CoffeeBeer >> Double Shot Buzz >> Porto 4
In early March I spent a week in the North Portugal city of Porto. This was my very first visit to the Iberian Peninsula, and my inspiration was the recent death of a Sheffield friend who had been to Porto twice and loved it. So I thought honouring Carmel’s memory was as good a reason as any to go check it out.
The second largest city in Portugal, Porto boasts the official designation of "the Ancient, Very Noble, Ever Loyal and Undefeated City of Porto". In English it’s also known as Oporto; but its original name from Roman times, Portus Cale, is where the country of Portugal got its name. The population of the actual city of Porto is currently only around 250,000, but the metropolitan area has a population of around 1.8 million. Located on the Douro River where it meets the Atlantic Ocean, Porto is also on the Portuguese Way path of the Camino de Santiago.
And of course it’s famous for port wine. Since the 13th century, flat-bottomed boats called barcos rabelos transported wines from the Douro Valley to Porto, and by the 15th century the city had become a major shipbuilding and maritime centre. In the years after the Methuen Treaty of 1703, English trading posts were dominating the port wine trade, so in response Prime Minister Marquis of Pombal created a state-controlled wine company, making the Douro region Europe's first protected wine region. I mean, I could go on and on in this vein; but Porto has such a rich history that I just have to stop somewhere. After all, this is a coffee column, not a history column.
I stayed in an apartment in the Ribeira area, close to the Ponte Luiz I, one of the city’s six bridges that cross the Douro. Ribeira is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, so it’s a great place to stay, and it’s close to lots of other interesting areas.
On my first morning out, I was extremely happy to find My Coffee Porto, a coffee shop on Rua Cha, just around the corner from my flat. This cafe was also on the way to where I thought a giant cat mural that I’d read about was located. (I was wrong on that point, as explained later.) I took a seat inside, along the long row of single tables. Sitting with my back to the wall, I could watch myself eat in the long mirror on the facing wall, and behind my reflection I could see a pleasing wall covering of artificial greenery and artificial flowers.
My cappuccino, served with two shots, was a typical large, milky cappuccino, but it was nice and honest, with no fru-fru sprinklings on top, and it was topped with a proper rosette. My orange juice was freshly squeezed, and my croissant was a bit odd-looking, rather smooth in texture, but it was nicely buttery and satisfying. It was also served warmed up, which I always appreciate. My waiter turned out to be from Colombia, and after he chatted with some women from Japan, I said to him "Yo soy de California." At which point he and I chatted about Porto and various things that expats always seem to chat about.
I returned to this pleasant cafe another couple of times and had Cortados, which were really top quality. Besides croissants and other pastries, My Coffee also serves brunches, sandwiches, salads, and "smoothies bowls", and it seems to do a big take-away business on weekday mornings. As I was enjoying my breakfast I spotted another wall mural down the way of artificial pink flowers and pink foliage. The tables opposite that mural don’t have a mirror so that customers can watch themselves eating. I suppose some customers would prefer that, so it’s good to have a choice.
For larger groups there is a big round table in the front corner, and there is also an outside deck in front. Besides coffees and pastries they serve toasts, sandwiches, and egg dishes. That’s about all I can say about this place. I mean, what a great and useful cafe this was, within a one-minute walk of my flat.
Because the My Coffee close to my flat was so good, I decided to try their other cafe closer to the river. Located in the middle of the 400-step Escados do Codeçal, this My Coffee offers a really nice view if you want to sit outside. But naturally, on the Friday morning I visited, those tables were all pretty much taken, and it was a little nippy outside, so I was happy to sit inside the tiny cafe. Here I had a macchiato, which was very nice, and again a croissant. I was a bit disappointed that my croissant wasn’t heated up like it was in their other cafe. Still, it tasted pretty good. The only problem with this particular location is that one has to walk back up the steep stone steps, which I did very slowly so as not to bruise my little toes, like I had the day I did the whole gruelling 400-step climb from the riverside to Ribeira.
