Our founder James recently decided to visit the city of Porto, the Portuguese delight, to enjoy a work and travel holiday. Of course while he was there he had to take the opportunity to check out the best cafes in Porto, to find out what the coffee scene had to offer.
“Coffee is essential for fuelling me through every morning – not surprising, given the fact that I’ve worked in the coffee industry for almost ten years! – and coffee shops have become increasingly important to me as I became a ‘remote worker’.”
As James was visiting these wonderful coffee shops, he decided that other remote workers needed to know about these brilliant spaces, and that he would do his best to provide an honest review.
He shares, ” I tend to look for great service, a selection of speciality coffees, plenty of plug sockets, natural light, a relaxing environment, and reasonable prices (not asking too much!).
Of course, I am all about the quality, so I’m willing to pay a little bit more for a top-notch experience”.
Table of Contents
James’ Specialty Coffee Review – The Best Cafes In Porto.
7G Roasters (Official 2nd Spot ‘Best Cafes In Porto’)
This stunning coffee shop had to make our list of the best cafes in Porto. Why?
7G or ‘seven grams’ if you want to understand the cafes hidden coffee weight meaning.
It’s arguably one of Porto’s most stylish specialty coffee and brunch venues.
The food menu is very strong too. Something we didn’t see too much of throughout our tour of the best cafes in Porto. In this respect, 7G definitely stood out.
If you are hungry in Porto and fancy some lunch then you can choose from anything from tacos to pulled pork.
On the coffee front, 7G cafe roast their own coffees. You can visually see the coffee roaster on display whilst sat down, this makes for an entertaining visual of the cafe as they freshly roast their own coffees periodically.
In terms of flavour, their flat white is lovely and chocolatey, I’d definitely recommend it!
The milk seemed to sour slightly on the finish, which wasn’t my personal favourite, but nevertheless, they serve a good coffee and it certainly makes the list for best cafes in Porto 2022.
I looked at photos of 7G before I visited, but nothing came close to capturing the cafe’s lovely open space. It really is vast, with loads of tables spreading across the cafe. There’s also plenty of natural light beaming through the windows.
To top it off, the space lovingly features one of the world’s most expensive coffee machines, ‘The Sanremo Opera’. You can tell just by looking at the cafe that they really know their stuff when it comes to coffee.
Coffee Quality – 4 / 5
Ambience – 5/5
Service – 3.5/5
Coffee – roasted in house from and sourced from a variety of coffee growing regions
2. C’Alma
R. de Passos Manuel 44, 4000-381 Porto
If you’re looking for the best cafe in Porto, then this lovely coffee shop can be found in the historic building of Porto Commercial Athenaeum.
Situated just off of the busy high street close to the main shopping district, you’ll truly feel the hustle and bustle of the city when you’re experiencing this cafe spot.
Just like the name describes, C’alma cafe really is a calming space. It’s a must visit on your Porto travels, and perfectly located so you won’t need to worry about too much of a detour if you’re short on time.
We spent a morning working in this stunning coffee shop, and it was perfect for doing just that. Fortunately, there are lots of plug sockets, despite it being an old building, so if you’re digital nomading or simply catching up on a few emails, you’re well covered.
Try to grab a window set if you can. You’ll experience the perfect view of the street outside, occasionally glimpsing a tram passing by.
As usual, I started with a flat white to fill the void, and then I followed it with a filter coffee from Ethiopia from Senzu (a local Portuguese roaster) which was really delicious. I’m sure you’d enjoy the coffee here, we were very impressed.
Coffee Quality – 4.5 / 5
Ambience – 4/5
Service – 4/5
Coffee – sourced from local roasters (Senzu + a mix of European roasters)
www.instagram.com/calma_coffee_room
3. My Coffee Porto
Escadas do Codeçal 22, 4000-173 Porto
This is a teeny tiny cafe situated right on the edge of the river in central Porto. The outdoor seating was incredibly picturesque – unfortunately it was cloudy when we went, but on a sunny day it would be absolutely stunning.
Whilst we were there, we had a chat with the owner, who was very friendly.
He told us that he has his own house blend (which was a little average in flavour), and that he sometimes has coffee from local roasters as well. He recommended a delicious filter coffee from Colombia, which was bright, fruity and perfectly extracted.
