Dating back to 1955, Império is one of Lisbon's great architectural design reference points. The café sits in the lobby of the old Cinema Império, which was inaugurated in 1952. The building also functioned as a theatre between 1961 and 1965. Films are no longer screened here, and the theatre closed long ago. But Império remains a unique dining institution, and still retains its vintage 1950's ambiance. Ample floor space attracts large groups, mostly Portuguese locals, who come here for the famous bife à Império (their specialty steak dish), or the cod. Another great "must try" is the crème de papaia com licor Cassis, Império's signature cocktail.