Café Da Gama

Walking past Da Gama you would think it just a a regular coffee shop. But you would be wrong. It is right out of Europe, a slice of life as it is in Portugal. A shop that is always filled with Portuguese men from their 20’s to their 60’s and 70’s. Sitting around, discussing life and drinking very, very good cappuccinos! The prices are quite reasonable, especially considering it is right smack in the middle of the financial district of Edmonton (yes, we have one… Kinda).
I got the feeling, while being in there, that it is not overly occupied by women. I and my coffee date were the only females in the place, besides the staff, and I will say, we were eye balled a bit by the rest of the tables. But, not in a bad way, more in a curious way. That being said, the caffeinated beverages are delightful and very accurately made from what I remember of my time in Portugal. The seating is comfortable, and the location excellent. I shall return!

I didn’t really mean to come here. I actually wanted to go to Soul Soup, a place I’d been meaning to try for ages. But when I got there it was closed. Maybe for renovations, maybe forever. Café De Gama was right beside Soul Soup, and I walked in.
First thing I noticed was a sign saying they serve Soul Soup. I was happy. There are three soup options; meat, seafood, and veggie. I opted for the seafood option. A South Asian soup with salmon and lentils. It was very good, nice and hot. I liked how you got a large roll with the soup, which was nice and soft. Café De Gama is Portugese, and I noticed they had Portugeuse tarts. But I opted for a pastry with whipped cream. While it was good I found the pastry to be a little dry.
A nice place for a quick bite for lunch. I think next day I’d like to give their coffee a try as well.

I’ve worked at my current job for over two years, and I can see Café Da Gama from my window, but I didn’t end up going there until World Cup 2010 because someone told me they were playing all the games and it wasn’t too busy. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time here in June and July 2010, and have continued to go once in a while since then.
The space is small, with about seven or so tables inside. It’s great in the summer because there are a few more tables outside. There’s nothing distinctly Portuguese about the décor other than a football scarf and maybe a jersey on the wall. The décor is very minimal, white, with little vases on the tables and metal chairs.
Can’t comment on the coffee menu as I don’t drink coffee, but at a glance (and based on my coffee drinking friends comments) the prices look to be a little high. Definitely not cheap. Even the tea is expensive. I usually just get a juice. I’ve had lunch here a couple of time, and a sandwich, soup and drink came out to about $ 11. You can definitely get a cheaper sandwich elsewhere downtown. The soup I’ve had here is really good — not sure if they get it from Soul Soup next door or not.
I like to go to Café Da Gama because it is extremely convenient for myself and my friend who work in the building next to me to meet up at, it’s usually not too crowded and the atmosphere is very laid back.

Café Da Gama is a Portuguese café located on Rice Howard Way right next door to Soul Soup. It’s small but with a respectable number of tables, a television, a small selection of baked goods and sandwiches, and a breakfast menu. There is a full selection of coffee, tea, and espresso drinks. I opted for a moccachino and was actually quite impressed with how mellow it was — just the right balance of coffee and chocolate, without being too sweet. Prices are also quite a bit less than the chain coffee shops. Definitely worth a peek.