A well-kept secret is located Rua da Boavista between Santos and Cais do Sodré in Lisboa. Once a tobacco warehouse, Social B is a speakeasy alike secretive and suave places for initiés in New York or London.
It’s a storytelling space; cinematographic, atmospheric and sonic. I find my ancestors in its living room. Its hand-picked objects are holding memories. I love reading there while sipping a cocktail.
And cocktails are dangerous and haute couture. My first cocktail was made of gin in a smoky glass with calcined thym, eventually lime, and the rest wasn’t told. Social B builds unrepeated moments.
Each Tuesday and Wednesday, the music stretches live. And when ripped on turntables, it blurs the lines and geographies, old Europa, Oriental Portugal, American hip with a tapestry of music from even deeper roots. Africa.
A reading saloon rather than the exclusive salon or club, it’s the living room I always wanted. Laughing on a bistro table with dandy Paul Morand describing London of the 30s with tragic mannerism and bias; while tapping the floor on music beats infectiously good, yeah…
… don’t think this all is per caso.
Founder Mikas is a prince of the night. Bicaense and Clube Ferroviário were his other playgrounds. He knows the value of places that need luck to be found. He would even close the door to the road if it was him. That’s what he said to Clara Silva: “I’m a bit reluctant to communicate and talk about spaces because I think people are losing their curiosity to look for places. With social networks, everything is so easy nowadays, they're getting lazy."
Life curated with depth, quirkiness and purposeful inconsistency alike the disparate glasses, is personal. It is made of love and consideration. As such places like Social B allow us to be ourself–and even the multiple selves we deploy.
Last thing. You got this. Social B ain’t social media material. Please don’t share this link. Some things are better whispered in ears carefully chosen. Let the dandy vagabonds and nocturnal trickers in at twilight.
Entre chiens et loups.
@dandyvagabond | dandyvagabonds.com
