A must-stop for visitors interested in history, culture and coffee, Dja'r Fogo is run by a local artist who splits his time between Lisbon, Paris and Fogo. It serves as art gallery, cafe, information point and launch pad for informal trips around the island. It's also the best place to taste artisanal Fogo coffee; the owner's family has had a coffee plantation since 1874, and six generations later, he still roasts and packages it into neat little cotton bags.
If Agnelo, the owner, is on Fogo, he organises personalised island circuits as well as dinners at his 200-year-old family estate, Quinta das Saudades, in the village of Achada Lapa, 8km east from town in the mountains. This is a treat not to be missed, featuring traditional corn-based dishes prepared by a woman who has been cooking for the family for 40 years. Email or call ahead of time to arrange the dinner.
If Agnelo is away, the gallery is still open; relax on the patio over a cup of coffee or check out the old photos, art and jewellery made of recycled materials, and cards made with banana leaves and black sand.
