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Ashley Metcalfe
June 17, 2024
Searching for the best coffee in Lisbon?
You’ve come to the right place!
Lisbon didn’t seem like the kind of city that would serve specialty coffee all around the city. After traveling Europe, we got used to drinking espresso shots (but it isn’t our first choice).
But…
Much to our surprise, the third wave coffee movement has swept across this gorgeous city. On almost every corner, you will find a quaint coffee shop that serves up an excellent cup of coffee!
It was hard to find a place we DIDN’T like and that’s a problem we like having!
Matthew and I are bonafide coffee lovers, almost to a fault. We enjoy exploring the specialty coffee world, from the experience in-store to that delicious first sip of coffee that makes you go “Ahhhh”.
We spent a month living in Lisbon as digital nomads. Once we realized there was a huge specialty coffee movement, our hearts were set on finding ONLY the best coffee in Lisbon.
Here’s a short list of the 5 (plus 5 more bonus ones below) best specialty coffee shops in Lisbon that are worth visiting during your time in Portugal.
QUICK ANSWER: Top 5x Best Coffee In Lisbon, Portugal
Visiting Lisbon and want to check out the specialty coffee scene? Whether you’re in the city for a few days, weeks or months – there are some pretty amazing coffee shops with talented baristas that are worth a visit!
After visiting nearly 20+ coffee shops in Lisbon, we created a short list of only the best specialty coffee shops in the city:
- Buna Specialty Coffee Shop
- Fábrica Coffee Roasters
- Baobá Café Bica
- The Folks Coffee Brewers
- Copenhagen Coffee Lab
All these cafes serve excellent coffee with plenty of different brewing methods. These cafes also serve a few different milk alternatives and their shops have a beautiful aesthetic and atmosphere to sit in.
Our personal favorite is Buna Specialty Coffee Lisbon. It’s a very small, charming cafe with the best coffee in Lisbon (according to Matt aka Mr. coffee snob).
Does Lisbon Have Specialty Coffee Shops?
Oh yes!
We were surprised to find Lisbon had this huge third wave coffee movement happening all across the city. The passion for specialty coffee in Lisbon only continues to grow with cool cafes popping up everywhere!
The 5x Best Specialty Coffee In Lisbon For True Coffee-Lovers
Love coffee?
You’re going to enjoy discovering all the different kinds of coffee shops in Lisbon! Some solid establishments continue to satisfy the taste buds and tons of new cafes keep popping up across the city.
I admit we underestimated the specialty coffee scene in Lisbon before we arrived just like we did with the coffee in Athens, Greece. We were ready for a life of boring, darkly roasted espresso shots as that’s been our experience across Europe (as the white coffees are too milky and the beans aren’t strong enough).
Today, Lisbon has quickly become one of the top cities in the world to drink specialty coffee. You have so many options based on your favorite bean origin, brewing method, and roasting techniques. Each cafe has its own unique aesthetic and style to them as well!
After testing out 20+ coffee shops around the city for a month, we created a short list of ONLY the best coffee in Lisbon. We didn’t want to dump a bunch of cafes that aren’t worth your time and that’s why we only put 5 coffee shops that are absolutely deserving of your visit! If you want more options, we included 6 more coffee shops to keep you going.
Here’s the short list of the 5 best coffee in Lisbon:
1. Buna Specialty Coffee
Walking up and down the hills of Lisbon, we were searching for Buna Specialty Coffee. A small, charming cafe that’s famous for one thing – serving an excellent cup of coffee. This popular cafe in Lisbon is located on Rua São Bento with friendly staff and a quaint shop with a quirky, fun vibe.
With over 300 reviews and a 4.8 star rating, we had to scope out this coffee shop! We only tried Buna 1.5 weeks after we arrived in Lisbon and we regret we didn’t try it sooner.
From the moment we entered the shop, we knew the coffee was going to be not just good but GREAT! They had vintage items and coffee equipment displayed around the store, a minimalist decor style and very limited seating.
You will be greeted by friendly staff and it was nice to see locals walk in, order their coffee and talk about their day. Buna Specialty Coffee has created a nice atmosphere where you can feel right at home. There is a real local vibe where the baristas have developed quite good relationships with their regular customers. It’s always nice to see that when you go to a cafe. Another reason we love the third wave coffee movement!
