When we arrived in Lisbon, we had a long list of coffee shops, roasters and tea shops we planned to visit.  With our supply of beans from Zürich depleted, we were looking forward to working our way down the list and replenishing our supply.  Unfortunately, we were only able to visit a few before I broke my foot.
One of our favorites was Flor da Selva, a small-scale family owned roaster started in 1950.  We were especially interested in visiting because they primarily use wood-fired roasters.  However, it was Jorge and his son Francisco who really won me over.  The father-son duo was incredibly kind and welcoming. The passion for their work was obvious as they lead us around the warehouse.  Some of the machines are from the 1930s. The fire is fueled by a combination of cork and oak wood. Â
I was so enamored that we made a second trip on crutches. I planned to return on a roasting day, but missed it because I was in the emergency room. We were, however, able to see them roasting barley (shown in one of the pictures above).
Another fun stop was Montana Café.  Montana offers coffee surrounded by art and art supplies.  If you need to caffeinate and replenish your supply of spray paint, this is your place!  They have a lovely outdoor patio on the water, but it was too crowded to enjoy with Züri when we visited.
Our final destination was the Companhia Portugueza do Chá.  My brother recommended this tea shop and we were excited to visit with our tea-loving niece.  The shop had such a tranquil feeling (and not only because it offered a chair to rest in after hobbling on crutches down the stone pathway).  The old building, formerly a shoe store, offers a perfect setting for the shop.  And the sales lady had a gift of finding the perfect description for each tea.  Who can turn down a tea described as “a kiss”?
