Gabriela Vallim

From the outside, Tia Maria looks like a typical British pub. But once you step foot inside, you’re welcomed into a blend of dining spaces and dancing areas, whisking you from London to the samba and football land of Brazil. You’ll find Tia Maria nestled in the streets of south Lambeth, in the vibrant enclave known affectionately as Little Portugal. This neighbourhood emerged organically during the 1960s and 1970s, fuelled by an influx of Portuguese migrants seeking prosperity in the UK. Photograph: Jess Hand for Time Out These days, Portuguese is the second most common language here, with an estimated 30,000 Portuguese people calling it their home. ‘It’s like being transported back to Portugal,’ says Daniela Martins, who is from Lazarim and has called the UK home for more than eight years. ‘I can speak my language freely and savour the flavours of home.’  Here, the Portuguese community has woven a tapestry of culture and tradition, establishing a home away from home via Portuguese-owned shops, bakeries, and eateries selling the iconic pastéis de nata egg custard tarts, rissoles savoury patties rolled in breadcrumbs and bacalhau salted cod dishes – each a delicious testament to Portugal’s culinary heritage. Photograph: Jess Hand for Time Out Now a pillar of Little Portugal, it was almost by chance that Tia Maria came to be when it opened more than a decade ago. ‘One day, I went to fix a computer at a café, right across the street from where we are today,’ says Eduardo Da