And what about the coffee? It’s excellent. It’s just excellent. The coffee menu at Buna is pretty big: they serve pour-over (Aeropress, Chemex), cold brew, Japanese cold brew, matcha latte and you can also select milk alternatives.
Matthew loves a flat white – he thinks it’s the best coffee order to analyze a cup of coffee. It’s got a balanced taste, smooth consistency and it just tastes really good.
You can also order an iced latte at Buna. It’s very creamy so I asked for an extra shot of coffee. Once I’ve got the stronger coffee flavor in there, it’s very nice to sip on and have that strong coffee taste. An iced latte is also great on a hot summer day! If you love iced coffee drinks like me, you can still enjoy Buna Specialty Coffee.
You get such a high level of coffee at Buna and it’s still quite affordable at €3.50 for a flat white. We know other cafes that charge more and deliver mediocre cups of coffee. Not at Buna, they consistently deliver excellent specialty coffee for great value for money!
2. Fábrica Coffee Roasters
We didn’t expect much when trying Fabrica Coffee Roasters for the first time because we saw it was somewhat of a chain.
You’ll find Fabrica Coffee Roasters all around the city of Lisbon. It started as one little shop but as it has gotten popular, they have expanded to 5 locations in areas like Rossio, Chiado, Cais do Sodre, Principal Real and Baixa.
After that first sip of coffee, we were hooked to Fabrica Coffee Roasters! Even with the expansion to more locations, the coffee stays the same. We tried at least 4 out of 5 of their locations in Lisbon and the consistency was impeccable!
Most Fabrica coffee shops have small, simple seating that isn’t too comfortable. I’m not sure it would be great to work from Fabrica (which I think is the point). Each location varies in size but we enjoyed the Rossio location most. They have an outdoor terrace area that spills onto a quiet street, perfect for people-watching!
Fabrica Coffee Roasters is serious about specialty coffee. They roast their own beans in-house which allows them to control the process and consistency of the coffee each time. They have a few different roasts such as Colombia, Peru, Brazil and more.
Our usual orders, a flat white and an iced latte tasted great at Fabrica Coffee Roasters. They also have alternative milk if you need to switch! I got an iced oat latte and the coffee flavor was so strong, it barely tasted like I was drinking alternative milk. That’s why Fabrica Coffee Roasters, as an iced coffee lover, was the best coffee in Lisbon! If you’re like Matthew and like you’re flat white or cappuccinos, you’ll probably enjoy Buna Specialty Coffee more but Fabrica Coffee Roasters is pretty darn good too!
3. Baobá Café Bica
If you want the full third wave coffee experience, check out Baobá Café Bica.
Baobá Café prides itself on having excellent coffee beans. How can they ensure that each cup of coffee is prepared so well?
This Lisbon cafe actually has its own coffee farm in Brazil where they grow their coffee beans! Once they have the beans from their farm, they roast them in their cafe to perfection. They are a true bean to cup specialty coffee experience and it’s what makes Baoba one of the most unique and best coffee in Lisbon you could try.
We found Baoba Cafe through the Roasters app and it delivered! As soon as we walked down the hill (Lisbon life, am I right?), we spotted the cafe. From the streets, it just looks like it would have great specialty coffee. From the minimalist decor style to the carefully selected cups and glasses, Baoba had this attention to detail like no other.
Baoba makes an excellent flat white with just the right amount of shot-to-milk ratio. The coffee tastes a little more roasted than other cafes in Lisbon and it has a light taste. Matthew could appreciate the love that went into each cup, however, it just wasn’t his favorite bean. The coffee beans can sometimes make all the difference and while it tastes excellent – it just wasn’t his personal favorite!
Don’t get us wrong, Baoba is one of the best coffee in Lisbon and you have to try it for yourself! You just click with some beans and you don’t click with others – that’s the coffee game.
Baoba Cafe really stands out because of its friendly staff. They greet you with a warm welcome! They also provide you with a glass of water with most coffee orders in a beautiful wooden tray. It’s truly a whole experience that they have clearly put a lot of love and care into.
While the Brazilian bean taste isn’t our favorite, we couldn’t help but appreciate the attention to detail and effort it takes to build a cafe with a farm in a whole other country. This alone makes Baoba Cafe one of the best coffee in Lisbon!
