Updated: June 2020
Been looking for the best specialty coffee shop in Porto? If the answer is yes, there are five different places you should definitely check out. They sell coffee that comes from lands that are very far away, where the beans are carefully picked out and analyzed, roasted and properly brewed before being served in the most various forms, from filtered coffee to expresso. The whole process creates unique flavor profiles that will take every coffee lover to heaven.
Here are our best of Porto specialty coffee shops:
Booínga Oporto Coffee Roasters
Photo by: Nuno Carvalho
Visiting Booinga is like visiting a coffee museum. The décor is simple, with big jars of coffee beans serving as adornments, an inviting communal table and sophisticated coffee machines, that will leave you in awe if you’re a fan of the art of making coffee. The owner is a real coffee connoisseur, an expert brewer and roaster that will gladly share his passion with his customers and tell you all there is to know about specialty coffee, how you should drink it and prepare it. To brew the coffee, he follows the golden ratio, boiling water at 92ºC and measuring carefully the necessary quantity of coffee.
The varieties available include coffee with single origin from Kenya or Colombia and Booinga’s house blend, that combines Arabica and strong Robusta perfectly. After choosing the coffee you just have to pick which one you prefer: v60, chemex, expresso or maybe the cold brew.
At Booinga you will have an experience, and not just the average coffee drinking date. And after acquiring such deep knowledge, make sure to get some coffee beans so you can prepare it yourself at home!
Where: Rua Mouzinho de Albuquerque 449, Matosinhos
Working hours: Tuesday- Saturday 10:30 am- 12:30 pm 02:30 pm-08:00 pm
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Swallow Decadent Brunch
Photo courtesy of: Swallow Decadent Brunch
We now present the new kid in town, Swallow Decadent Brunch!
Turn the corner of Rua dos Caldeireiros, to find the spot that will soon become one of the trendiest in town. It’s modern and comfortable, inspired by American brunch cuisine and the most stylish brunch spaces. The food is mouth-watering and delicious, but let’s get into what you really want to know: specialty coffee. They selected the best coffee beans, only serving 100% arabica from Ethiopia, Rwanda and Guatemala. They also offer a selected house blend, which is composed of specialty Arabica from Brazil and specialty robusta from India.
The menu includes both hot and cold coffees, and we dare you to try one of the cold options that will surely refresh you during summertime: Freddo. It’s a Greek iced version of espresso drinks (expresso, lattes and cappuccinos), prepared by their Greek barista Fanis (so we know it’s an authentic recipe!) using a coffee mixer machine to froth the milk, ensuring it’s nice and smooth. The hot varieties range from cappuccinos to lattes, and the filtered coffee only comes in 100% specialty arabica! And the best part is, for 5.5€ you get all the refills you need with your meal. It’s just like the American way baby!
Where: Campo dos Mártires da Pátria 144 (Corner of Rua dos Caldeireiros)
Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10:00 am – 06:00 pm
Combi
Photo by: Nuno Carvalho
If you’re strolling around Jardim de São Lázaro, the smell of coffee will instantly invite you in, and there’s no way of missing Combi since the vintage lime green van will be parked right in front of their store. The owners started the business venture with the van, selling coffee all over town and on special events like the Flea Market. Their space is wide and luminous, with industrial looking details and a huge wooden counter in the middle of the room where certified baristas prepare the drinks.
Selected coffee beans are carefully chosen and then roasted, creating Combi’s original balanced blend, with origins like Colombia or Ethiopia. Their expresso will provide that boost we all need in the morning, and there’s also cappuccino’s or drip coffee, prepared on aeropress, french press or v60.
If you see the lime green van, run and get a good cup of coffee!
Where: Rua do Morgado de Mateus, 29
Working hours: Monday- Sunday 09:00 am-07:00 pm
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Mesa 325
Photo by: Nuno Carvalho
Number 325 of Avenida de Camilo is not hard to find, due to the graffiti like art that adorns the window, giving special emphasis to our much beloved specialty coffee. The space is simple yet modern, looking almost like a welcoming and relaxing living room where you can study or do some work while savoring the best bagels in town with your coffee.
They use the coffee brand Luso Coffee Roasters, and the one we tried (from Burundi), was prepared on a chemex releasing every flavor, from hints of lemon to walnut. Your favorite caffeinated drinks like flat white, cappuccino or cold brew are also part of the menu, so Mesa 325 will quickly become your home away from home where you can have all the coffee you need.
Where: Avenida de Camilo, 325
Working hours: Monday-Friday 08:30 am-07:00 pm; Saturdays 09:00 am-02:00 pm; Closed on Sundays
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7g roaster
Photo by: Nuno Carvalho
At 7g, in the heart of the Port wine cellars in Gaia, every detail was carefully thought of to honor the region and the north of Portugal, from the fishing nets that adorn the space to the available food options. The space is wide and modern, including a patio with a vertical garden perfect to enjoy some much-needed caffeine during summer. The roasting process is made right there in the open, by the Portuguese Barista Champion David Coelho, and there’s a counter with stools delimiting that area so you can savor your coffee while learning a little bit more about the process. The drinks available are just superb. For the warmer days, try the cold brew or coffee lemonade, that has hints of caramel and mint. The coffee cherry tea, made from the dried skin of the coffee fruit, is also a must-try as well as the filtered coffee and expresso.
Their menu also includes delicious food like smoothie bowls and sandwiches, and if you want to wake up with that indistinguishable smell of coffee, why not spend the night at the 7g apartments?
Book an apartment here
Where: Rua de França 26, Vila Nova de Gaia
Working hours: Monday-Thursday 10:00 am-06:00 pm; Friday-Sunday 10:00 am-07:00 pm
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What’s the verdict coffee addicts? Which specialty coffee shop will you visit? Let us know in the comment section!
