“I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike” – if these 12 words had you instantly thinking about Freddie and his glorious mustache, then my friends, you had quite the childhood! Lifelong partners and confidant road mates, bicycles are everyone’s first taste of what real freedom feels like. You might have grown up but your fascination over these vehicles hasn’t flinched one bit, has it? Luckily, Porto has some pretty cool bike shops where you can bring the love of your life and have a nice cup of coffee while admiring him/her. Oh, and your girlfriend/boyfriend can come along too!
Crossing off the list well-established places that have been mentioned before on our blog posts – such as Chelo Coast House or Hungry Biker – stick to our list of 4 other bike shops very much worth checking!
HERE ARE 4 BIKE SHOPS WHERE YOU CAN HAVE A DRINK OR SNACK
TON-UP GARAGE
Photo courtesy of: Ton-Up Garage
For those with an uncanny devotion towards motorbikes, Ton-Up Garage is the right fuel for your passion! Decorated with retro-style beauties and classic parts, it is the ultimate playground in the city for your inner James Dean to practice the art of manliness. However, should hunger strike amidst such emotion, rest assured there is a working bar/restaurant within the garage’s facilities, where you can have a lighter lunch composed of sandwiches, toasts, wraps or tacos, a salty mid-afternoon snack (cheese boards or grilled chorizo) or a complete pre-set daily menu which already includes soup, main, drinks and coffee for just 8,50€. Ton-Up garage is open from Monday to Saturday between 10am and 8pm.
READ ALSO: Five Best Porto Specialty Coffee Shops
URBAN CICLE CAFE
Photo by: Nuno Carvalho
As the very first bike café in the city – inaugurated back in 2013 – Urban Cicle Café has a legacy to uphold! Located within the premises of the renovated Bom Sucesso Market, its decoration definitely stands out from all the other places around, with dozens of bikes hanging from the walls or seemingly suspended in the air as if David freakin’ Copperfield had partnered up with Lance Armstrong to open up a bike shop. Their menu includes several healthy and tasty items, such as toasts, yogurts and salads, but we suggest taking a special look at their brunch options should you feel particularly hungry. Well, at least you can rent one of their bikes and burn off all of those calories after you’re finished! Urban Cicle Café is open from Monday to Saturday between 10am and 8pm.
READ ALSO: Five Cute Porto Bakeries You Can Go to For Cake
VELO CULTURE
Photo courtesy of: Velo Culture
Have a rusty old pal whose parts could use a little fixin’? Then Velo Culture is the place to go! Founded on the principles of product durability, fair-trade commerce and responsible consumption, it’s simply impossible not to love a bike shop on a mission. Other businesses have values and vision statements… this one has a manifest! Though not a café per se, Velo Culture takes full advantage of its peculiar location as a front window shop in the Matosinhos Market. Once inside – and literally steps away from Velo – you can find dozens of stalls and other small places where to satisfy your cravings, whether you need a simple cup of coffee, a drool-inducing dessert or a full-on sushi freestyle mix. Velo Culture is open from Monday to Saturday between 10am and 7pm.
READ ALSO: Flea Market And More Markets Worth Checking Out This Spring In Porto
SOUNDWICH
Photo by: Nuno Carvalho
Though our last entry might even catch some locals unaware, the popular Soundwich actually has a pretty neat biker-friendly corner where you can use their tools to give your bike a check-up – free of charge! Located inside the City Park, where wide, extensive green areas and several marked pathways leading to the beach promenade welcome hundreds of bikers every weekend, it’s certainly not hard to see why the management chose to cater to this kind of market! Hit the city park for your early morning exercise routine but make sure to stick around Soundwich for their weekend brunch (19,90€) or – if you visit during the week – their special lunch buffet (15,50€). Soundwich is open from Wednesday to Sunday between noon and 6pm.
And that’s a wrap people! Are there any other bike shops in the city that you feel should have been featured? Don’t be shy – make sure to let us know on the comments section!
