20 Fun Spots to Eat Brunch in Lisbon (2022 Update)

Eating brunch in Lisbon is a tasty way to start any day of the week in Portugal’s capital. But which are the top Lisbon brunch spots? Read on to discover twenty contenders for the best brunch in Lisbon.

Many visitors to Portugal want to eat a Pastel de Nata or another Portuguese dessert every morning. We get that and did the same during our first visit to Portugal too.

With menus featuring avocado egg toast and omelettes, Lisbon cafes serve brunch all over the city. Just like Amsterdam and Hamburg, Lisbon has dozens of cafes specializing in the best meal of the day.

Eating Brunch in Lisbon

Eating brunch is one of the most popular things to do in Lisbon. Crowds of locals, ex-pats and food travelers pack cafes throughout the city in order to satiate their brunch fix. While some ‘eat for the insta’, savvy diners care more about eating great food.

Considering the prevalence of eggs and sugar in the Portuguese cuisine, the city provides a great match for globally popular dishes like Pancakes, Eggs Benedict and French Toast (pain perdu). The key is to know where to eat the best brunch in Lisbon.

Our Favorite Lisbon Brunch Spots

Not to brag but we’ve eaten a lot of brunches since we moved to Lisbon in early 2019. How many? Enough that we’re unofficial Lisbon brunch experts.

Our favorite places for brunch in Lisbon run the gamut from cute and cozy to modern and expansive. Some serve crafted specialty coffee drinks while others offer outdoor seating. We typically avoid restaurants that vie for the status of ‘most instagrammable brunch in Lisbon’ since that’s not our thing.

1. Dear Breakfast

Dear Breakfast serves breakfast and brunch all day, every day, in cafes located in Bica, Chiado and Alfama. The original cafe opened in Bica in 2017 while the newest in Alfama opened four years later.

Feeling hungry? Dear Breakfast offers a complete brunch menu that includes both coffee and a cocktail. Currently priced at €20, that brunch should fill you up until dinner. If not, you can stop for a Pastel de Nata break in the afternoon. As for us, we typically opt for Dear Breakfast’s à la carte menu.

2. Shakar

Don’t be confused by Shakar’s appearance. Despite its intentionally minimalistic decor, this is a cafe that doesn’t scrimp on the important brunch things – flavor and portion size.

Shakar also focuses on specialty coffee, another important brunch thing. We’re talking about flat whites, cappuccinos and pour overs crafted with high quality, artisanally roasted coffee beans.

Shakar’s owners, Faysil Al-Shakarchi and Malin Marsell, traveled the world while working for Emirates Airlines. After opening their Picoas cafe in June of 2021, they now channel their shared wanderlust through dishes like Breakfast Tacos, Chicken Waffles, Turkish Eggs and Shakshuka.

Since we have wanderlust too, we ordered Chicken Waffles and Turkish Eggs during our initial ‘trip’ to Shakar. Color us surprised when the waffles, topped with crispy fried buttermilk chicken, maple drizzle, crème fraîche and pickled onions, rivaled versions we’ve eaten in America. Sadly, good fried chicken is not the norm in Europe.

But it was the Turkish Eggs that we ordered again. Shakar’s version of the vegetarian dish made with two poached eggs, a savory pool of garlicky yogurt and warm harissa olive oil sauce is addictive. It’s also bright and flavorful as is the Shakshuka (cleverly named Shakar-Shuka) made with chunks of red bell pepper, a blend of spices and tomato.

Now that Shakar has hired Julian Lugo Alopaeus, a chef with Mexican and Canadian roots, we’re excited to see where the brunch menu ‘travels’ to next. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for an authentic Mexican dish or two and maybe even Poutine.

3. Flat Cafe

Flat Cafe isn’t a typical brunch spot in Lisbon and we like that. Instead of serving American-style pancakes, this cosy Bica spot serves dishes inspired by Scandinavia and Russia.

