CanalCafé is part espresso bar, part laboratory. It features a hybrid natural-artificial purification system that accelerates the cleansing effects of tidal wetlands, ultimately rendering canal water potable.

A transparent pipe draws water from the lagoon and channels it through a bio-filtration system that splits the water into two interdependent streams: one passes through a “micro-wetland” where salt-tolerant halophytes purify the water while retaining natural minerals so important for a local expresso; while the other stream is subjected to an artificial filtration process to lower the salt content of the brackish water. The two streams are then blended back together, steamed, and passed through coffee grounds to brew espresso.