Duna da Cresmina

A vista é de cortar a respiração, mas também abre o apetite. E ainda bem! Afinal de contas, na Duna da Cresmina, existe aquele espaço perfeito para saborear um ou outro petisco… mas sem perder a saúde e a linha! Independentemente da estação do ano, já fui surpreendido com produtos que são tão naturais como apetitosos.
Sem dúvida que o Verão é a época em que eu sou um cliente mais assíduo da Duna da Cresmina, uma cafetaria — que também é um bar e uma creperia e «pediu» o nome emprestado à beleza natural do Guincho. Na estação estival, as saladas frias, acompanhadas por uns sumos naturais, estão no topo das minhas preferências. No entanto, quando as temperaturas começam a descer, troco esses petiscos frios por umas tostas e uns crepes quentes. Mais do que isso. Calorosos. E com um cacau escaldante para brindar a um lanche tão acolhedor.
É por isso que, faça chuva, faça sol, a Duna da Cresmina é sempre um local a visitar. É que tanto os petiscos, como a paisagem do Guincho… são intemporais!

The Duna café is relaxing and inviting with a perfect view of the dunes and Praia Guicho. Serving drinks and small meals it’s a lovely atmosphere to visit for tea or coffee and small bite to eat.

My favorite spot. Honestly it’s one of those spots I don’t want to write a review about, because I want to keep it a secret. But here goes, because «sharing is caring».
Food/​drinks are self-​service here, which means you straight walk in to the café and order to your left. You’ll take your drinks (coffee, etc.), and they’ll bring the food out to you. They have a menu in both Portuguese and English, but the menu isn’t always visible so just ask them for one and they’ll pull one right up from the counter.
I like their Dutch Sandwiches (I think those were what they called it), which is basically like flatbread sandwiches. The sandwiches and salads are prepared onsite, surprisingly — you wouldn’t think they can actually cook much in such a small kitchen/​counter space. Their pastries are ok too, but I don’t think the pastries are prepared there.
Note that «café» in Portugal basically means an espresso. You can also order your coffee decaf, but it’ll still be an espresso. If you want something milder, like the American cup o’ joe, ask for an Abatanado — I didn’t see it on the menu in this café, but usually other Portuguese cafes have this option. They do have Garoto, which they call «latte», but really it’s just the same espresso with maybe three teaspoons of milk (atleast it tasted that way) — don’t expect to find the typical latte you would get in the States. If you’re okay with very milky coffee (milkier than the standard American latte), order a Galao (usually about three quarters of the cup is milk) or Meia de Leite («Half Milk» = half of the cup is milk).
The café is pretty small, about 5~6 picnic tables outside, where you can see the Dune and the Ocean from afar. They always keep a bowl full of water for dogs, and hence my family calls it the «dog café». They also have indoor seating, but it tends to be a little warmer and a bit stuffy. Still, nice natural colors.
Parking is a bit tricky here, especially the way out — which is typical of parking lots in Portugal, since they seem to have smaller individual car spaces than the ones in California usually do. Be careful not to scratch any other car on your way out!
Tip: You can walk down the dune from this café. Just follow where the people are going, or follow the signs! It’s a narrow walk, but quite nice. Many people either jog or walk with their dogs.