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 title of 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.
However, since we’ve lived in Portugal for more than three years, we’ve dug deeper into the Lisbon food scene and have embraced the city’s burgeoning Brunch Lisboa scene. Yes, Lisbon has joined the global brunch movement.
Discover our favorite things to eat and drink in Portugal.
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.
However, unique brunch options abound for those who dig deep into the brunches Lisboa scene. After all, Lisbon is in Portugal as opposed to the Netherlands or Germany.
Sure, it would be easy to skip brunch in Lisbon and eat a Pastel de Nata instead. However, Lisboa pastelarias serve fresh Pasteis de Nata all day long. In other words, you can eat brunch in Lisbon and enjoy a Pastel de Nata later that same day.
Read our Lisbon Pastel de Nata guide if you’re overwhelmed by the city’s many pastelarias.
Table of Contents
- Eating Brunch in Lisbon
- Our Favorite Lisbon Brunch Spots
- 1. Cotidiano
- 2. Dear Breakfast
- 3. Flat Cafe
- 4. Heim Cafe
- 5. Fauna & Flora
- 6. Thank You Mama Café
- 7. The Mill
- 8. Neighbourhood
- 9. BLOOM
- 10. Cafe Dede’s
- 11. Brick Cafe
- 12. Nicolau
- 13. Marquise
- 14. Good Boy Bagels
- 15. Oui Mais Non
- 16. Augusto Lisboa
- 17. Shakar
- 18. Amélia
- 19. Zenith
- Bonus Lisbon Brunch Pick – Dim Sum
- Additional Lisbon Brunch Spots
- Our Favorite Lisbon Brunch Spots
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 Lisboa (i.e. Lisbon 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.
Some of the best Lisbon brunch spots serve familiar brunch favorites. Others specialize in dishes specific to Portugal or its South American brother, Brazil. And, in a surprising turn of events, many serve photogenic plates that also taste great.
When you’re looking to combine breakfast and lunch in Lisbon, we recommend starting at the following brunch-friendly cafes:
1. 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 and a personal favorite.
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 that we have since repeated.
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.
Pro Tip
Order one of Cotidiano’s multicourse ‘Brunch Addict’ combos if you’re really hungry or want to try more than one dish.
Cotidiano is located at Rua do Crucifixo 2, 1100-183 Lisboa, Portugal.
2. 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 our favorite 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.
While we like Dear Breakfast’s sweet and salty pancakes, our favorite dishes are Dear Breakfast’s Eggs Royal with poached eggs, brioche, salmon and hollandaise sauce and its Healthy Racheros with fried eggs, tortilla, avocado, tomato sauce, black beans and feta cheese.
However, we agree to disagree about the pickled red onions generously added to both of these dishes. Mindi likes them. Daryl would like LESS of them.
Pro Tip
Request a table next to a window when you dine at Dear Breakfast’s Alfama location. You’ll be able to see trams ramble by as you eat your brunch.
Dear Breakfast has multiple restaurants in Lisbon. We usually break bread at the Alfama restaurant located at Largo de Santo António da Sé 16, 1100-499 Lisboa, Portugal.
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.
But why Scandinavia? Kroz confided in us that she connected to the Nordic region during her travels and has an affinity to open-faced sandwiches like the ones we ate in Copenhagen. During our most recent visit, her menu offered seven different smórrebrod options with varied toppings like gravlax, shrimp, octopus and roast beef.
Discover more Danish food favorites.
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.
Pro Tip
Flat Cafe serves both vegetarian and gluten free dishes.
Flat Cafe is located at Tv. do Cabral 36, 1200-075 Lisboa, Portugal.
4. Heim Cafe
Heim Cafe has a colorful menu. Literally.
This cozy Madragoa spot separates its food and drinks by color – green, yellow, red and blue for brunch combos and pink, green and yellow for the smoothies. Natural wine is no exception with options including red, white, green, rose and orange.
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.
Pro Tip
Heim Cafe offers limited outdoor seating if you prefer to eat your brunch in the fresh air.
Heim Cafe is located at Rua Santos-O-Velho 2 e 4, 1200-109 Lisboa, Portugal.
