# Portugal - cafe advice



## unoll (Jan 22, 2014)

Having visited Portugal before, I'm aware that I'm going to struggle to find decent coffee for sale which means my Hasbeans, grinder and Aeropress will be travelling with us.

Does anyone know of anywhere in Portugal that does decent coffee?


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

The coffee was awful when I visited Lisbon!

As you say bringing your own is the way forward.


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## Milanski (Oct 10, 2013)

I did notice one or two places has old-school on-demand grinders but unfortunately all places use the same two or three crap, stale coffee beans so you'll not get a decent cup anywhere.

There's a contemporary market down town called Mercado da Ribeira and there's a coffee stall in there with a shiny Faema where you'd think you'd get some but alas not.

My grand plan is to move to Lisbon and introduce speciality coffee there, but it would mainly be for the benfit of 'coffee educated' tourists as I think you'd be hard pushed to get a Portugese person to pay more than 1Euro for an espresso and as for light roasts, well forgetaboutit!


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## unoll (Jan 22, 2014)

Cheers guys, I was hoping that a check of WBC competitors would help out, but it seems there's maybe a couple of places in Lisbon and not much else. Unfortunately (from a coffee point of view), I'm off to Porto, Sao Pedro Da Moel & the Douro valley. Maybe I'll just trade coffee for wine for 2 weeks









Having been to Lisbon before we really enjoyed going to an old cafe near the funicular just out of the centre, amazing pastries and it was fun to go up to the counter and ask one of the aging baristas for a bica. The coffee was some of the hottest, most bitter Ive ever had but at least the pastry and a sachet of sugar made it manageable.


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## Milanski (Oct 10, 2013)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Delta-Roasted-Arabica-Robusta-Coffee/dp/B007OU6CHY

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Really??


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## unoll (Jan 22, 2014)

"A modern roasting and cooling process delivers and retains it's special aroma and excellent taste"

"Combines the intensity of robusta ground beans with the fine and delicate aroma of arabica ground beans"

"Delta cafe is Portugal market leader"

bugger


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## unoll (Jan 22, 2014)

It's almost like Sprudge follows this forum:

http://sprudge.com/in-lisbon-two-cafes-help-lead-the-specialty-coffee-movement-82252.html


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## Milanski (Oct 10, 2013)

Great to see it finally happening! I'm back over in October so will make sure I visit these...


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## frandavi99 (Jun 8, 2014)

Literally about to start this thread myself; off to Lisbon week after next. Will be taking my own supplies but wondered if anyone had any suggestions for cafes... Doesn't sound too hopeful!


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

frandavi99 said:


> Literally about to start this thread myself; off to Lisbon week after next. Will be taking my own supplies but wondered if anyone had any suggestions for cafes... Doesn't sound too hopeful!


Follow the Sprudge link above&#8230; we're off to Lisbon in October so it was good to see that there are at least a couple of places worth hunting down.


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## frandavi99 (Jun 8, 2014)

Thanks, both favourited on my phone so I'll let you know what they're like.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Thanks too, @frandavi99 - look forward to the reports and of anywhere else you come across. Enjoy the trip.


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## frandavi99 (Jun 8, 2014)

Visited both Fabrica and Copenhagen Coffee Lab today; both are well worth a visit.

Fabrica is a nice place quite near to the other sites. The usual espresso based offerings along with a range of filter choices; V60, Aeropress and French press. I was very happy with my espresso and sandwich watching them weigh out green beans for the toaster towards the back. Staff were friendly if a little slow, so be patient!

Copenhagen Coffee Lab was a bit of a trek but I had the best V60 there I've had in ages; super clean and zesty. Breakfast was great and my wife thoroughly enjoyed her flat white. I expect I'll pop back here in the week just to drink some more of that coffee. Didn't see what it was or if they sold bags but I'll be looking a lot closer next time.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Thanks for the update @frandavi99. Hope you are taking in the pastel de nata, too and above all having an all round good time.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Pastel de Nata is the saving grace of a trip to Portugal (and Macau should you find yourself on the other side of the world). I could eat those til they came out of my ears. They even knock our English custard tarts into a cocked hat and I consider those a delicacy!


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

I'm not a big fan of our custard tarts - too much pastry and the custard bit often congealed sweetness - but pastel de nata are something else all together and perfect with an espresso in the morning (or afternoon).


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## frandavi99 (Jun 8, 2014)

Pasteis de Sintra are pretty good too. Also had one with a cherry filling that was great. I'm trying to eat my way through the different pastries, good ones are a lot easier to find than good coffee.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Ah, not come across Pasteis de Sintra - you're conducting some brilliant research out there.


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## unoll (Jan 22, 2014)

Currently out in pinhao. The coffee is awful although the gear they have to make it with seems decent. The amazing (and cheap wine/port) is definately making up for it though.


