An Pota Caife (translation: The Coffee Pot) has a great central location in the middle of Shop…read moreStreet, a cozy little outdoor seating area and an interesting, diverse menu. Crepes seem to be one of their specialties, so I had the Mediterranean crepe (€7.50) which was filled with a nice selection of Med veggies - peppers, aubergine, courgette, olives, and onion, combined with feta cheese. The veggies were well cooked and very flavorful and I'd definitely have it again. My brothers had a bowl of creamy soup (can't remember what type - perhaps butternut squash?) and a chili quesadilla, both reportedly very good. The coffee (they use Puro beans) was also very good - they make a nice flat white.
I'm giving them 4/5 "green stars" for social and environmental impact. I didn't get around to asking for details on their ingredients and sourcing, and unfortunately there's not a lot of information available online. The only thing I know is that they do have a lot of vegetarian options on the menu and their veggies were very fresh and delicious. Perhaps the fact that they choose to serve Puro coffee says a lot about their ethos. Puro (which was nominated for a Guardian sustainability award) supplies shade grown, Fair Trade certified coffee (some organic) and are on a mission to preserve rainforests. Working with the World Land Trust, they have used proceeds from coffee sales (at least 2%) to purchase and conserve more than 16,000 acres of tropical rainforest, including orangutan habitat in Borneo. They also have social initiatives, such as their Trees4Schools project in South Africa and providing supplies and coffee plants to Fair Trade farmers in DR Congo. So, if you want a well-made cup of coffee where proceeds go to a good cause, An Pota Caife is a great option. The one story I found online about the café was about a man who had left an envelope of money behind one day, which turned out to be his entire disability allowance. The staff kept it in their safe for three months until they happened to spot him back in the café again, and presented him with his cash. So they appear to be good folk :-)
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