5. 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.
Fauna & Flora’s fun menu features a staggering number of brunch and ‘brinner’ choices ranging from smoothie bowls and pancakes to rice bowls and burgers. Adventurous diners can order a salmon, bacon or vegan nest with two baked avocado halves and a kataifi nest.
Fauna & Flora has two Lisbon locations. We typically eat brunch at the spot located at Rua da Esperança 33, 1200-655 Lisboa, Portugal.
6. 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.
Pro Tip
Save room for a slice of babka. The sweet Jewish bread is the cafe’s signature dessert.
Thank You Mama Café is located at Rua do Forno do Tijolo 9A, 1170-132 Lisboa, Portugal.
7. The Mill
The Mill is a bit of a hybrid.
Originally from Australia, this cafe’s owners serve an ‘Australian-Portuguese’ menu with a focus on specialty coffee and brunch food. This is a spot where avocados and piri piri peppers co-exist in culinary harmony.
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 times 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.
Pro Tip
Buy a bag of beans to brew later. If you don’t have access to a grinder, the barista should be able to grind the beans for you upon request.
The Mill is located at R. do Poço dos Negros 1, 1200-335 Lisboa, Portugal.
8. 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.
Pro Tip
Follow Neighbourhood on social media to find out about the cafe’s pop-up dinners. Past pop-up have featured food from Korea, Mexico and Vietnam.
Neighbourhood is located at Largo do Conde Barão 25, 1200-163 Lisboa, Portugal.
9. 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.
Cheesy waffles, the standout dish during our brunch, comes topped with a mishmash of scrambled eggs, avocado, wilted spinach, candied bacon and sun-dried tomatoes. BLOOM also offers savory black waffles topped with cream cheese, cured salmon and arugula as well as sweet churro waffles topped with cinnamon sugar and salted sugar.
Disclosure – We found the texture of the candied bacon to be weird. Then again, we’re spoiled after eating praline bacon in New Orleans.
Pro Tip
Don’t hesitate to order coffee with your brunch. BLOOM was serving a special blend from Roastberry Coffee Lab, one of the city’s best specialty coffee roasters, at the time of our most recent visit.
BLOOM is located at Calçada Pampulha 42, 1200-753 Lisboa, Portugal.
10. 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.
Pro Tip
Go big and order Dede’s full brunch. The meal comes with a main dish, banana bread, orange juice and coffee or tea.
Cafe Dede’s has two Lisbon locations. The original cafe is located at Rua de Sant’Ana à Lapa 33, 1200-796 Lisboa, Portugal.
11. Brick Cafe
Comfortable Brick Cafe, just down the hill from Graça in Intendente, offers an excellent brunch value.
First time visitors won’t leave hungry after eating the cafe’s all-inclusive brunch menu. Served all day long, this hearty meal includes a croissant, bread, chocolate salami, a trio of cheeses, ham and salad plus two drinks (one hot and one cold). If you think that sounds like a lot of food, you’re correct.
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.
Pro Tip
Order a croissant with lemon curd or nutella for a sweet start to your day. Though not at the level of Parisian pastries, Brick’s French style croissants are the best we’ve found in Lisbon so far.
Brick Cafe is located at Rua de Moçambique 2, 1170-245 Lisboa, Portugal.
12. Nicolau
Located 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. Either way, a queue is practically guaranteed at this popular Baixa brunch spot.
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 an 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.
Pro Tip
Turn your brunch plate into a brunch feast. Nicolau’s brunch combo includes fresh orange juice, yogurt with fruit and homemade granola OR pancakes, eggs of your choice and coffee or tea. Potential upgrades include fruit, avocado, smoked salmon, cappuccinos and mimosas.
Nicolau is located at Rua de São Nicolau 17, 1100-547 Lisboa, Portugal. The cafe has a second location in Porto.
13. Marquise
Located inside the Mobler concept store in Lisbon’s Principe Real neighborhood, Marquise is a happy place for three types of people…
Shoppers can shop for contemporary art pieces while those with a sweet tooth stock up on pastries at Marquise’s in-house bakery. Then there are brunch fans who just chill out on the patio and eat international dishes.
