The Portuguese Club of London has been part of London’s history for over 50 years. Located in the Argyle Park neighbourhood of London on 134 Falcon Street, the Portuguese Club is a venue rental space, a delicious restaurant, a place for Londoners to attend awesome events, a place for local soccer games, and so much more. It is an institute that is an integral part of so many Londoner’s lives.
Not everyone who lives here knows about The Portuguese Club of London and that is a darn shame. Let’s take a look at this institute and see everything that it has to offer Londoners.
What Is the Portuguese Club of London?
Well, it’s a venue that wears a number of different hats. On one hand, the club is a cultural club for Londoners of Portuguese Canadian decent. It’s a place where traditions, values, and heritage is celebrated and kept alive. It is also a restaurant where you can find incredibly delicious food and authentic Portuguese cuisine. It’s also a pub, in a sense, with knowledgeable bartenders and large flat-screen TVs where soccer fans often gather to watch the game together. The Portuguese Club of London is also a venue rental place where you can hold your weddings, performances, pop-ups, bazaars, meetings, and more. At the same time, it also functions as a soccer field for local soccer clubs and associations.
Within the Club
With such incredible and versatile facilities, the Portuguese Club of London is home to many groups. While there are plenty who rent out the facility for city events, these clubs meet often within the club’s walls and rely on the facility.
Cultural group – Much like many of the cultural clubs within London, the Portuguese Club was created as a place for Portuguese Canadians to celebrate their heritage, stay connected with one another, and learn from one another. There is a membership fee for those who are part of the club. The membership offers networking and social opportunities where you can mingle with people that have similar interests and experiences. Through membership, they are able to promote awareness about Portuguese/Canadian culture.
Soccer program – With pristine soccer fields, the Portuguese Club of London hosts soccer association games on their beautiful fields.
Folklore group – They keep the traditions and folklore of Portuguese culture alive in this group.
Coroa de Sao Joao – This festival was founded in 1975 and is The Feast of the Holy Spirit of the Brotherhood of the Crown of St. John. The festival is held in the Portuguese Club annually and celebrates St. John the Baptist.
Holy Spirit Marching Band – made up of 40-50 young and old musicians (non-professional) who enjoy making music together. The band is made up of woodwind and brass instruments. Founded in 1975, this non-profit organization is rooted in the Bandas Failarmonicas of Portugal. They play many events and concerts, such as Canada Day and the Santa Claus Parade.
History
Founded in 1967, the Portuguese Club of London has been promoting awareness for Portuguese/Canadian culture and being a home for those of Portuguese descent for over 50 years. They welcome all Londoners to enjoy their events, their bar, their restaurant and to learn more about Portuguese food, traditions, and entertainment.
They first started meeting back in February of 1967 at 257 Brisco Street. There were 18 people present at that meeting and they knew that they needed to find a building for their club. In March of 1970, they incorporated the Portuguese Club.
From the past to the present and into the future, their mission is to be a vibrant part of London, Ontario and to be proud Portuguese Canadians.
Events
The Portuguese Club of London is a community hub for Londoners to gather together and enjoy delicious food, live music, and more! While the events are always changing (check out their Facebook to keep up with what’s happening) here is a taste of the kinds of events that you can check out at The Portuguese Club of London:
Friday Lunch Buffet – Every Friday from 12 pm to 2 pm, The Portuguese Club of London hosts a lunch buffet where people can experience delicious food in a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere. It costs $20 per person and has delicious meal options like Carne à Alentejana, Caldo Verde Soup, Roasted Chicken, Salads, Soups, Fruit, Dessert, and of course, Coffee and Tea.
Indoor Boot Camp – Get whipped into shape and sweat in solidarity with those around you when you attend the Indoor Boot Camp at the Portuguese Club. Staying active and healthy is more fun when you’re doing it with others.
Seafood Night – Does the idea of a shrimp tower and a seafood buffet sound like your kind of meal? Now, what if we added live music and a friendly atmosphere? If that sounds like a great night to you, then you’ll want to try out Seafood Night at The Portuguese Club of London!