Coffee Quality – 4/ 5
Ambience – 4/5 (the view)
Service – 3/5
Coffee – fantastic filter coffee.
www.instagram.com/mycoffeeporto
4. Fabrica Coffee Roasters – Official Winner of the ‘Best Cafe In Porto’
Rua de José Falcão 122, 4000 Porto
If you’re anything like me, then you’ll hunt down a great coffee until you’re truly satisfied.
Luckily, I’d visited Fabrica’s flagship cafe in Lisbon once before, so I was eager to see what the Porto cafe would be like. Thankfully, I can tell you that it did not disappoint.
The service was excellent and very personalised. The staff were very friendly, providing us with city advice and explaining the expected notes in our coffee, which always add to your experience.
First up we ordered the flat white. I don’t know about you, but it’s without doubt my favourite coffee drink from the men. I enjoy the fact you can still taste the base of the espresso whilst enjoying the creamy balance of the drink. Perhaps it’s my way of temporarily feeding myself before I get hungry too?
After the flat white, we tried the Ethiopia Natural filter coffee, which was absolutely incredible. If you’re a fan of black coffee then this might be your personal favourite.
We tasted notes of heavy blueberry, typical of a natural Ethiopian coffee. You should expect a balanced, medium body coffee. It produced a sweet, funky flavour, everything you’d expect from a naturally processed coffee.
We’d had a few too many beers the night before so the two coffees boosted our energy levels nicely. By the afternoon we were ready to hit the local Porto beaches which are highly recommended by the way.
Fabrica’s Glorious Interior Space:
I’ll let the photos do the talking with regards to the space. As you can see, it has a clean, modern interior. The place is full of plants, and they even featured their coffee roaster as well!
This seems to be a trend within Porto.
Interestingly, the cafe was almost split into three different sections. The front area was perfect for working on a laptop, the second area is a narrow mid section, next to the bar. Finally, the rear of the cafe has a beautiful wide open space which features their coffee roaster too.
It was peaceful, quiet, and most importantly for remote working, it had very strong wifi!
So what is the best cafe in Porto?
It’s a big question, and one that i don’t take lightly being a coffee fantastic. Personally, it’s a close call between 7G Roasters , Cafe Ame and Fabrica coffee roasters. However, I think Fabrica edge it for the ultra cool interior space. Their dream-like working area means that for me, Fabrica are the the winners of best cafes in Porto.
Coffee Quality – 5/ 5
Ambience – 5/5
Service – 5/5
Coffee – Lots of unique options that you won’t find in most coffee shops in Porto.
5. Ame Speciality Coffee (Official 3rd spot – ‘Best Cafes in Porto’)
R. do Duque de Saldanha 431, 4300-466 Porto
When we visited Ame, it was a gorgeous, bright, sunny day. The interior is dark, but they have a fantastic outside area that is flooded with beautiful sunlight.
If you enjoy a cafe with character, you’ll really enjoy your experience inside Ame.
When I arrived, I sat down on a long table at the rear of the cafe. This provided me with the perfect amount of space to sprawl out my laptop and work notes.
Depending on the time you visit, the cafe could be pretty quiet, which if you like some piece and quiet could suit you perfectly. Cafe Ame is very much a neighbourhood coffee shop packed full of life.
Expect a local community given its location in the city of Porto.
In terms of the coffee, the flat white had a lovely natural sweetness with notes of caramel and brown sugar. Drinking this coffee provided a nostalgic moment back to my early days of first tasting specialty coffee.
Whilst working in Ame, I had a lovely conversation with owners Andrea and Mariana about not only the challenge of Covid-19 on cafes in general, but also the common challenges in educating their customers bout speciality coffee.
If you’re travelling in Porto and haven’t tasted speciality coffee before, then you’re in luck. If you’re an advanced coffee drinker then you’ll be satisfied to know you can get a top notch quality coffee from Cafe Ame.
Getting Down With the Portuguese Locals
Andrea and Mariana mentioned that Portuguese locals still struggle to drink coffee without sugar. In particular some of the lighter single origin coffees which naturally, have more acidity.
They described a phrase, called ‘BICA’, which Portuguese locals communicate when in line for their morning coffee order.
The translation means ‘drink this with sugar‘ (in Portuguese this direct translation is ‘beba isto com açúcar‘). We laughed about this before they served me a delicious filter coffee from Booinga Roasters.