Varvara Kroz hails from St. Petersburg which explains the Russian connection. It’s also why trying dishes like Potato Pancakes is a must. Served with house cured beet-cured salmon and herbaceous cream cheese, the jazzed up Belarusian dish is a winner.

For us, though, there was no question of which smórrebrod to order – tuna tartare. This particular smórrebrod called out to Mindi and she’s glad she responded. The well-seasoned sandwich was a joy to eat as was the fresh spinach salad that filled the plate.

Don’t worry if you’d rather eat traditional brunch food. Flat Cafe’s menu includes dishes like homemade granola and oatmeal as well as Salade Nicoise. On the weekend, the cafe offers a multi-plate brunch combo, a great deal that includes both orange juice and excellent coffee.

Kroz is as obsessed with specialty coffee as we are and currently sources her beans from 80plus in Barcelona. While our flat whites weren’t the most beautiful we’ve imbibed in Lisbon, they met our high coffee standards and daily caffeine needs. We’ll just call it a case of brains over beauty, something we place a higher value on in both coffee and in life.

4. Heim Cafe

Picky eaters or those on a budget can order a la carte dishes instead. Fitting into both of these categories during our visit, we ordered two plates plus glasses of fresh orange juice to wash it all down.

During your visit, expect to eat modern dishes like Quinoa Fritters, ‘Panwiches’ and Avocado Toast. The ‘Something Good’ dish features fried halloumi – something we rarely pass on when we see it on a menu.

6. Fauna & Flora

Brunch fans have another happy place in the Madragoa neighborhood – airy, plant-filled Fauna & Flora. Open since late 2017, this lively Lisbon cafe serves a range of sweet and savory options as well as beverages that start with Portuguese coffee and end with global cocktails.

Not near Madragoa and feeling lazy? The popular brunchery has a second Lisbon location in Anjos if that’s more convenient to where you’re staying.

7. Thank You Mama Café

Open since September of 2020, Thank You Mama Café is a Lisbon cafe that serves two of our favorite things – freshly baked bagels and specialty coffee. In many cities, this wouldn’t be a big deal. However, good bagels don’t exactly grow on trees in Lisbon.

We can’t emphasize this bagel situation enough since it’s a true pet peeve about living in Portugal. While we’ve easily found decent bagels in other European cities, it took us three years to find them in Lisbon. And not for lack of trying.

Thank You Mama’s compact menu features a variety of bagel options. Some bagels are simply topped with cream cheese or peanut butter while others feature ingredients like hummus and avocado. We’re partial to the cafe’s Salmon Simon sandwich.

We rarely pass on bagels and lox and Thank You Mama’s version is a winner with ingredients like house-cured salmon, pickled onion and fresh cucumber. While not on the level of New York or Philadelphia, these bagels are satisfying enough, with a nice chew to satisfy our bagel cravings.

Owner Anna Santos has gone all in with Barcelona-based Nomad as she did when she was a partner at Buna. Her second Lisbon cafe serves crafted espresso drinks as well as refreshing cold brew beverages, all using Nomad beans. This makes us happy too.

To be clear, Thank You Mama doesn’t offer a full-on brunch menu. However, if there’s a better brunch combo than bagel and lox sandwiches and flat whites, we’ve yet to find it in Lisbon or elsewhere.

8. The Mill

We first ate brunch at The Mill in 2018 when we were thinking about moving to Lisbon, one of the best food cities in Portugal. Once we made the big move a few months later, we proceeded to frequent the São Bento cafe enough times that we knew each staff member by name.

The Mill’s compact menu includes toasties, bowls and plates featuring ingredients like chouriço, goat cheese and kale. The menu has changed a few time over the past couple years, but the food remains consistently good.

Compared to other brunch spots, prices are moderate and flavors are tight. On a recent visit we enjoyed wonderful fritters filled with sweet corn, topped with avocado and served with an optional side of smoked salmon.

True confession – sometimes we go to The Mill just for flat whites. The staff roasts a range of global single sourced beans at a roastery in nearby Santos. These flat whites provide a nice afternoon pick-me-up after traversing the city’s endless, undulating, cobblestone calçadas.

