Ponto De Encontro Cafe & Restaurant

Family style place. Everybody knows everyone. Pleasant atmosphere. Good food. Good attention

Great place. Great food.

Hint: the translation is the meeting point!

Having recently returned from vacation in Portugal, Ponto de Encontro is just what I was looking for in Elizabeth!

Entering Ponto de Encontro is an experience all to itself, like you're about to embark on an adventure into a speakeasy, since it is located in a residential part of town.

Once you find yourself inside, prepare to be totally immersed. It reminded me exactly of cafes and delis on my trip in Porto, Portugal.

There are a few tables by the window, as well as a full espresso bar, maintained by an experienced barista.

Espresso culture in Portugal is ubiquitous. The caffeine-addiction in Portugal hails from Brazilian coffee influence as well as Italy's masterful machinery.

Usually the bar is crowded, with everyone inside speaking Portuguese and sipping on wine and espresso. Of course, the TV is set to a Portuguese news or sports channel.

To eat, they offer a daily specials menu (written in Portuguese) located above the bar, as well as a variety of sandwich options. I've yet to eat here, but it always smells delicious inside.

Nowhere else that I've been to in Elizabeth has offered this kind of immersion into Portuguese still life. It is truly something else.