The coffee was from D.R. Congo, a famous coffee region and for good reason. If you’re a big fan of your filter coffee then this is highly recommend and quite possibly my favourite filter coffee of the entire trip.
Ame Coffee Tasting Notes:
Whilst the coffee was hot, it had notes of caramel and brown sugar and when it cooled the acidity increased and sprayed your tongue with citric fruits.
It was almost like biting into a starburst, which then finished off with caramel and brown sugar notes. Absolutely delicious but maybe more of an acquired taste.
Overall, I highly recommend this place and you cannot visit Porto without taking a trip to Ame. Plus the owners are wonderful and definitely made the experience what it was.
Coffee Quality – 5/ 5
Ambience – 3.8/5
Service – 5/5
Coffee – Incredible coffee options provided by local coffee roasters, Booinga. Although, perhaps not the most beginner-friendly coffee to try so depending on your coffee levels, you might need to provide some background on what you prefer to drink.
6. Manna Coffee & Yoga
What can we say at Manna? If you’re looking for a hybrid venue then you’re in for a treat. Coffee by day and wine bar by night. Fancy a workout? It also transforms into a yoga studio too if you fancy breaking a sweat on your trip to Porto.
Fortunately, I met the owners and they were exceptionally welcoming. Coffee from Allpress roasters, imported to Porto and enjoyed by both the locals and tourists. I’m certain you’d enjoy your coffee experience at this venue.
What’s not to love? Particularly with their vast swinging menu of Portuguese wines.
In fact, for me personally, Portugal is now up there as one of my favourite wine growing regions.
So why do I think you’ll like the wine?
Well, the Douro region in particular produces gorgeous wines. This region truly stole my heart whilst travelling in Porto.
Douro is a northern region of Portugal, and a famous wine region running along the Douro River. Think flavour notes of plum fruit, gentle spice and well balanced acidity. A perfect style of red if you like a delicious glass to wind down of an evening.
Manna is an under-cover must visit when in Porto. Less glam but make sure you don’t miss this hidden gem.
7. Mesa 325
Av. de Camilo 325, 4300-295 Porto
Mesa 325 is a lovely place to work if you need to relax for a short while. The cafe bears a lot of natural light, and at the front there’s a comfortable seating area with cosy sofas.
The cafe is brought to life with a gorgeous stone wall covered in plants, enhancing your experience.
One distinct attribute of Mesa 325 is the coffee is served in a cup made from recycled coffee grounds. If you’re passionate about helping to save the environment, then you’ll be pleased to know that Mesa 325 is doing their bit for the planet.
I ordered a washed Colombian coffee which was sweet, not overly complex but enjoyable. It was served in a mini Chemex coffee maker, one of my favourite brew methods.
If you haven’t stumbled across a Chemex before, you can learn about it here.
For food – I enjoyed a delicious avocado and cream cheese bagel for lunch. If you’re a fan of fresh ingredients you’ll absolutely enjoy this.
Coffee Quality – 3.5/ 5
Ambience – 4/5
Service – 3.5/5
Coffee – Good specialty coffee but I wasn’t particularly wowed.
8. Booinga Coffee Roasters
R. Mouzinho de Albuquerque 449, 4450-206 Porto
Finally, we headed to Booinga. Owner Carlos is a retired engineer who decided he wasn’t ready to retire.
Instead, you’ll enjoy a unique coffee tasting experience. Discovering Arabica coffee many years ago inspired him to investigate coffee further before embarking on a training course before proceeding to start a coffee roastery.
If you’re on the lookout for a coffee guru, Carlos has quite the reputation for incredible coffee across Porto’s scene.
We talked to Carlos about the challenges of operating a micro-roastery in a city and culture where the palates are used to a dark roasted, Robusta coffee experience similar to Spain and Italy.
He wants to break this, and he believes that younger generations are more exposed to the new wave of specialty coffee. An increase in tourism is also hoped to play a key part of his business growth in the coming years.
Booinga Cafe in Porto
Coffee Quality – 5/ 5
Ambience – 4.5/5
Service – 5/5
Coffee – Carlos is known as the coffee-roasting guru of Porto for a reason!
If you head to head to Portugal and you’re looking for the best cafes in Porto, try any of these incredible specialty coffee shops. If you’ve used this guide and you enjoyed our recommendations then please leave a comment below.
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