9. Cotidiano

Despite seeing lines forming every day outside Cotidiano, we were reluctant to rush to eat at the Baixa eatery until we moved to the neighborhood in 2021. As it turns out, Cotidiano is one of the best brunch spots in Lisbon.

Located around the corner from Praça do Comércio and next to one of Lisbon’s most beautiful buildings, Cotidiano is directly across the street from an active 28 tram stop. We must have caught the infamous tram at that stop 100 times before we went inside the cosy brunch spot on a whim.

We quickly realized that Cotidiano gets the concept of American pancakes. Seeing a plate piled high with fluffy hotcakes and served with a generous amount of maple syrup was a shocker since both are rarities in Lisbon. Eating the syrup-soaked pancake stack was a pleasure.

Beyond pancakes, Cotidiano’s menu features a range of breakfast, brunch and lunch favorites. Popular dishes include pink Eggs Benedict with an optional sided of smoked salmon and a range of Smoothie Bowls.

We’re fans of both the Berry Recovery Smoothie made with almond milk and the Breakfast Burrito loaded with scrambled eggs, spinach, avocado, bacon, mozzarella cheese and black beans. But the pancakes win the prize with their range of possible toppings including Nutella, fruit, bacon, eggs and peanut butter.

Contidiano translates to daily. While we wouldn’t want to eat here every day, we’d be happy to eat here once a week. Maybe its name should be Semanal (i.e. weekly) instead.

10. BLOOM

When we speak of things blooming in Lisbon, we’re typically referring to the purple jacaranda trees that sprout each spring. Occasionally, we’re referring to globally-inspired brunch at BLOOM instead.

Located in Lisbon’s Alcântara neighborhood, BLOOM offers iconic brunch dishes like eggs benedict and avocado toast. However, the brunchery’s menu expands to include American burgers, Brazilian açaí bowls, Thai tom-yum soup, Japanese ramen and Israeli shakshouka.

11. Cafe Dede’s

Agne “Dede” Costa and Rhi Pulford hail from Brazil and Austalia respectively. Now that they live in Lisbon, the creative duo serves global dishes prepared with local ingredients at Cafe Dede’s in Lapa.

And not just any local ingredients. This cafe sources bread from Gleba, natural wine from Senhor Uva and specialty coffee beans from 7g Roaster.

Costa and Pulford traveled the world before settling in Lisbon. Dishes like Okonomiyaki and Korean BBQ Jackfruit Burgers showcase flavors they discovered during their culinary travels.

With two locations, including a space in the upscale Gladstone building next to leafy Jardim da Estrela, Cafe Dede’s is a great spot to start your day. The combination of tasty food and quality specialty coffee is a winner.

12. Brick Cafe

We each ordered the full brunch during our visit and added sides of bacon and smoked salmon. When we return, we’ll be more selective and order a la carte dishes like filled croissants and Greek yogurt unless we’re feeling particularly peckish.

Brick Cafe serves salads and burgers for those not in the mood for traditional brunch food. Be sure to check the menu next to the brick wall to discover the daily soup and dish of the day before you order.

13. Nicolau

Located in Baixa near Lisbon’s main square, Praça do Comércio, Nicolau is a great spot to kick off a day of touring. It’s also a good spot for a leisurely meal with friends on a lazy Lisbon Saturday.

You’ll have a couple big decisions when you eat brunch at Nicolau starting with where to eat. Choices include sitting inside the insta-cute cafe or outside on the cafe’s expansive terrace.

The harder decision will be narrowing down the urban cafe’s food choices. Perhaps you’ll want to go traditional with pancakes or french toast. Or maybe you’ll want to eat healthier with a salad or açai smoothie.

The cafe also offers desserts like carrot cake and brownies which are good options… unless you already ate red velvet pancakes for brunch. This decadent dish doubles as a dessert.

14. Neighbourhood

We first discovered Neighbourhood when Reuben at The Mill (see above) told us about the newest coffee shop in the neighborhood. How could we resist an Australian-owned cafe where baristas pull expertly executed ristretto espresso shots? We couldn’t.

