Meet Miriam: The Cape Verdean Co-Founder Behind Tanoa Café’s Welcome
- tanoaflavor
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Tanoa Café is a small independent brunch café in Bairro Alto, but the feeling of the space is not accidental. Miriam, one of the people behind Tanoa, has played a central role in creating the kind of café where people can arrive as strangers and still feel comfortable staying a little longer.
A Cape Verdean presence in the heart of Lisbon
Miriam is Cape Verdean, and Tanoa’s identity naturally reflects a Lisbon that is multicultural, mixed and shaped by many different stories. The café does not try to turn heritage into decoration. Instead, it shows up in something more important: the warmth of the welcome, the music, the conversations and the idea that people from different backgrounds should feel at ease in the same room.
Building a Black-owned independent business
Owning and building an independent hospitality business is difficult for anyone. For Black entrepreneurs, visibility and access to the same networks and opportunities can add another layer of difficulty. Tanoa is proud to be Black-owned, but the point is not to ask customers for sympathy. It is to show that independent businesses can create excellent food, strong hospitality and spaces with a distinct point of view.
Miriam’s contribution is especially visible in the atmosphere. Tanoa is colourful and relaxed rather than formal. The aim is to make service feel human, not scripted, and to create a room where a solo traveller, a couple, a family or a group of friends can all feel welcome.
“Safe spot for good hearts”
That is why the phrase “Safe spot for good hearts” matters to Tanoa. It is not a corporate slogan invented after the café was built. It describes the ambition behind the space: good brunch, good coffee, genuine hospitality and an environment where people are treated with kindness.
Come and experience Tanoa for yourself
Tanoa Café is at Rua da Rosa 27 in Bairro Alto, Lisbon. The menu is built around brunch favourites such as Eggs Benedict, avocado toast, pancakes, toasts and hash browns, alongside specialty coffee, matcha and fresh juices. The best way to understand the identity Miriam helped create is simply to visit, eat well and spend some time in the room.
Plan your visit to Tanoa Café
Planning a team breakfast or event? Read our Lisbon brunch catering guide or message us for a catering quote.
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