One of Europe's best cafés: The Folks

Founded by Philipp Lytvynov, what started as a single café in Chiado in 2022 has quickly grown into one of Lisbon's best-known speciality coffee brands, with six locations across the city – Chiado, Alfama, Santos, Sé, Blue Street and Belém. In 2024, the company also opened its own coffee roastery, allowing the team to roast its own beans and maintain the same quality across all of its cafés.

As we were staying close to Chiado, this was the branch we really wanted to visit. Every time we walked past, though, there was a long queue outside. Even though the café has plenty of seating, getting a table seemed impossible. Thinking we might miss out altogether, we decided to give it one last try. We still had to wait, but the queue moved quickly, and it was definitely worth it.

The first thing that caught my attention was the design. I liked the café being open towards the street, with some of the best tables overlooking the busy streets of Chiado. Another detail I hadn't seen before was the silver metallic canopy covering the ceiling, which definitely adds to the atmosphere inside.

Alongside speciality coffee, you'll find egg dishes, pancakes, French toast, toasts, salads and sandwiches. You can also choose from a selection of coffee beans, whether you're ordering a filter coffee or buying a bag to take home.

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We noticed many people ordering the pancakes topped with fresh fruit as they passed our table, and they looked delicious. In the end, we chose the mango pavlova, and it turned out to be an excellent choice. It was light, fresh and full of flavour – just what we needed after a morning walking around Lisbon.

It's easy to understand why The Folks has become so popular. Good coffee, plenty of brunch options, a central location and a relaxed atmosphere make it a place worth adding to your Lisbon café list.

Best for:

• Brunch
• Speciality coffee
• Outdoor seating
• Chiado