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Far from the bustle of Cascais’ streets, dominated by tourists and locals in a hurry, a new haven dedicated to fine pastry, artisan bread, and specialty coffee has just emerged. It is called Melt, and it opened its doors in early July, founded by Vanda Vavercakova.
For around two decades, Vanda worked in the jewellery sector in Slovakia. Ten years ago, she moved to Portugal, splitting her time between remote work and monthly trips to her home country. Five years ago, however, her passion for pastry took over. Vanda set off on a journey of self-learning and intensive training, taking various international courses and travelling to cities like Bratislava and Vienna to master traditional baking techniques and the craft of viennoiserie.
The idea of opening her own place began to take shape about two years ago. Vanda missed having a modern bakery in Cascais where she could enjoy a delicious treat in a comfortable setting. She then began searching for a location to bring her vision to life – though it was no easy task. It took 12 months of continuous searching to find the ideal venue and finalize property negotiations. Following extensive renovations, Melt finally opened to the public.
To shape the project’s identity, the owner drew inspiration from iconic international spots she visited during her travels, such as Juno the bakery in Copenhagen or Kruh Remeselná Pekáreň in Bratislava – a bakery where she even completed a two-week practical internship to absorb every production process before launching in Cascais. References from Madrid and Barcelona also helped craft the venue’s atmosphere.
From pavlova to matcha latte
Melt’s culinary offerings relies on three fundamental pillars of in-house production. Sourdough breadmaking is led by a baker who moved from Slovakia specifically to join the team. In the French viennoiserie section, which features croissants in various shapes and sizes, chef Kerim – of Luso-Turkish heritage – takes the reins. Meanwhile, Vanda devotes herself to crafting the cakes for the chilled display case, as well as handling custom orders for events and birthdays.
Another priority for the bakery is offering gluten-free options prepared with nuts and maple syrup, designed for guests with dietary sensitivities who seek more natural alternatives. The concept’s sustainability also involves a conscious reduction of sugar content across all recipes, highlighting the freshness and quality of raw ingredients baked daily on site.
Beyond pastries and bread, Melt offers a modern specialty coffee service alongside a curated selection of imported and local drinks. Highlights among the juices and functional beverages include the Portuguese brand Captain Kombucha, with the Electrolyte range proving particularly popular among gym-goers, cyclists, and yoga or Pilates practitioners stopping by after morning workouts.
Despite having been open for only a few weeks, the bakery has already built a loyal local following, Vanda tells us. Top customer favourites include the traditional espresso (€2), classic sourdough bread – which has even started being supplied to local restaurants –, the classic croissant, and the wonderful pavlova (€6.90) – those courses and masterclasses certainly paid off, Vanda!
The experience is rounded off with other offerings such as the caramel cruffin (a croissant-muffin hybrid, €5.20), matcha latte (€5.00), or the Medjool (€2.50).
Vanda Vavercakova aims to establish Melt as a community gathering spot in Cascais, where the privacy of the terrace and the comfort of the interior design make for a relaxing experience. On the horizon, alongside solidifying the brand, the owner does not rule out expanding the concept to new locations or distribution partnerships.
Avenida Costa Pinto, 8 – rear entrance (Cascais). Tue–Fri 08:00–18:00; Sat–Sun 09:00–16:00
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