Latin Fiesta – Dust off those dancing shoes. Latin night has the best Latin and Tropical music in the city. Live music and a bumping dance floor make this a lively and must-attend event. Drinks and food are also available to purchase.
Halloween Celebrations – Put the effort into your costume for this event because prizes are awarded for the best costume and best couple costume. A DJ gets the party rocking for this dinner buffet and dance party. It’s a family-friendly event, so kids are welcomed too!
What Are People Saying
The Portuguese Club of London is well regarded by Londoners. It has a 4.2 rating on Google and a 4.5 rating on Facebook.
In reviews, people have mentioned how fantastic the staff that work there are, often noting how fantastic the bartenders are and how friendly the servers are. The next thing that you often hear people talk about in reviews is the atmosphere. The Portuguese Club is friendly and relaxed. You can get delicious Portuguese food and come together with other Londoners for a casual drink and to cheer for your favourite soccer team on the big screens.
If you’re thinking about renting out the venue, people mention how helpful the staff are and how competitive the rates are. You can also rest assured that the facilities are super clean.
As for their soccer fields, reviewers often mention how pristine the fields are with a good-sized parking lot. They also mention that there is great lighting for night games on their fields.
Renting The Venue
Whether you’re hosting a wedding reception, wanting to throw a celebration, looking for a spot for your gathering or conference, or need somewhere to hold your pop-up or bazaar, The Portuguese Club is there to help you make your event come to life. Their friendly and helpful staff have thorough experience in various different events and occasion forms and can give you advice or answer any questions you might have on what the best practices are for your specific gathering. They can offer you an event coordinator to help you through the entire process.
The Facilities
The Portuguese Club has a number of different halls that you can rent, depending on the size and style of your shindig as well as how many people you’re expecting to attend.
The main space has a capacity of up to 500 people, depending on the layout and is often used for weddings, concerts, Christmas parties, meetings, and performances. It has sky-high ceilings, detailed woodwork, stunning chandeliers and light fixtures with dimmers for mood lighting.
For more intimate affairs, the 2nd-floor atrium is your ideal situation and can host up to 100 guests. People often host wedding and baby showers, birthday parties, and baptisms in this room.
They also offer the lounge, which is completely separate from the main space and even has a private entrance. It’s modern and classic in its design.
The bar has a commercial-grade espresso machine, an ice machine, and a large refrigerator and freezer.
The kitchen is equipped with a commercial-grade oven, three-compartment sink, a large fridge, and a 7 cubic feet freezer. There is also over 100 square space of counter space to work on.
With a restaurant that offers delicious meals, it’s no wonder that the club is able to offer those renting the venue full-service catering, including servers! They also have bar facilities and their friendly and knowledgeable bartenders will help make your guests’ night fun and enjoyable.
If you’re hosting a wedding or party, then you know that there is one part of the facility that is absolutely crucial to the success or failure of your gathering and that is the dance floor. Throwing many successful food dance events themselves, the Portuguese Club’s hall is ready and waiting for the dancing feet of your guests with a beautiful, large dance floor that has a perfectly situated spot for a disco ball.
Their hall also has a nice sized stage, which is perfect for a live band, a DJ set up, or for an elevated head table, or whatever else you might require it for.
They also rent out their soccer field, which can be either played on as a full-sized field or divided into three smaller fields. It is fully fenced-in and also has changing room facilities.
Final Thoughts
If you have never heard of the Portuguese Club of London before this article, you now have great information to move forward with. Dive into learning all about the folklore and traditions of Portuguese culture. Indulge in the cuisine. Get together with other Londoners and have a great time eating delicious food and dancing to live music. Or, check out their facilities for the next meeting or party that you throw. Enjoy their soccer field. Head over to their bar for a delicious beer and to watch a soccer match with other sports fans. Try out their Friday lunch buffet.
By expanding your horizons and trying out something new that you’ve never done before, you might find an experience that you truly enjoy. You also might make some new friends or meet people who enrich your life.
If you’re a Londoner who wants to enjoy delicious food and are interested in live music, dancing, and other fun festivities, then check out their Facebook and keep an eye on the events that they host.