Lisbon is quickly becoming one of the top travel destinations and I definitely know why! I’ve been lucky enough to live in this beautiful city for 5 months and I couldn’t love it more. Lisbon is such a vibrant and colorful city and the food is great. I will post more about the food scene in Lisbon, but my first stop had to be about brunch!
Brunch is a serious business in Lisbon. People love it and there are so many spots that it would be impossible to try them all. I will give you my top 5 brunch restaurants in the city and then some honorable mentions that are famous and well-known but where I haven’t been to myself.
Most places have a lot of vegan and gluten-free options as well, so that’s a bonus!
If you love brunch as much as I do, you will love this post and you will love Lisbon!
5. Hygge Kaffe
Hygge is a coffeeshop with Scandinavian vibes in Picoas. Not so close to the centre, but still in the heart of Lisbon. I used to live in the area and I would go there with my friends to study and have a coffee and a slice of cake.
Their brunch plates are a combination of croissants, cinnamon rolls, yogurt bowls, eggs or smørrebrød (Scandinavian open-faced sandwich). So you can get a few different things in just one plate! If you don’t want to get the plate, you can pick just one thing. They also make salad bowls and wraps if you want something different.
I highly recommend their cakes, my favorite being the red velvet and the banana peanut butter cake!
4. Manifest
This place is very interesting because they have lots of options that are inspired from different parts of the world. You can find a Mexican brunch, Peking duck eggs Benedict, Turkish eggs and even a full English breakfast! Their dishes are very creative, so if you’re a 360° foodie like me, I recommend you try it.
3. Dear Breakfast
They currently have three locations: Bica, Chiado and Alfama. I’ve only been to the Alfama one, which is very close to the cathedral, in the old town, definitely a beautiful part of the city. This place is also famous for their pink and blue latte (very IG-worthy)! They define themselves as egg-centric, but they also have different options, from açaí bowls to pancakes. I highly recommend their sweet pancakes with caramel, banana and pecan nuts.
2. Fauna & Flora
This place has two locations: Anjos and Santos. The one in Santos is near Green Street and it’s a very cool and hip part of the city, definitely visit it! Fauna & Flora has a lot of vegan and gluten-free options and it’s famous for their bagels and their avocado nests. My go-to order would be either a bagel or their salty pancakes with a side of sautéed mushrooms and mashed avocado!
1. Zenith
This is the winner for me. My favorite in the whole city, hands down. Zenith has such a cool vibe, lot of options and the best staff! They’re friendly and as efficient as it gets. I’ve been to Zenith multiple times and I’ve always liked everything. My favorite dish has to be the Zenith eggs: breaded poached eggs on toast with mashed avocado, crispy onions, hollandaise sauces and crispy Serrano ham. Do I have to say more? And yes, breaded poached eggs! It’s crazy, I know. They also have quite a few cocktails.
I also suggest their dulce de leche pancakes, the bagels and the Zenith pancakes, but honestly you can’t go wrong with any dish on their menu! They also have a restaurant in Porto and one in Barcelona.
I wish I could go back to Lisbon every week just to have brunch at Zenith, I love it that much.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
I’ll insert here some notorious brunch spots where I haven’t had the chance to go but heard great things about.
- Heim Café: a friendly neighborhood café. Their coffee is famous and the food looks great too!
- The Mill: located near Green Street, in Santos. It’s an Australian-Portuguese café that serves specialty coffee and all-day breakfast. They also sell ceramics!
- Nicolau: I’ve actually been to Nicolau but I didn’t like it that much. It’s very famous and loved though, so I might have just picked a bad dish. It’s in the center, near Rua Augusta, and the place is beautiful, definitely IG-worthy.
- Cotidiano: located in the city center, near Praça do Comércio. They have lots of options and I heard great things about it.
- Neighbourhood Café: another Australian-Portuguese café in Santos. This place has great reviews and I wanted to try it but didn’t have the time. I guess I’ll have to go back to Lisbon to do it!
Do you agree with my top picks? If you know any other brunch spots in the city, feel free to let me know and I’ll try them the next time I’m in Lisbon!
Tchau!
