Cafe David

It is quite often that no matter which university or school they are from, always have that one place where most of their free time is spent over coffees and gossip. Before moving to Porto I was not an avid coffee drinker, but this culture and this place changed that.  

I never went to the university but the closest that I had to it was Escola de Hotelaria e Turismo do Porto (School of Hotel and Tourism of Porto). Next to the school the unofficial student’s cafe, Cafe David. I was a month late on my classes because of some “visa issues”, so upon my arrival I started wandering around Porto to get a feel of the city, and stumbled upon this cafe before I noticed that my school was next to it. It was my first time in Europe and had no idea what to expect from the people. You know when someone is so nice that they emit a familial feeling for no reason, it can feel weird, specially to an outsider like I was. But Portuguese people does it the best, most of them are just extremely nice. This is the case with Manuel Maria Assis David. I went into the cafe and this guy just started talking to me in Portuguese. All his words passed over my head, I didn’t know Portuguese and he spoke no English but still there was a mutual understanding of belonging. I don’t think it was that bitter espresso (It was a pain to drink for the first time, I do love it now.) but really David’s hospitality that I hooked on to. Over the course of a year and a half, anytime any of my colleagues would want to have a coffee, it meant Cafe David. It really was the point of rendezvous for almost everyone at the school, including the staff. I imagine if it were the late 1700s, this cafe could be where the Portuguese revolutionaries would come for the meetings (Everyone would be dressed as the French though, that is where my imagination takes me). I remember, every time I would pass the cafe there were always students immaculately dressed in the school uniform (Now, there is no uniform but man did I get hell for never donning the entire thing). It was such a great sight because you could tell it was the student’s cafe. Now, upon passing I can never distinguish the crowds. For David, it is not a huge issue because like always he still knows every person by either their face or name.

I was really surprised to find out that the whole thing with all the students coming over was not always the case. He opened the cafe on 2nd May, 2007 and at the time the school used to be the University of Arts. There were not a lot of people passing through the cafe, specially from the University. I don’t know exactly when the switch happened, the University turned into a hospitality school and his business boomed. I guess, people in the hospitality industry just need a lot more coffee to be able to survive their intense career choice. If I really think about it, this cafe introduced me to Portuguese food. There was a baked puff pastry, full of Ragu, layered with ham, cheese and topped with a mix of sesame seeds, called Combinado. I had that with an espresso one morning and absolutely loved it. It was a ritual to have it every day before school (if it was available and I was able to make it earlier than other students) alongside a broken conversation with David. So, the baked goods come from a bakery close to the cafe. At 6:30am he is supposed to get the delivery and then the chaos starts. All the quick stuff like Portuguese hotdogs, pork sandwiches and more are made in the cafe, are quite decent and definitely serve as a great break with a cold beer. Unfortunately, he doesn’t serve the Combinado anymore but you can find it in most supermarkets (with a bakery).

When talking about the likes and dislikes of the place, one thing became clear that this guy knows how to properly use the cards dealt to him. The cafe is really small, the tables are limited and when all are occupied it doesn’t leave too much walking space. It should feel closed off but it never does. The limited space is actually the biggest strength of the cafe. David’s extremely social attitude makes him a great host, constantly conversing with every customer and when the topic is compelling, people naturally join in due to that limited space. He really enjoys when strangers find themselves caught up in random exchanges. This way, there are always interesting conversations flowing through the cafe and everyone can partake into them. This type of communication certainly helps him remember the people too. Our chats were riveting enough for him to remember me when I walked in after a long time, having left the school. Although, I was the only Indian in the school during my term, so that definitely makes it easier. (He still cannot pronounce my name but I cannot blame him.) Now, the school has diversified way more and there are a few other south asians learning bits of Portuguese from him too. The entire time while I was gathering information to write this down, there were people passing in and out of the cafe. I loved that he knew everyone of them personally or at least treated them like he did. On several occasions the customers didn’t have to order anything because he knew what they would get, which visibly was bringing such great joy to him.

Hopefully, I am able to visit him more often and designate myself as a regular. He still doesn’t speak any English but I was able to take an extra step to learn Portuguese and understanding him definitely adds to the fun. It really isn’t necessary to understand each other because he is an easy person to connect with. Whether you speak the language or not, if you want to take a fun little break, take a slight turn from the busy Santa Catarina street and have something at this cafe. I am sure you would enjoy it.