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## frandavi99 (Jun 8, 2014)

Paid a return visit to Copenhagen Coffee Lab yesterday. The espresso was disappointingly ordinary but I chatted to the barista about another V60 and she recommended a Guat and translated the tasting notes (from Danish to English) promising me apples and chocolate. It pretty much delivered spot on. Not as good as the previous V60 but still very good.

On the way out I got over excited and grabbed a bag of their Ethiopia Kochere only to realise it's already 6 weeks post roast. Still tastes pretty good in my Aeropress this morning though.

In pastry related news we also hit up the original Pastreis de nata shop in Belem; a massive tourist trap but to be fair also the best we've eaten yet. My wife ate four....


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

frandavi99 said:


> . In pastry related news we also hit up the original Pastreis de nata shop in Belem; a massive tourist trap but to be fair also the best we've eaten yet. My wife ate four....


Massive respect


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## Milanski (Oct 10, 2013)

frandavi99 said:


> In pastry related news we also hit up the original Pastreis de nata shop in Belem; a massive tourist trap but to be fair also the best we've eaten yet. My wife ate four....


One of my favourite places on Earth









These things straight out of the oven are an experience everyone should enjoy!


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## Brewdog (Jun 29, 2014)

You inspired me.....

















First attempt.....could have been worse! I'll not be near Portugal anytime soon so I thought I'd bring a little Portugal to me!


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Massive respect @Brewdog


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## frandavi99 (Jun 8, 2014)

They look incredible for a first attempt, nice one! We have a Portuguese sandwich bar at home that makes them, my wife assures me they are pretty good.


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## moraesbe (Feb 24, 2015)

Going to Lisbon next week, any other coffee places worth visiting apart from Fabrica and Copenhagen Coffee Lab?


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

moraesbe said:


> Going to Lisbon next week, any other coffee places worth visiting apart from Fabrica and Copenhagen Coffee Lab?


Lisbon is obviously the go-to Forum destination but so far these two cafes seem to be about it unless @Milanski or you find somewhere else. We're going at the end of October so I'm following this thread with interest.


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## Milanski (Oct 10, 2013)

I found out after I'd been that there was supposed to be another speciality coffee shop in LX Factory (out by the bridge near Belem). As I must've missed it, I've no idea if it was any good.

I didn't really enjoy the espresso at Frabica much. Obviously the roaster is not quite up to UK/US/Antipodean standards but it was still WAY better than the standard Delta offerings from everywhere else. Yvonneski asked for a flat white and got a cappucino. When I quizzed them they said that is the size they were advised to use by some Americans (!?). Read into that what you will. Flat white was not in the menu.

The Copenhagen Coffee House was way better offering V60s and Aeropress. Funnily they are still using 'appropriate' bottled water until a full-on system comes from Denmark as the Portugese do not make suitable filtration systems.

will be I retesting to watch the scene grow...


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Was in Lisbon last month as planned (just not had much time to put anything on the Forum about it). Copenhagen Coffee Lab was very good and we had an interesting coffee culture conversation in there with Isabela the manager (who is Brazilian) and the young English woman who also works there and made me a good espresso and my wife an enjoyable flat white. Isabela made a good aeropress for me - with a very different approach. More later - including what's around LX Factory.


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## Grahamg (Oct 24, 2013)

Funny, just realised that delta coffee was the thing that made me realise that I liked coffee some 11 years ago- this was in comparison to instant though. But, importantly, compared to sunny Birmingham it was an eye opener on the beverage front and properly started my coffee journey!


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## Milanski (Oct 10, 2013)

Did you find the coffee shop at LX Factory @Phil104 ?


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Ah, @Milnaski&#8230;

Just through the gates at LX Factory and pretty much the first thing you see as you walk onto the site is a branch of Fabrica. We had a good lunch there but at that point I was still enjoying the coffee memory of the Copenhagen Coffee Lab. But then, as you walk further into the 'factory' (i.e., about 100m) we came across 'Wish' and its 'slow coffee house'. Mainly set up for brewed (although they do espresso and espresso based drinks). I had a very enjoyable V60 and my wife had a drinkable latte. I can't remember and didn't write down the beans they used - other that they were Kenyan and they get them from the Academia do Coffee, a roaster (and cafe?) based in the area where the Benfica ground is. They weren't in the same league as Copenhagen Coffee Lab but it was good to come across it and spend a happy half-an-hour in there. First up: the gates to LX Factory and the Fabrica cabin:


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

And 'Wish:


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

More wishing:


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

Maybe I should start a new thread in praise of pastel de nata rather than posting here.


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## Milanski (Oct 10, 2013)

Ah, geat stuff. I went at night so these were probably closed...

Wish looks quite cool. That whole enclave is quite cute. Nice place to spend a couple hours browsing and drinking coffee...


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