In those early days (circa November 2019), we didn’t know that Neighbourhood’s outdoor tables would become so desirable during the global pandemic. We also didn’t know that the coffee shop would eventually serve superb breakfast burritos that appease our unrequited cravings for good Mexican food in Lisbon.

Since Neighbourhood’s owners are from Australia via London, it only makes sense that the cafe would have avocado toast on the menu. But this cafe’s version takes the brunch staple one step farther by adding jalapeños for an extra kick of heat.

15. Marquise

We’re excited about Lisbon’s rapidly emerging bread baking scene and Marquise’s baked good will have us coming back for more.

During our most recent brunch, the cafe’s francesinha-like gimmick of stuffing ‘wurst’ sausage inside our Croque Monsieur overcomplicated the sandwich’s solid base of ingredients. Meanwhile, our Mushroom Ajillo appetizer, with way too thin mushrooms swimming in a watery, soupy sauce, was nothing like the classic Portuguese dish made with shrimp and a whole lot of garlic.

We also didn’t enjoy our cappuccino crafted with ‘old school’ over-roasted coffee beans. We’re just not fans of Flor da Selva despite the the local roaster’s romantic multi-generation coffee operation.

Pro Tip
Buy a loaf of bread or a few croissants before you eat brunch at Marquise. The popular bakery, one of the best in Lisbon, could sell out before you finish your meal.

Marquise is located at Rua Nova da Piedade 33, 1200-296 Lisboa, Portugal.

16. Good Boy Bagels

Opened in September of 2021 by a South African couple with a passion for both bagels and cycling, Good Boy Bagels shares its space with a boutique bicycle workshop. It’s a fun spot that doubles as a solid Lisbon brunch option.

While the bagels at Good Boy Bagels have a nice outer chew, we still haven’t tasted a bagel in Lisbon with the kind of dense crumb and malty flavor that we love in New York and Philadelphia bagels. Lisbon bakers seem to focus on natural sourdough leavening, but great bagels are more about execution and not really about that.

We still enjoyed the flavors in our tuna and smoked salmon sandwiches and, after chatting with one of Good Boy Bagels’ owners, we know that the passion and drive are there. We expect good things from this cafe.

17. Oui Mais Non

Restaurant Oui Mai Non, which enjoyed a previous life as a tearoom for the French macaron house Ladurée, has a nouveaux beaux-arts French decor and pink walls accented by Warhol-esque portraits. Its brunch menu has similar daring touches with its combination of traditional egg dishes as well as a range of cuisine inspired by countries like India and Japan.

But Oui Mai Non doesn’t stop at breakfast. It also serves an afternoon tea that includes breads, cakes and petit fours. And, in a nod to the space’s former tenant, the restaurant also serves colorful macarons and other French pastries.

Assuming you say ‘oui’ to brunch, Oui Mai Non offers three complete options – Short & Sweet (currently €12 and similar to a continental breakfast), Brunch Lovers (currently €18 for a short detox, yogurt or pancake, an egg dish and drinks) and OMN (currently €24 for the full shebang including an additional fruit plate and a mimosa). As always, prices are subject to change.

Dipping our toes into the menu, we opted for two dishes – Eggs Benedict with bacon and Baby Dutch Pancakes with maple syrup and sliced bananas. Next time, we’ll likely try the restaurant’s Sapporo Pancakes – fluffy soufflé style discs served with a choice of toppings and sauces that include maple syrup, three kinds of chocolate, honey, salted caramel, whipped cream, dulce de leche and jam.

18. Augusto Lisboa

We must have passed by Augusto Lisboa’s pink wall a dozen times before we actually entered its doors. We never thought about going inside until visitors from the US, Matt and Marie, gave us a good report.

Once we made those extra few steps, we discovered a quirky space filled with kitschy fur chairs and a striking chandelier. Modern tiles and jungle print decorate the walls and the floor is the same shade as as Lisbon’s vivid Pink Street.

