#8 What should I do this weekend?
The best baristas in Portugal and the best typical grocery stores in Porto
Today I come bearing exciting news. Last weekend, at the Lisbon Coffee Festival, the winners of the baristas’ competition were all from Porto. We can now say that Porto is the best place to have coffee in Portugal. What a privilege!! You can visit the winning baristas at 7G Roaster, abcoffee - Escola de Café, and C'ALMA - Specialty Coffee Room.
And last weekend, I found out there is a tea plantation quite close to Porto. I have to admit my ignorance. I thought you could only find tea plantations in the Azores. But in Fornelos, you can discover Chá Camélia, which produces organic, artisanal green tea. I learned a lot and came back with lots of respect for those dedicated to tea production—what a fascinating culture.
With so many interesting new things happening, for the weekend of April 2nd, I decided to share a list of old, local, and unique grocery stores. Porto still has a few of these stores, and it is up to us to visit them and keep them alive.
Mercearia do Bolhão
Mercearia do Bolhão has existed since 1880 and is the oldest of its kind in Porto. Mercearia do Bolhão specializes in cod, Cafés Cristina, among other high-quality products. I remember fondly going to Merceria do Bolhão and Confeitaria do Bolhão with my grandmother when I was a kid. Great memories.
A Pérola do Bolhão
A Pérola do Bolhão is one of the gems of traditional commerce in the city of Porto. Its façade attracts many tourists, with its Art Nouveau tile panels depicting indigenous women, alluding to the exoticism of the distant places from where its products come from.
Comer e chorar por mais
It is impossible to look at this name and be indifferent. It’s a gourmet grocery store that has been around for over 100 years. It has remained a solid family business since its opening. A few days before Christmas of 2019, I went there for the first time and bought the best Folar de Bragança I have ever had. It’s on my list for this weekend.
Casa Januário
It was founded in June 1926 by a young entrepreneur coming from a family of farmers from Barroca do Zézere. It is a family business passed from parents to children, and already the third generation is in charge.
Pretinho do Japão
Another grocery store with a weird name. Founded in 1947, Pretinho do Japão is a historic fine grocery store that offers consumers a wide range of gourmet products. Pretinho do Japão also has a terrace at the back of the store where you can enjoy its famous scones.
That’s it for today. Enjoy the weekend and enjoy what Porto has to offer. As for me, on Saturday, I’ll spend a few hours walking around downtown, finding local gems to share with you.
Loving these newsletters! Thanks for putting them together. I've tagged several places for visits and made my way to a couple of your suggested spots.
Want to check out the abcoffee!! Thanks for the wonderful share.