Portugal isn’t necessarily the first place you think about for great coffee. Well, you know you can count on us to bring you something a little different. We’ve become huge fans of coffee as it’s served in Portugal. Here the robusta bean is used and roasted light or medium. The result is a fruity, delicate flavour that’s easy to love.

We like to get our coffee vocabulary right. There’s a huge variety of coffee types on offer at the neighbourhood pastelaria or coffee shop. Here are just a few essentials to get you through your day in Portugal:


Café
The coffee of choice taken after a meal or during a quick break. Short, rich, and chocolatey.

BICA (earn extra points for using this very local expression in Lisbon)
This stands for Beba Isto Com Açucar (drink this with sugar) because it is said that when coffee first arrived it was considered bitter and improved with adding sugar.

Pingo (or a café pingado)
An espresso with a splash of cold milk.

Garoto
An espresso with milk foam, similar to a macchiato. This comes from the Portuguese word for a small boy (as children presumably prefer a less bitter coffee).


Galão
Not to be mistaken for a real gallon, this is one third coffee and two thirds warm milk served in a tall glass.

Abatanado
Similar to what we call an ‘americano’, this is a double espresso with hot water added.

Carioca
A diluted coffee made from the second water pressing of a regular café.

Café com Cheirinho
Coffee with a drop of brandy or aguardente.


Try out your coffee vocabulary on our upcoming trips to Portugal.... The Portuguese Coastal Camino and The Douro Valley Walking Tour.