Brunch options skew classic but with a twist. Bowls come topped with yogurt, oat apple pear porridge or fruit. Salads entice with ingredients like Portuguese cheese, green apples and bacalhau (cod).

Avo toast goes the extra mile with the addition of scrambled eggs, homemade cream cheese and pickled carrots. It’s a colorful, tasty dish that’s different from other versions we’ve eaten in Lisbon.

We can’t comment on the coffee since we’re not fans of mass marketed Sical beans. However, we enjoyed imbibing glasses of cinnamon-flavored water and fresh orange juice. Maybe next time we’ll opt for a crafted Porto Tonico or Caipirinha with our Alfama brunch instead.

19. Amélia

Popular with expats looking to get their brunch on, Amélia is adorable. Its interior space looks like it could be in a movie or tv show and it has a secret garden that’s equally picturesque. The team behind Nicolau (see above) clearly had a vision when they designed this all-day brunch spot in Campo de Ourique.

After dining at Amélia, we can’t call ourselves fans of its food. Daryl’s French Toast was a hot mess made with chewy supermarket bread and decorated with pale white, out-of-season strawberries while Mindi’s Red Velvet Pancakes arrived cold. Adding salt to the wound, Mindi’s smoothie was flavorless and Daryl’s flat white was brewed with commodity Delta beans.

We’ve included Amélia in this Lisbon brunch guide because of its popularity as well as its location in one of our favorite Lisbon neighborhoods. However, when it comes to eating brunch in Campo de Ourique, we’d rather eat dim sum at nearby Macau Dim Sum (see below) than food that’s clearly been prepared for instagram photos.

20. Zenith

If you believe that brunch shouldn’t be limited by the clock and tastes better with a mojito, then Zenith is the spot for you. This Avenida cafe serves an all-day brunch menu in an industrial space. Plus, cocktails flow as freely as coffee.

Zenith’s menu fully embraces the brunch concept with a full slate of smoothie bowls and egg dishes. Pancake toppings run the gamut from Nutella to francesinha sauce. However, don’t go to Zenith expecting a typical American brunch. If you do, you’ll be disappointed.

During our Zenith brunch, we kept our pancake stack relatively simple with bacon, cheddar cheese and a fried egg. Oddly, maple syrup was inside the pancakes as opposed to drizzled on top. However, there was nothing odd about our Eggs Benedict dish served with avocado and a side of smoked salmon.

If you enjoy your Zenith Lisbon brunch, you can repeat the experience at the cafe’s original location in Porto or in Madrid. Yes, the team behind Zenith has jumped the border and is now conquering Spain.

Bonus Lisbon Brunch Pick – Dim Sum

As much as we enjoy eating traditional brunch food in Lisbon, sometimes we want something different. And by different, we mean Chinese dumplings (a/k/a dim sum).

Luckily for us, Lisbon has a vibrant Asian community that dates back to the days when Portugal colonized Macau. The city’s central Martim Moniz neighborhood is home to numerous Asian business including Mercado Oriental, a thriving food court that serves popular Asian dishes from countries like Japan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Sure, we could easily eat a proper dim sum brunch at a sit down restaurant in Lisbon. Sometimes, though, we’re simply in the mood to order baskets of dumplings and wash them down with bubble tea, the iconic sweet beverage invented in Taiwan.

Macau Dim Sum is another great brunch option when you’re looking for a more leisurely dim sum experience. Located in the Campo de Ourique neighborhood, Macau Dim Sum has offers a full range of dumplings plus soups and full size dishes. If you can’t find your favorite dumplings here, then you probably can’t find them anywhere in Lisbon.

Macau Dim Sum is located at Rua Dom João V 31B, 1250-096 Lisboa, Portugal.
Mercado Oriental is located at Rua da Palma 41 A 1o andar, 1100-390 Lisboa, Portugal. This food court is just above the Amanhecer market.

Additional Lisbon Brunch Spots

Plan Your Lisbon Trip

View the Web Story.