There’s also a third My Coffee on Rua de Fernandes Tomas, which I probably should have tried out, but I just didn’t have enough time.
On another day I decided to check out other coffee and breakfast options. My first choice, Neta 3, was extremely crowded with a queue, and I couldn’t spot any croissants in the display. So I walked next door into Cafe Batalha. The barista turned out to be extremely nice, as I was discovering many of the Porto residents are. Unfortunately my cappuccino had no crema on top at all, and it was disappointingly sprinkled with chocolate. I at first was relieved that at least it was a dark, rich chocolate; but after sponging the stuff off the top, there was still quite a bit of chocolate that had mixed into the coffee. Oh well, I told myself, so I was having a cup of coffee with chocolate. At least the coffee itself tasted strong--what I could taste of it, that is. But then my croissant had a sweet glaze on it, and it was very sticky from the sugar. When I tore off the top glazed layer, I discovered to my horror that the rest of the croissant was also very sweet and sugary.
I mean, the reason I ordered a plain croissant and a cappuccino is because I can’t handle anything sugary first thing in the morning. I realised I should have just ordered an espresso, as there were no macchiato or cortado choices on their menu. And I shouldn’t have ordered a pastry. Or else I should have gone next door, braved the queue, and just had a breadroll. But how could I know? Anyway, this place is probably fine for people who like sweet breakfasts; but it’s definitely not for people like me who want a proper cappuccino and an unsweet pastry.
So I’m afraid I abandoned both my cappuccino and sweet roll and wandered off and around the area, rattling like a hyperactive child who’s had too much candy.
On this same day, as the morning was getting late and I was becoming more and more in dire need of protein, I ended up over in the Rua das Flores area, where finally found the three-story cat mural I had been looking for earlier. At this point it was close to noon, so I stopped into Mercador Cafe and decided to have brunch. I ordered the Mercado Eggs Benedict, which was poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, and mushrooms on toasted Portuguese bread. My meal was really yummy, and it was served by a bit of a Bruce Willis lookalike. Along with that I had a Supreme Green juice, made with orange, apple, and carrot juice, with ginger and turmeric. I mean, this was just the thing to perk me up without giving me a sugar rush, and it was delicious and restorative in a natural way. And finally, my macchiato was made properly and served in a mottled blue ceramic tulip cup that was just the proper size. And the coffee was nice and robust. This meal made up for my lousy earlier experience. Muito obrigado!
After my brunch I continued along the long, narrow street, passing all sorts of cool cafes and shops. Like I did with My Coffee, I ended up returning to Mercador on another day, this time having the Wild Mushrooms with Garlic Truffle Oil on Toast. And, of course, another perfect macchiato, all served again by Bruce Willis. (At this point, I was feeling so relaxed I almost expected to spot John Travolta hiding behind the espresso machine and Samuel L Jackson plating up the desserts. But then I came to, paid my bill, and left the cinema--sorry, the cafe.)
Having opened in early 2017, the Mercador Cafe is a family-run business, and they also offer a lunch menu featuring salads, pasta dishes, and specials. I mean, it’s just a pretty damn good cafe, and it seems very central to the cool areas of Porto. So it was a good find.
Speaking of my week in Porto reminds me of a recent WhatsApp conversation with my Bay Area friend, when he asked me if the sculptures in Jardim da Cordoaria called "Thirteen Laughing At Each Other", which he had seen on a visit to Porto years ago, were still there:
Great! Now it has evolved into "One Laughing at Thirteen Laughing at Each Other". This could turn into an Infinite Laughing Project.
Gives me an idea. But I’ll have to wait until I’m home with a printer. Maybe we can get the whole world laughing! Well, except for that one person...
Is there room to admit La Vache Qui Rit into the mix?
Certainly! a person who’s laughing at a picture of a person laughing at a sculpture of 13 laughing people while opening up a packet of laughing cow!Related Links