4. The Folks Coffee Brewers
We lived close to The Folks and it was the first specialty coffee shop in Lisbon that we tried. This Lisbon cafe is located right in the heart of the city, Baixa. If you walk too fast, you might just miss it!
From the moment we entered, we knew that they cared about the quality of the coffee and the whole experience.
The Folks has a cool vibe to it, almost a hipster feel to it. With this, they make a lot of fusion brews that you wouldn’t expect like a mango cold brew (simply a cold brew with mango puree) or a chocolate orange latte. If you like to experiment with your coffee, you are going to love The Folks!
You can choose from a couple different roasts Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris when you order filtered coffee. They also have beans from Colombia! The baristas at The Folks are very talented, we watched as they made Matthew’s flat white. They measure every little thing and obviously time each step in the coffee-making process. I ordered my iced latte with oat milk and it tasted great but wasn’t anything memorable!
The only reason we didn’t go as often is that it was actually pretty expensive for a coffee – a flat white is around €4 and an iced latte with alternative milk is €5.
They also serve delicious brunch food at The Folks like an eggs benedict and avocado toast. If you want to have one of the best coffee in Lisbon along with a brunch menu, you can’t go wrong with The Folks!
5. Copenhagen Coffee Lab
Copenhagen Coffee Lab is a popular specialty coffee shop across Europe with stores in Germany, France and Portugal. When we think of specialty coffee shops that get big and open a bunch of locations, it can make us think ‘oh they probably lost their touch’.
But not Copenhagen Coffee Lab! We have to remember that they are popular because they are very good at what they do – creating great-tasting coffee while offering delicious pastries and a nice place to hang out.
I really enjoyed the iced lattes at Copenhagen Coffee Lab. It’s definitely one that I kept wanting to go back to just to drink an iced coffee. They offer milk alternatives so I’ll get the oat milk from time to time and it’s always hard to distinguish the oat taste (which is great). Matthew gets the flat white (obviously) and while it isn’t his favorite of all the best coffee in Lisbon, it is still a great cup of coffee.
They are a bit more of a popular chain so you can’t really expect the attention to detail or level of care from Copenhagen. They are so busy a lot of the time and the staff can just be looking to get the orders out which means you could get an inconsistent cup of coffee if you frequently visit Copenhagen!
If you need to work from a cafe, the Copenhagen Coffee Lab located in Cais do Sodre has some good tables with plugs! Amongst this list of the 5 best coffee in Lisbon, it’s probably the only one where you can comfortably pull out a laptop.
BONUS: Seagull Method Cafe
I had to mention Seagull Method Cafe here because despite being a popular brunch spot – they have really great coffee! We didn’t expect the coffee to be amazing when we ordered our brunch food (disco omelette, avocado toast) but it was honestly SO good!
The best part was that I could finally have an iced coffee drink with flavored syrup. You can order an iced caramel latte and it tastes just SO good! The coffee flavor is strong but the sweetness of that caramel just hits the spot.
The brunch is also out of this world – it’s one of our favorite brunch spots in Lisbon. If you have the chance to try Seagull Method Cafe, you won’t regret it! Just arrive early to secure your seat or add your name to the waitlist!0
5x More Coffee Shops In Lisbon Worth A Mention
Want more recommendations for the best coffee in Lisbon? We’ve got more that didn’t quite make the shortlist but they are VERY good nonetheless.
A big reason why most of these didn’t make the list is that they didn’t feel like specialty coffee shops, more like brunch cafes which are just different! If you want to taste and enjoy specialty coffee, try any of the options above. If you want to have food with your coffee, you can’t go wrong with any of these options.
Here are 5 more of the best coffee in Lisbon worth trying:
- Neighborhood Cafe Lisbon: an Aussie-inspired cafe with affordable food and good coffee.
- Melbourne Elourea: another Aussie cafe with great brunch food, cool vibes and they serve a mean flat white (as they should when they have ‘Melbourne’ in their name).
- DUAL (formerly Give It A Shot): a great cafe with a big selection of coffee and plenty of tables to work from.
- Hello Kristof: a Scandinavian-inspired cafe with minimalist decor serving carefully crafted coffee.
