The Passion of Portugal
One of the things we noticed as we migrated south through Portugal is the incredible passion of the people. In cafes, wine bars and hole in the wall home style cooking joints, these people live for the joy of their customers and pride theme-selves on the quality of their product. Here we found places that are for the locals, for their customers and for the love of food, wine and coffee.
Coffee - porto - Brapp, specialty coffee and food
In Australia we take coffee culture very seriously. So seriously in fact that when abroad we can be real arseholes about getting a a good cup of joe. Brapp was not a place we researched or read blog posts about, it was a place we stumbled into before our Bridge climb. With views of the river that surpass most of the other joints busting at the seams with tourists and serving sub par coffee, the team at Brapp gush passion for their product and their craft. Owned by Wife and Husband team, Francisca Lobo (of the beautifully curated food blog Kikalicious) and Armando Almeida their passion and love of food and coffee oozes out of warm and welcoming atmosphere of the cafe and it’s staff. Carefully selected single origins in whatever style takes your fancy, V60, chemex and espresso from 7g rosters, just across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia, even the pickiest of coffee lovers will be satisfied here. On top of their delightful coffee range, you can get a great selection of eats and sweets here for a really reasonable price. Even when not serving us we could hear the staff talking about the method of roasting and best possible brew. If you are serious about your coffee and sweet treats and want a stunning view to go along with it, then visit Braap and feel as satisfied as we did.
Location: R. do Ouro 428, 4150-553 Porto, Portugal
Hours: Mon-Closed - Tue to Sat 9 -5.30 - Sun 10-3
Home cooking - toca do Gato (den of the cats) CoimbRa
If you travel like we do, we like to read Lonely Planet guides to a city or place, only to disregard it ten minutes later, knowing that those recommended cafes, restaurants and bars will be overrun with busloads of tourists with little regard for culture or manners. We try really hard to find local joints with local eats and honest local people. Toca do Gato is that in a nutshell. A typical tavern of Coimbra, traditional local food with a very short menu do dia (menu of the day). On weekdays they have 3-4 main menu options and Saturday only 2 as they close Sundays and don’t like to waste produce which we think is awesome. Owners and Chef’s Joao and Anabela Braga took over the cavernous tavern in 2014 from Joao’s family who have owned the establishment since the early 60’s. In addition to the the staff’s native Portugese, the staff collectively speak fluent Spanish, English, Italian and French.
While we sat and ate a delightful feast of fresh octopus ragu and the mouth watering Portuguese equivalent of “coq au vin”, (chicken in port) we watched an old local man shuffle down the steps and present a bottle of wine to Anabela (the chef) before adding it to the enticing cage of dusty aged wine sat in the corner of the restaurant. Later we asked Joao what that was about and he said locals often brought them wine from their personal cellars from the year of their birth to celebrate the owners birthdays. This is exactly the kind of place we want to eat at. The most delicious food we had consumed in Portugal mixed with owners who lived for their regulars and were also hospitable to foreign guests. In comparison, we had tried to get into Ze Manel dos Ossos twice in the time we were in Coimbra and both times were ignored and disregarded after waiting more than half an hour in line over Portuguese people behind us. In contrast, when we arrived at Toca do Gato, we were offered wine and a table outside was wiped down for us while we waited for an indoor seat. So forget what Lonely Planet says and head to Toca do Gato for a more local experience.
Location: R. dos Gatos 8, 3000-200 Coimbra, Portugal
Drinks: from 12pm to midnight Mon-Sat
For full menu: Monday to Saturday 1pm to 2.30pm and 7:30pm - 9:30pm (or later in the summer months) open for drinks
wine - Kabra Velha, Coimbra
We can not stress how much we loved Kabra Velha. Lacking the often overwhelming pretentiousness of a lot of wine bars, this hole in the wall establishment is only a street back from the main tourist drag of Coimbra and you would never know it. Owner Bruno Santos, possibly the most affable person we have met on our travels to date, has owned Kabra Velha for 6 years and has an incredible knowledge of Portuguese wine and their regions. The selection is wide ranging and Bruno strives to get wines that are a little more curated and different to what you can get in any old tavern or bar. We had big reds from Dao and Torres Vedras, and a delicious Pet Nat from Bairrada (as well as some others) all which came with an impassioned description of production and palate by Bruno. All wines can be done by the glass or bottle.
What came across so strongly to us was how comfortable and at home you feel in Kabra Velha. It’s not uncommon to go to a wine bar and feel intimidated or patronised by descriptions of wines and regions you have never heard of and can’t get back home, but listening to Bruno is like getting a recommendation from an old friend. As well as the wine, Kabra Velha offers share plates and platters of hot and cold meats and a wide variety of cheese and tinned fish and seafood (a specialty in Portugal). We had a to-die-for local sausage, flamed in Bagaco (similar to grappa, but better) and super rich chilli sardine pate.
We loved Kabra Velha (and Bruno) so much that we went back again the next day just to try a few (too many) more of the wines and hang out. If you are going to Coimbra, you must visit Bruno and get yourself a Portuguese wine education.
Location: nº, Rua de Fernandes Thomas 16, 3000-167 Coimbra, Portugal
Hours: Around 1pm to 10pm (or later in summer)