Cafés and places to work in Benfica, Lisbon
Specialty coffee, a 1960s pastelaria, a free library inside a palace and a co-working day pass: where to drink coffee and get work done near our Benfica residence.
Photo: Carlos Fonseca · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Benfica doesn't have the laptop-café scene of central Lisbon, but it covers the basics well: good coffee, a proper old pastelaria and a free library inside a palace for when you need to focus. Most of it sits within about 200 metres at the western end of Estrada de Benfica, a 10 to 16-minute walk from our Benfica residence.
For good coffee
- •Fermata (Estrada de Benfica 751B, about 10 min): opened in December 2025 with specialty coffee from rotating Portuguese roasters. A V60 filter is €2.40 and sourdough toasties start at €3.90. It's tiny (three tables) and open Wednesday to Sunday, 09:30 to 15:00, so treat it as a coffee stop rather than a desk.
- •Pastelaria Nilo (Estrada de Benfica 715B, about 10 min): a big, old-school pastelaria open since 1962, with a terrace. Have a bica with the pastel de feijão, the house favourite, or a jesuíta. Open every day from 07:00.
- •Lumi (Estrada de Benfica 733C, about 10 min): a gelato café that uses fruit from the neighbourhood market. It also serves organic coffee and a brunch menu with vegetarian options. Open Tuesday to Sunday, but hours come from an older listing, so check.
To study or work
- •Biblioteca do Palácio Baldaya (Estrada de Benfica 701A, about 11 min): the parish library has a free study and reading area. It's open Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 20:00, and Saturday, 09:00 to 13:00. The palace also has a garden café, open every day, and a cowork with about 30 desks, booked by e-mail at coworkbaldaya@jf-benfica.pt (prices aren't published).
- •FORJA Cowork (Rua das Pedralvas 5A, about 16 min): a co-working space that sells day passes, so there's no monthly plan to sign. A day is €14 and five days are €65, both plus VAT, with fibre Wi-Fi and a kitchen with coffee. Open Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 19:00.
Coffee for the flat
Casa de Cafés Solposto (Estrada de Benfica 661C, about 13 min) has sold coffee and tea since 1949, with around 1,300 products and coffee roasted at Flor da Selva. It's a shop, not a café: come here for beans or ground coffee for the residence kitchen.
Fermata, Nilo, Lumi and Palácio Baldaya are all within a couple of minutes of each other, so one walk covers them. For food nearby see where to eat in Benfica, and for the neighbourhood calendar see markets and events in Benfica.
Frequently asked
Where can I study for free in Benfica?
At the library inside Palácio Baldaya, on Estrada de Benfica. It has a free study and reading area, open Monday to Friday 09:00 to 20:00 and Saturday 09:00 to 13:00.
Is there a co-working space in Benfica?
Yes. FORJA Cowork sells day passes at €14 plus VAT, and Palácio Baldaya runs a parish cowork with about 30 desks, booked by e-mail.
Where can I get specialty coffee in Benfica?
Fermata, on Estrada de Benfica, opened in December 2025 and serves filter and espresso from rotating Portuguese roasters, Wednesday to Sunday.
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