Christoph Hubmayer is a name that some might do not know... On the other hand, Kaffeehaus is a name very well known in Lisbon. One of the most popular cafes in town, owned and founded by Christoph.
Christoph an Austrian, Viennese who fall in love for Lisbon and its people, made Lisbon his home. At Kaffeehaus Christoph created his Lisbon's vienesse home, where locals can't get away from any longer... specially when they want to indulge with some truly Austrian treats.
So that we wanted to know more about the person behind this Lisbon's gem. Wilkomen, er ist Christoph!
The best view:
That's hard, Lisbon is one of the rare European capital cities that has no shortage of views. Besides the miradouros I would choose the view from Teatro da Garagem as it is perfect for enjoying Lisbon rain or shine.
Guilty Pleasure
Catching a matinée at one of Lisbon's many cinemas, we try to alternate between Portuguese and foreign productions.
Where can we find you on a Sunday afternoon?
Working in KaffeeHaus, or running errands.
A perfect day with your family or friends?
An afternoon barbecue with friends and family – and a beer or two!
A trend fro Lisbon's future?
It has been really exciting to see a boom in the number of small-scale coffee roasteries and cafés in Lisbon which helps to increase coffee know-how, quality and diversity.
Favourite drink in the city? Coolest place to have a drink?
I'm a bit of a nerd, so there is nothing better than reading the newspaper and drinking a coffee in the Gulbenkian garden or the garden at the Museu d'Arte Antiga.
What can you do here & nowhere else?
Wander from view point to view point, enjoying a sense of freedom and openness in the middle of a capital city.
A favourite Portuguese dish:
I love a home cooked seafood Cataplana, my favourite part of the meal is dipping the bread in the sauce in the end.
A favourite day trip:
Just an hour away you can be transported and escape the city living in Comporta. It almost has a tropical feeling with endless beaches, the views of Arrábida and a stopover in Setúbal to enjoy some choco frito on the way home.
What led you to make Lisbon your home?
Like many people I came to Lisbon because of love, by the time that the romance had gone I had fallen in love with Portugal and Lisbon, the people, the pimba music, food… I felt I had found home.
Coolest neighbourhood in town:
That is almost impossible to answer these days, with the regeneration of the city things are changing so quickly that I can't keep up! Personally, I am curious to see what will happen in Cais do Sodré and Santos strip.
When you have a foreign friends coming to stay in Lisbon, what would you recommend them to visit or something they can not miss?
A visit to Ponto Final in Cacilhas. Not only do you get to enjoy the ferry ride, see exhibitions at the Cerca, try an Almadã from Almada but you get to finish the day sitting in the sun by the water with an amazing view of Lisbon enjoying pataniscas and red bean rice. Its simple, low-key and perfect!
What do you think about the buzz around Lisbon as a destination worldwide? Do you think is a good thing for the city?
Overall I think it has been positive, it feels like the centre of Lisbon is experiencing a renaissance. However, we have to be cautious and clever in the way that it is managed to preserve the “spirit” of Lisbon. Also, the local government has to ensure that we deal with the changes responsibly, regarding issues like renting prices and adequate infrastructure to receive such large numbers of tourists so that it doesn't impact residents too negatively.
Do you ever think of going back to Vienna?
Occasionally the thought enters my mind but I can't fit a whole city and all its people in my suitcase…
Any new projects for 2017? Or a dream project?
Besides creating affordable housing? I think I want to get work stable enough so that I can focus on my Portuguese language skills and I dream of taming my Austrian accent… that will probably take a few years though...