# Porto.... in Portugal



## Drewster (Dec 1, 2013)

Any "I've been there and its great" recommendations?

I'm off at the end of the month


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Yes! I was there last week.

One sec....


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Go here for a Francesinha:

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g189180-d1931762-Reviews-Cafe_Santiago-Porto_Porto_District_Northern_Portugal.html?m=19905

And go here for your coffee afterwards:

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g189180-d14994389-Reviews-C_alma_Specialty_Coffee_Room-Porto_Porto_District_Northern_Portugal.html?m=19905

Fun fact:

"Calma" in Portuguese means: Calm, Calm down

C'alma means "with the soul", as a contraction of "Com a Alma" or "Com Alma".
@Drewster - I'll be in Lisbon at the end of the month.... let me know if you plan to venture south.


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## Drewster (Dec 1, 2013)

MediumRoastSteam said:


> Go here for a Francesinha﻿:
> I'll be in Lisbon at the end of the month.... let me know if you plan to venture south.


 I might try out a Frenchie....... MrsD however tends towards veggie..... So maybe not!!

We are actually off to Porto "as a change" from Lisbon....
We've been to Lisbon a few times over the past few years so though we would check out Porto....

We really enjoyed Lisbon... Particularly Natas... The Time Out Market... Thieves Market.... Fabrica.... Oh and Natas!!!!


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## Nopapercup (Nov 6, 2016)

Drewster said:


> I might try out a Frenchie....... MrsD however tends towards veggie..... So maybe not!!
> 
> We are actually off to Porto "as a change" from Lisbon....
> We've been to Lisbon a few times over the past few years so though we would check out Porto....
> ...


 @MediumRoastSteam I was also there last week, we should have grabbed a coffee.

By chance we stayed just around the corner from Fabrica. I've been to their Lisbon coffee shops which where always great. They have a fantastic shop in Porto, it's an amazing space and the coffee is just as good as in Lisbon.

Natas are the main reason for going to Portugal, I stuffed myself on them last week. The best I found where Manteigaria (same as Lisbon) the one by the tower is the better of their two branches and Natas D'Ouro on the river again better than their other branch.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Drewster said:


> I might try out a Frenchie....... MrsD however tends towards veggie..... So maybe not!!
> We are actually off to Porto "as a change" from Lisbon....
> We've been to Lisbon a few times over the past few years so though we would check out Porto....
> We really enjoyed Lisbon... Particularly Natas... The Time Out Market... Thieves Market.... Fabrica.... Oh and Natas!!!!


Enjoy Porto! It's nothing like Lisbon.

If you are not a lazy tourist like me, you can go to Braga, Guimarães and Coimbra.

We went to Aveiro and it was a good day out.

Espinho has a massive market on Mondays.

Enjoy!


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## Jony (Sep 8, 2017)

Not Porto, but I should be off to Faro then train to Lisbon next few weeks, I have seen a few in Lisbon which I will go, but Faro I cannot see any?


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## Drewster (Dec 1, 2013)

@Jony - Make sure you goto Fabrica in Lisbon - the one called Roasters just off the main Avenue Libertades.. not the one called "Shop" or "Cafe".... which as far as I could tell (last year) wouldn't recognise "specialist" coffee if it hit them....

One looked at me entirely blank when I asked for a V60..... Filter....

The other one (Roasters) - made a very nice V60 and Flat White etc... and were happy to have a good chat... (albeit a little "pidgin" - as I din't speak Portuguese and they aren't fully fluent in English)

The "Scandinavian" place was also pretty decent (albeit a little "style over substance")


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## grumpydaddy (Oct 20, 2014)

My colleague just got back from Porto so I invited him to talk more about it. This was his reply:

Place I mentioned where you pick and choose your food/drink from any where within and TAKE to where you're sitting was an ex-market hall called 
Mercado Bom Sucesso not far, about 5 minute stroll from the Casa Musica metro station and right next to the bus station. This had cheap local food and beer outlets, not fancy sit down restaurants although there were a couple of nice ones nearby. Here you eat/drink and then staff return plates etc to appropriate places. Recommend.
If they like fish then they MUST go to Avenue Serpa Pinto, or thereabouts, in Matasinhos where the fish restaurants grill the fish, and what a choice, over barbecue coals in the street and where you can sit in or outdoors. It is a 30min metro ride getting off at either the Brito Capelo or Matasinhos Sul stops and then a short stroll towards the beach/harbour. Otherwise general usual food type restaurants. The "Frenchishina"(?) snack sandwich is worth a go but don't expect to eat for the rest of the day.
Lots of the side street cafes/restaurants are good but are small and usually very busy sometimes you have to queue. More expensive as you near the river.
Port houses are a must but best to shop around for the tour you want. 
Tailors was lovely but at the top of a very steep hill and only an audio tour. 
We did Calem. Hour and a bit tour plus three large tasties for 16€ each. For afterwards they all have bars but they did a fantastic meat and cheese board to go with the Port as you watch the world go by.
Travel around Porto very easy with the Metro, recommend the 3 day travel pass for unlimited travel. This does not include the ye olde trams as they are a separate company. Local staff very helpful and speak good English. Hope this helps.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

There is a Fabrica in Porto - not far from the Hary Potter library... and we went there frequently. It was utterly wonderful. -


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

And a link


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## MrShades (Jul 29, 2009)

I work for a Portuguese company and am often in Lisbon (I'm there now) - and can offer a little advice...

Francesinha - there's some good places for these in Lisbon but it's more of a northern dish, so probably better in Porto etc. As mentioned above, it's often a formidable dish and a very filling meal... be warned!

Coffee - usual Portuguese coffee is an espresso with sugar. If you order a coffee after dinner in a restaurant it's quite likely to arrive with sugar in it already. There's food places (Fabrica Roasters and others) but many places selling your usual very dark roasted horrible stuff.

Pastel de Nata - awesome custard tarts. The best around Lisbon are in Belem, Pasteis de Belem serve their own Pastel de Belem... and there's always a queue down the street to get takeaway pasteis.... so cut in and go inside for a table, it's usually quicker - and then you can takeaway as well.

Beer - usually served in stupid small glasses - always ask for a large beer!


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## christos_geo (Feb 9, 2016)

You have to go to 7g roasters. Their coffee is superb and amazing coffee shop! (7groaster (Specialty coffee)
R. Franca 52, 4400-174 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
+351 919 594 606
https://maps.app.goo.gl/MJFhNoi5LQkFjKP6A)

I've bought three bags of beans from them and the Ethiopian and Guatemalan have been amazing! 
Also go surfing in Matoshinios, worth every second of it.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

christos_geo said:


> You have to go to 7g roasters. Their coffee is superb and amazing coffee shop! (7groaster (Specialty coffee)
> R. Franca 52, 4400-174 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
> +351 919 594 606
> https://maps.app.goo.gl/MJFhNoi5LQkFjKP6A)
> ...


C'alma sells 7g coffee.


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## catpuccino (Jan 5, 2019)

MediumRoastSteam said:


> Enjoy Porto! It's nothing like Lisbon.
> 
> If you are not a lazy tourist like me, you can go to Braga﻿, Guimarães and Coimbra. ﻿
> 
> ...


 Braga is worth the trip. Nice little place, shame I was there for a conference mostly. Spent a few days in Porto after, I was quite taken by the place...and the pastel de nata.


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## Drewster (Dec 1, 2013)

Ok a little run down of those I got to try and a couple of other notes...

Like most European cities you can get espresso just about anywhere, cafes, bars, restaurants etc... All pretty traditional (dark) and generally made with practised skill... These obviously vary from "OK" to pretty decent... but Specialist Coffee in Porto is fairly small and a bit scattered - not quite a "scene" but getting there 

First note - All the specialist places I found are a bit cliched stereotype "Trendy Coffee Joint".... You know "industrial", minimalist, coffee sacks scattered etc. (This is equally true of London/Brick Lane etc.... it is just getting a little tired for me)... maybe it's just "expected" and needed to attract the equally stereotyped hipsters with skinny jeans and MacBooks (of which there were a few.... but thankfully not too many)

*C'Alma*: Surprizingly "hidden".... Just off a Main Street but I a corner of a large building with no/very little signage. The entrance is via the buildings main entrance (with a small sandwich board proclaiming the name) into a largish hallway with staircase etc... and C'Alma is one door off to the right.

