Don’t let Porto’s architecture fool you. At face value, its slender buildings appear to house little more than pokey apartments or hole-in-the-wall cafés, yet many doors are rabbit holes leading to spacious living quarters (perhaps with a veggie patch and chickens out back) or modern dining spots harboring chilled-out terraces.
So next time you’re in Porto, make like Alice and discover the city’s wonderland of secret gardens.
O Pretinho do Japão
Don’t be thrown by the giant slabs of dried codfish hanging by the door of this boutique grocer, because there are many treasures to be discovered inside O Pretinho do Japão. Past the shelves lined with gourmet canned fish, tea blends and local wine is a door that leads you down the garden path to a café and bar. Here you can enjoy your coffee or wine on the lawn or admire the garden from the glass-paneled patio. Be sure to take note of the artwork, including what looks to be a Cheshire cat perched on the fence, by one of Porto’s most celebrated graffiti artists, Nuno Costah.
Noémia da Costa Pinto
Noémia opened as a guesthouse in 2016 and a café split across two rooms was later added on the first floor. The café is not only adorably cute with a retro fitout reminiscent of Grandma’s house (think a 50s-style TV set and peppermint-green chairs), but it’s also a makeshift cat refuge. Staff collect loose change in a kitty (get it?) to help cover the cost of food and vet bills for the gang of felines that hang in the homely garden. It’s the perfect spot to pull up a chair in the sun, munch freshly made crepes, and make friends with the furry locals.
Rota do Chá
Rota do Chá means tea route in Portuguese, and, true to its name, this boho tea house carves a path through the world’s tea plantations with a selection of 300+ teas from places like China, Laos, and Kenya. The entryway has cute booth seating and a colorful dining area can be found upstairs. However, the star of the show is the big shaded back garden. Here, a crossed-legged Buddha sits tall at the center while birds chirp in the trees, creating a calm inner-city paradise.
Quintal Bioshop
You can also find a few resident cats lounging on the terrace of this organic supermarket-cum-café. Enter Quintal Bioshop to discover a selection of bio products and international foodstuffs like fresh vegetable juices, powdered cacao, and miso paste, then continue through to the back dining room to enjoy vegan ice-cream, gluten-free cake, or a sandwich on the small wooden deck.
Terraplana
This groovy bar is the ideal spot to enjoy a wood-fired pizza and cocktail on the outdoor terrace while listening to the jams of a local band or DJ. Music at Terraplana usually starts around 11:30 PM on Friday and Saturday nights, in addition to occasional afternoon sets. The upstairs patio is also a pleasant place to kick back during the day with a coffee or craft beer.
Casinha Boutique Café
The Casinha Boutique Café is conveniently located just a five-minute walk from Casa da Música, Porto’s iconic concert hall. At first glance, it looks like a small deli with limited seating, but head down the corridor past the counter and you’ll find another room leading to a leafy garden. Beat the summer heat by settling under a tree with an açaí bowl or a cone of homemade ice-cream.
Em Carne Viva
A few steps down from the Casinha Boutique Café is the vegetarian restaurant and tea house, Em Carne Viva. Despite its location on one of Porto’s main arteries, Avenida da Boavista, the first-storey dining room rises above the traffic buzz and extends back into a romantic garden. Under the glow of a stand-alone streetlight, try the vegetarian version of Porto’s Francesinha—a multi-layered sandwich dripping with cheese, or for something lighter, settle for a plate of oven-warm scones and know that everything down to the jam is made in-house.
Breyner 85
Breyner 85 is a vibrant spot for music lovers, featuring weekly DJs and jam sessions in the upstairs concert hall, as well as ad hoc events in the big backyard during summer. Regardless of the lineup, from around May until September, you can relax on the lawn with a beverage in hand or enjoy weekend brunch between noon and 3 PM.
Maria Bôla
The tiny entrance to this coffee shop and bakery could almost be mistaken for a beauty salon reception, considering the small counter and armchairs set against a black and white checkered floor. However, if you follow the breadcrumb trail of patterned tiles down the stairs, a large Victorian-style café opens up. While the indoor dining area and lounge at Maria Bôla is cute and cozy, the back terrace allows you to savor a gentle breeze while indulging in thick slices of homemade cake and a cup of tea.
Espiga
This café/gallery/bar borders the park Jardim do Carregal and caters to late afternoon and evening crowds. Smooth tunes complement the modern interior at Espiga, where colorful decorations and twisted lights contrast with industrial grey walls. The long building leads to an upstairs terrace where you can sip a vinho and enjoy live performances during summer.
Letraria Craft Beer Garden Porto
Letraria is a fresh addition to Porto, enhancing the city’s burgeoning artisanal beer scene. The bar’s spacious back garden is already proving popular with both locals and travelers, who drop by for late afternoon brews chosen from over 20 taps. With big shady trees and a relaxed atmosphere, Letraria will surely be a hit this summer.
