Petiscos no Mercado Restaurant & Bar Brand Identity

The Client

Petiscos no Mercado (Brás e Araújo) is a traditional Portuguese food house serving rustic cuisine from the country’s mountainous regions. With locations in two of Portugal’s most iconic food destinations, Mercado do Bolhão (Porto) and Mercado de Matosinhos, the branding needed to feel established, welcoming, and authentic. A market stall competes for attention at close range, so the identity also had to hold its own in a lively hall where customers dine among wine bottles and wooden barrels.

The Design

I created a logo centred around the silhouette of a traditional wooden cutting board, symbolising the preparation of fresh, honest food (“petiscos”). The typography has a rustic, hand-stamped feel, the Brás e Araújo name sits as a tagline beneath the mark, and a small map of Portugal reinforces the origin of the ingredients. The mark was produced in official gold and black variations, letting it move from premium gold window lettering to high-contrast neon and menu applications without losing character. Simple silhouettes stay readable from across a market hall, the same quality I describe in what makes a good logo design.

The Result

The branding translates seamlessly between the two market locations, giving Petiscos no Mercado a unified identity that locals recognise instantly. Gold lettering and a premium Port wine list dress the glass storefront, vibrant neon signage draws foot traffic inside the market, and branded menus carry the cutting board motif to the table. Around the counters the identity sits naturally among wine bottles, barrels, and plates of petiscos, exactly the rustic setting the mark was drawn for. The brand now serves as a trusted mark of traditional Portuguese cooking for both regulars and first-time visitors to Porto.

This project is part of the brand identity design services I offer to clients worldwide.