The project began when Samuel Miller and Giovanna Centeno, an American-Brazilian couple with backgrounds in literature, set out to open an English-language bookstore. Envisioned as a welcoming place for locals, expats and travellers, it was important for them, as Velge explains, that the space felt “rooted in place; as though it had emerged out of the local culture and tradition but also felt fresh and new.” To understand what that might look like, Miller and Centeno took Velge to some of their favourite spaces in the city: long-standing establishments that have weathered generations without losing relevance. From these enduring Lisbon venues, Velge drew not only visual cues but a sense of democratic elegance. The aim, she notes, was to evoke “that sense of accessibility alongside timeless beauty” that defines Lisbon’s most cherished haunts.

Occupying a corner site with wraparound windows, Good Company unfolds in an L-shaped layout: the longer arm housing the bookstore, the shorter one the café-bar. At their intersection, an octagonal display table serves as a spatial hinge, greeting visitors as they step inside. Inspired by the iconic, and now sadly closed, Lisbon bookseller Aillaud e Lellos, the piece is paired with an oversized spherical pendant that, come nightfall, glows like a beacon through the glazed façades, subtly drawing passers-by in.

A sculptural marble counter, a hallmark of Lisbon’s café tradition, anchors the café/bar area. Behind it, walnut wood panelling is punctuated by two hand-painted tile panels by local artist Henriette Arcelin that recall the literary frescoes of Café Nicola. Bar chairs in warm timber with rectangular cutouts and brass and green glass sconces attest to the scheme’s Art Deco-inflected aesthetic, as do the arced banquettes that lining the window, were all custom-designed by Studio Pim.

Paired with trapezoid-shaped wooden tables, the bespoke banquettes feature Charles Rennie Mackintosh–inspired latticed backs, designed to obstruct the view as little as possible. “It’s a narrow space,” Velge explains, “so we wanted the seating to stay in dialogue with the street rather than form a barrier.” Additional seating can be found in a more intimate, softly lit space downstairs where voluptuous banquettes upholstered in dark blue velvet complement a communal dark wood table paired with matching chairs.