A single large room (following the stereotype above)....

Good point: They took care making coffee and on one (1st) visit the Barista was happy to talk and specifically to recommend OTHER coffee shops to try...
Bad point: They sold coffee (and a few teas etc).... BUT no food, or cakes etc..... Well technically they did sell cakes - there was a plate with some cupcake-type things.... but that was it.... on my first visit they didn't even have Natas (although they did have a few when I next went)....

Coffee: Frankly a bit underwhelmed... 1st visit I had a V60... MrsD and Drewster-ette had to leave to find somewhere else for breakfast....
As I'd ordered the V60 before we realised the total lack of any food options :-(

The V60 was made carefully etc - and was OK - just didn't "do it" for me - I did however (having been abandoned) have a bit of a chat with the Barista and he happily recommended a few other places to try.....
2nd visit (obviously the coffee was good enough to warrant a return)... a Cold brew and a flat white..... both OK...

Maybe the lack of nibbles etc just didn't do it fo me

*Esquires Coffee*: Just round the corner from C'Alma (and where MrsD etc had escaped to)... Loads of food offerings (specifically this was breakfast time) a full range of pastries (NATAs!!!!) some cooked options (Eggs on toast, bacon and sausage), Waffles, Granola with yoghurt etc...

Coffee (flat white) was really well made and went down a treat....

*Fabrica Roasters:* The same people as Lisbon (which I loved).... Unfortunately I didn't manage to get here :-( but the chap in C'Alma recommended them for both coffee and food!

*Combi*: For me the find of the week (and it was just round the corner from my hotel)...
We found this 1st morning and went back basically every day....

These guys also roast their own coffee - the roastery is at the back of the shop...
Cakes/Pastries/Toasties/Granola etc...
A range of Teas.... Cold brew coffee etc etc, a range of Kit to buy.. plus obviously beans...

One drawback or possibly part of its charm.... Every time we went in we had to wait for at least one of the things we ordered either it was forgotten or it just took a while... 1st time - I ordered a V60 plus various bits & bobs then added an espresso to drink while I waited for the V60.......
Well I waited for the V60.. but the espresso never arrived.......
another time MrsDs toast... didn't appear.... until we reminded them....
It just became a little joke about what would get missed each visit....

Run by what appeared to be brothers... Two of the lads were spitting images of each other.... another one looked like the the less-Hip older brother...

Updates on other specifics if/when I remember plus I'll knock up a Restaurants/Food/Other adventures post later


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## tammma (May 27, 2019)

Not quite Porto but I have been recommended The Mill in Lisbon for a great coffee.

It is on my to visit list. Google reviews and photos seem to back it up.


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

Just back from Porto.

Fantastic coffee in Combi, C'alma and MyCoffeePorto (amazing view). Fabrica was good but not on the same level. Attention to detail in cafe fit out is phenomenal, as well as friendly staff.

I was also recommended but didn't have time for: 7g (over the river near the port houses, walked past it several times), Booinga, Epoca, Mesa 325, Manifesto, Bird of Passage, and one I've forgotten the name but I think it might be Manna?

Great to see a city with a tradition for shit coffee have so many options.


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## Andrei (Jan 26, 2021)

aaronb said:


> 7g (over the river near the port houses, walked past it several times), Booinga, Epoca, Mesa 325, Manifesto, Bird of Passage, and one I've forgotten the name but I think it might be Manna?


 Manna, precisely. With a beautiful KB90. All of the rest is worth visiting too. Bird of Passage hasn't survived first lockdown though.

Scene is really growing. Which is very pleasant to observe.

In Lisbon, where I'm located, too - despite restricitions a handful of new places managed to open. Most of them are working with the coffee from 3 'major' specialty roasters: Olisipo, Sgt Martinho and, my personal favourite, Roastberry.pt. I think there are some, newly opened, that are representing other well-known european roasters.

Worth giving a shot when its allowed to travel again.


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