- Comoba: healthy brunch options with interesting coffee orders, apparently they make their almond milk in-house!
I wrote the specialty coffee guide to share only the best spots dedicated to serving an excellent cup of coffee first before anything else. These cafes are amazing places for brunch with your partner or friends and they still serve decent coffee to have alongside your food.
Traditional Portuguese Coffee vs Specialty Coffee
What’s the difference between Portuguese coffee and specialty coffee?
Quite a lot!
The traditional Portuguese coffee order is an espresso. It’s one shot of coffee poured into a small cup which you can enjoy quickly. It’s usually a darker, more bitter coffee taste that will wake you right up! A lot of locals will head to the closest shop to them, pop in for an espresso shot and be on their merry way!
The price is one of the biggest differences between traditional coffee vs specialty coffee. The traditional espresso shot is only €1 to €1.50 depending on where you get it. Specialty coffee will cost around €3-€5, slightly more expensive!
We tried both while living in Lisbon! Some days we just wanted a quick shot of caffeine to wake us up and we had the best local spot (Solar da Madalena) nearby our coliving space in Lisbon. Side note: they also have the best binfanas (for only 2.50 euros) if you want to try one!
However, Matthew and I love everything about the third wave coffee movement. The experience you get sitting in a shop with a nice aesthetic, the quality beans that have been roasted, the talented baristas that make each cup and that first sip of deliciousness.
We recommend trying both traditional Portuguese coffee and specialty coffee. We didn’t expect the coffee scene to be SO good in Lisbon but we were happy we could get the best of both worlds!
Is Coffee Expensive In Lisbon?
It’s almost embarrassing to say how much we spent on coffee that month!
Okay, I’ll tell you – nearly €200 for 2 people!
We LOVE coffee and it’s our treat that’s why we don’t mind spending as much on coffee (although we might have overdone it this time). Matthew and I also just love hanging out at cafes, chatting the afternoon away while sipping on excellent coffee!
The coffee in Lisbon isn’t as expensive as we were expecting. When we were in Paris, we paid around €5 for a measly espresso shot – not even a full coffee lol! That was very painful when we know we can get WAY better coffee elsewhere for less but I guess that’s Paris.
In Lisbon, you can expect to pay anywhere between €2.50 to €5 for specialty coffee. It depends a lot on the cafe and the location. At Buna Specialty Coffee, the best coffee in Lisbon (in our opinion), costs around €3.50 for a flat white. While The Folks charges around €4.50 for their flat white. We never paid more than €5 at a specialty coffee shop in Lisbon!
Traditional coffee costs much less at around €1-€1.50! You can save quite a bit by having the traditional espresso shots at the cool local spots too.
We think you get amazing value for money considering the high level of specialty coffee you can find in Lisbon, Portugal.
Get The Roasters App In Lisbon, Portugal
How do we find the best coffee in Lisbon?
One app: Roasters!
I discovered Roasters because there are stickers all across Lisbon about this app. We were looking for an app that would share *legit* specialty coffee shops and bam Roasters was it! It’s very hard to rely on Google Map reviews for specialty coffee shops because some people do not really care about the differences – but we do!
And so does the members of the Roasters app. You create an account and you can search for specialty coffee shops in your area. Members from across the world (who are also serious about their coffee) recommend and review coffee shops on the app.
It’s fantastic, it feels like a secret app for serious coffee lovers. You can trust most of the recommendations on that app and we’ve been checking it for every digital nomad destination we visit!
Discovering The Best Coffee In Lisbon Is A Treat
One of the biggest reasons we love Lisbon is because of the specialty coffee scene.
We haven’t visited a city more passionate about specialty coffee than Lisbon and we’ve been to over 30+ countries including coffee giants Colombia and Guatemala.
There are just so many cafe options with all kinds of beans, roasting techniques and talented baristas. These Lisbon specialty coffee shops are also quite affordable! Each cafe has its own unique style and decor, they really know how to create a space worth relaxing in on an afternoon or weekend.
If you are a serious coffee-lover like us, you are going to enjoy discovering the best coffee in Lisbon. We had a long list of places to try and enjoyed ticking each one off (almost) every single day. New ones are popping up all the time, you’ll have to let us know your favorite discoveries too for our next visit to sunning Lisbon!
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