A Porta Da Arte — Restaurant in Santo António

Beautiful venue, totally destroyed by a “computer says no” service attitude.

Menu items available; Banana Smoothie & Strawberry Smoothie

Customer request; “Would you be able to help with a banana & strawberry smoothie in one glass?”

NO

Drinks turn up, strawberry smoothie is strawberry syrup and jam - apparently it is better to deny your customers what they like than to squirt some strawberry jam into a banana smoothie. Too difficult box - ticked.

We ended up getting an extra cup and just mixing our own. Apparently we are more proficient at amateur smoothie making than the staff are at using a spoon.

“Um, do you have a bathroom?”

“NO”

“Ok, is there one near by?”

“Outside turn left”

“Uh, how far? What am I looking for?”

“Just turn left you will see it”

Apparently turn left and see it meant go to the end of the road, turn left down an alleyway, go to the end of the alleyway and find a public toilet in a corner. Charisma deficit box - ticked.

Client care - atrocious

My partner actually had to lose her cool a little because when she voiced she was unhappy, the girl laughed at her. 100% fail.

Plenty of other nicer friendlier options. This place is not going to last long. Good luck to them, but don’t do it. Honestly. Take some...

A Porta Da Arte is one of a handful of coffee shops that have opened up along Rua dos Ervanarios in the past couple of years as part of a revitalisation effort for this area just south of the Ruins of St. Paul's.

What you find here is a restored 60-year old property that has been repurposed as a coffee shop and cultural hub with multiple floors. The ground floor serves up coffee, roasted by Triangle Coffee Roasters. In addition to serving up coffee, they have a few light bites and some interesting things on display, giving character to the floor space. Upstairs there is a jewellery design workshop and even rooftop space with plants and greenery.

Overall, this is an interesting initiative and coffee shop option in the area, something different to your normal cup of black or white. Importantly, the coffee isn't bad and prices...

Don't be deceived by the seemingly welcoming attitude of the waitresses when you walk by.

They clearly do not know how to be polite. My friend and I were being laughed at for no reason, and their giggles made us extremely uncomfortable.

After they had served our food, they began chatting unnecessarily loudly. If you're looking for a place to take a break from your walk, I promise you'll be disappointed by the two waitresses. They definitely have the superpower to make you uneasy.

PLEASE DO NOT TRY THEIR CANELE IT'S HORRIFYING It tastes exactly like a Smiggle-flavoured squishy toy. The shell was not crispy at all, God knows how long it had been sitting in the display case.

I believe that there are many better cafes nearby, this one is not worth...