Cafés and Pubs

Social hubs shaped by local climate and vernacular architecture—where communities gather to find comfort, refreshment, and connection.

Patrons sitting at shaded tables outside a street café along a historic street in Évora, Alentejo — **Portugal:** A street café in Évora, where patrons shelter under awnings and in the deep shade from the intense Alentejo sun.

The timber and masonry exterior of the historic Dolphin public house in Thetford, Norfolk — **Thetford:** The Dolphin, an authentic English pub in Thetford built to local vernacular traditions, designed historically as a cosy refuge from the unpredictable British weather.

A fascinating shift is occurring, however, as authentic café culture is arriving directly on the streets of Thetford. Driven by Portuguese entrepreneurs seeking to establish familiar social spaces for homesick migrant workers, these new businesses are actively weaving continental habits into the social fabric of an East Anglian market town.

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