Morning, afternoon, nighttime ... Whenever you’re in the mood for a cup of coffee, Mindelo has the place for you. Wander the streets of Mindelo, and experience the daily life of the second largest city in the Cape Verde Islands. Life here has its own rhythm – life is ‘trankil’ [easy/calm], and there is always time for ‘um café’ [a coffee].
When it comes to coffee, Mindelo has a variety of places to go, however some are better hidden than others. Here are some suggestions for some of the best coffee places in Mindelo, some of our personal favorites.
1. COFFEE WITH A VIEW?
No matter what time of the day, “Dokas” will provide you with one of the most beautiful settings for a coffee. Located in the Mindelo bay, close to the Porto Grande, where you find the ferry to Santo Antão, the small place offers coffee, drinks, food and snacks all day. Take a seat at the dock, order your coffee, and enjoy the view of the boats in the harbour, Monte Cara ('the face mountain'), the mountains surrounding Mindelo city, and of course the beautiful bay of Mindelo, while listening to the ocean’s calming sounds.
2. COFFEE LIKE A MINDELENSE
Many mindelense people take their espressos quickly, almost “on-the go”. In the small place “Sisi’s” however you find time and place to enjoy your coffee in the small café that always smell of cake in the making. Accompany your coffee with a piece of cake or a freshly made pastel on the side while feeling the vibe of a Mindelo morning.
Find Sisi’s in the intersection between Ave Baltazar Lopes da Silva and Travessa do Cadamostro, close to Praça Nova.
3. COFFEE WITH “TOSTA” [TOAST]
No other place in Mindelo makes tostas like the small bakery Atlantico. The small café, which also functions as a bakery, makes some of the best, and biggest, toasts in Mindelo. Have a seat inside the café at one of the beautiful wooden tables, order a coffee and a toast (which normally comes in 3 layers!), and sit back and relax for a while, while sensing the life passing by on the street in front of you.
Find it at Praça Dr. Regala.
4. COFFEE WITH WI-FI
Do you want coffee while checking your Facebook or e-mail?? Go to “Café Del Mar” close to the Mindelo Marina and the children’s playground. Either sit inside in the air-conditioned room or outside with a view over the harbor with the Monte Cara’s silhouette in the background. Have a coffee, or a natural juice (Café del Mar also offers milkshakes as one of the only places in Mindelo), while surfing the internet, or looking towards the palms, the Avenida, and the ocean. Follow a football match on the children’s playground, or meet one of the local Capoeira groups while doing their Roda.
5. COFFEE WITH CATCHUPA
Catchupa is the Cape Verdean national meal, a slow cooked stew of corn and beans, and therefor has to be tried and enjoyed while visiting the islands. One of the most local Catchupa places in Mindelo is the small diner “003”, just off Rua Lisboa. In 003, which is often crowded, Catchupa is served daily during the weekdays, but the place offers one of the best catchupas in town. Enjoy it with a coffee on the side.
*Rua António Aurélio Gonçalves.
6. COFFEE WITH A CAKE
When entering “Morabeza”, the biggest bakery of Mindelo, the first thing you will notice is this big selection of cakes on display. Chocolate cake, croissants, pastel de nata are just a small example. Take a pick and enjoy the combination of coffee and cake. Morabeza also offers Wi-Fi.
*Ave Baltazar Lopes da Silva.
7. COFFEE AT CAFÉ LISBOA
One of the absolute “must-go-to” places in Mindelo is the unique Café Lisboa located on Rua Lisboa, in the neighboring building to the Mercado Municipial. The small bar/café, owned by the friendly Alberto, offers an autenthic athmosphere full of memories from the Cape Verdean music history. Order ‘um pingod’, an espresso with a drop or milk, and observe the main street of Mindelo, and enjoy the pictures in display of different guests and events at the small café during it’s more than 20 years in Mindelo.
Note - Café Lisboa is undergoing a restauration these days, and is currently closed. However, pass by the place on Rua Lisboa to follow the process. You might be Lucky.
