Counter & Bar
Front-of-house work zones for espresso bars and daytime counters
Espresso machine sight lines
Guests entering from narrow Baixa doorways often decide within three seconds whether a café feels welcoming. We position machine groups so the barista faces the room without blocking the menu board or pastry case from street view.
Standard two-group setups need roughly 1.8 metres of counter length including knock-box clearance and steam wand swing room.
Pastry vitrine geometry
Angled display cases catch afternoon light from west-facing Ribeira windows better than flat-front units. We specify shelf heights so the top row remains visible to standing customers while seated guests still see the lower tier through table gaps.
Refrigerated bases add 60 centimetres of depth — a dimension many lease floor plans underestimate until equipment arrives.
Back-bar storage without visual clutter
Open shelving above the machine reads artisanal but collects grease film within weeks. We prefer closed cupboards at eye level with a single open niche for daily cups and a concealed drawer for till floats and stationery.
Granite or engineered-stone splash zones behind the machine should extend 40 centimetres above counter height to protect plaster walls common in pre-1950 Porto buildings.
Stool height and knee clearance
Counter dining along a window bar requires stools 65 centimetres high for a 105-centimetre counter, leaving 25 centimetres of knee space. Foot rails set 20 centimetres above floor level reduce leg fatigue during longer stays.
We avoid backless stools on polished calçada-adjacent floors where guests shift frequently; low-back versions provide enough stability without blocking the view.
Power and data routing beneath counters
POS terminals, grinders, and phone chargers compete for sockets in compact bars. We plan conduit paths during the design phase so electricians chase channels before final tile work, not after cabinets are fixed.
Counter & bar layout from €980 · Elevation drawings and equipment footprint schedule included