Cascais has a new café for fans of brunch (and coffee). It’s called Euphoria and it opened on 13 June in the centre of town. With salads, toasties, bowls, pancakes, waffles and various types of eggy confections, it’s hard to choose between the range of options on offer.
You could, for example, try the avocado toasties (€9.50), the mushrooms and truffle (€9.50), the smoked salmon (€10.50) or the Angus steak with egg (€10.50). If you don’t fancy bread and prefer an energy boost, try the açaí bowls (€8) or the oats with fruit and nuts (€6.50). There are also pancakes with chicken and bacon (€9.50) and smoked salmon and cream cheese (€10.50).
Euphoria is the brainchild of 22 year-old Francisco Freire. It shares its name with the popular HBO series – which is no accident. The owner was looking for an “appealing” name, “a little out of the ordinary”, that would be “eye-catching” and also appeal to foreigners.
He took over the premises of an old shoe shop, which had previously been a restaurant and needed some work to turn it into a brunch space, with a green wall and the name lit up in neon. Francisco developed a taste for the art of good coffee in Bucharest, where he lived for several years. “That’s where I also acquired the habit of having breakfast out of the house; something that doesn't happen much in Portugal.”
And so he came up with the idea of building a brunch space that is open at the same time as a regular patisserie, but includes this option as well. They sell cookies (€4.20), American-style cheesecake (€4.50), fresh juice, a range of coffees and other hot drinks. The house coffee is fruity, with a little acidity, and leaves a lingering flavour in the mouth. Another speciality are the dishes that incorporate matcha, including omelettes and cookies.
The town's new café is already in full swing, with a clientele of tourists and residents, many of whom use Euphoria as a workspace during the day - either the 22-seat dining area or the 12-seat terrace outside.
Rua Afonso Sanches, 12 Cascais. 8am-5pm