreja de São Domingos
Five steps away. It was the stage for the Inquisition's autos-da-fé, and inside it keeps the blackened columns from the 1959 fire. Entry is free.
-
The 1506 memorial
In front of the church, a circular monument remembers the massacre of 1,000 to 4,000 New Christians that began at that door.
Tips we wish we’d known
Tips
- Order like this: "Duas ginjinhas com elas, por favor". Pay, step out into the square with the glass, drink it in one go and return the glass to the tray by the entrance.
- The cherry has a pit. Bite carefully; several reviews describe close calls with teeth.
- Bring coins or €5 and €10 bills. If you're short, there are ATMs at the Rossio metro entrance; avoid the yellow Euronet machines.
- If a big group just arrived, walk 30 meters to Ginjinha Sem Rival at Rua das Portas de Santo Antão 7 and come back in five minutes.
Do
- Try Sem Rival too if you have time: it opened in 1890 and has the Eduardino, its own anise blend that isn't sold here.
- Step into the Igreja de São Domingos for three minutes before moving on: it changes how you see the square.
- Keep your phone in your front pocket: with a glass in one hand and a phone in the other, you're exactly the target pickpockets look for.
Don’t
- Don't buy anything from the men offering hashish or cocaine in the square: what they sell is oregano, flour or soap.
- Don't sign petitions on clipboards: while you read, someone else goes through your pockets.
- Don't pay €3–5 at the newer kiosks claiming to be "the original": the real one is at number 8 and charges under €2.
- Don't order a second shot to look local if you don't like sweet drinks; one is enough.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a ginjinha at A Ginjinha?
Between €1.40 and €1.55 a shot in 2026, with or without the cherry. Cash only.
What does "com elas" mean?
With them, meaning with the cherries. "Sem elas" is without. The liqueur is the same.
Which is better, A Ginjinha or Ginjinha Sem Rival?
A Ginjinha is the original, from 1840. Some reviewers find Sem Rival's liqueur a little smoother, and only they sell the Eduardino. They're 30 meters apart: you can try both.
Can you pay by card?
No. It's cash only, and 2025 reviews mention people being turned away with a card.