We fall into all three categories.
We can’t say that we love the food or coffee at Marquise.
However, the cafe’s atmosphere and bakery are solid enough to justify future brunch sessions and bread purchases. The key is to order wisely with a focus on Marquise’s wonderful baked goods which rank among the best in the city.
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.
14. 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.
The sandwiches at Good Boy Bagels are tasty and the cafe’s coffee program, which currently features beans sourced from Porto’s SO Coffee Roasters, is solid. We agreed to disagree about the pickles which Mindi liked but Daryl found to be cloyingly sweet.
But what did we think about the bagels??
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.
Pro Tip
Plan ahead if you want to eat bagels on Sunday. Since Good Boy Bagels is oddly closed on the day that most people associate with bagels, you’ll need to buy bagels on Saturday and eat brunch at home.
Good Boy Bagels is located at Avenida 24 de Julho 88B, 1200-211 Lisboa, Portugal.
15. 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.
Pro Tip
Don’t order the Baby Dutch Pancakes if you’re in a rush. This kitchen takes 20 minutes to prepare this dish.
Oui Mais Non is located at Tivoli Fórum, Av. da Liberdade 180 Loja 5A, 1250-146 Lisboa, Portugal.
16. 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 friends visiting in early 2020 gave us a good report. Thanks Matt and Marie!
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 at Augusto Lisboa 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 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 to go with our Alfama brunch instead.
Pro Tip
Walk over to the Feira da Ladra flea market after your brunch on Tuesdays or Saturdays. The unique Thieves’ Market is just a ten-minute walk from Augusto Lisboa. The cafe is also a short walk from the Miradouro da Graça, one of the city’s most scenic overlooks.
Augusto Lisboa is located at Rua Santa Marinha 26, 1100-491 Lisboa, Portugal.
17. Shakar
Originally owned by a couple with a passion for both food and travel, Shakar initially wowed us with its global all-day brunch menu. We especially loved dishes like Breakfast Tacos, Chicken Waffles, Turkish Eggs and Shakshuka at this Picoas cafe.
Even better, the cafe served specialty coffee to go with its food – an ideal brunch situation. Plus, we rarely say ‘no’ at the opportunity to eat fried chicken in Europe.
While we were dazzled by Shakar in its early days, the food and service at the cafe are not the same since it was bought by the same group that operates Manifest. Hopefully the cafe will re-find its footing. When it does, we’ll be happy to return.
Pro Tip
Shakar has multiple options for diners who embrace gluten free, vegan and vegetarian lifestyles.
Shakar is located at Rua Viriato 1B, 1050-233 Lisboa, Portugal.
18. 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.
We’re not kidding when we call Amélia popular. Going without a reservation is a recipe for disappointment. The pet-friendly cafe draws a crowd every single day of the week, rain or shine.
But what about the food?
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.
Pro Tip
Make a reservation if you want to eat brunch at Amélia. Otherwise, just walk to nearby Macau Dim Sum where you may bump into us.
Amélia is located at Rua Ferreira Borges 101, 1350-128 Lisboa, Portugal.
19. 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 may 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.
Pro Tip
Go big and order Zenith’s Francesinha Pancakes topped with bacon, chicken, cheddar cheese, fried egg, special francesinha sauce and chives. Yikes!
Zenith is located at Rua do Telhal 4A, 1150-346 Lisboa, Portugal.
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.
Mercado Oriental’s Ravioli House serves a reasonably-priced, shareable feast of 20 dumplings. If there’s a better dumpling deal in Lisbon, we have yet to find it. As for bubble tea, flavors like pearl milk and taro are available downstairs at Meeting Tea.
Pro Tip
Pick up Asian ingredients at the Amanhecer market just below the food court. This grocery store sells chili crisp, fresh scallions and all of the ingredients we need to cook chicken stir fries and other Asian food favorites at home.
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
Did we mention that eating brunch in Lisbon is a popular thing to do? We did and we weren’t exaggerating!
We’ll continue to update this guide as we experience more great Lisbon brunch spots. In the meantime, here are enough options to fuel your mid-day hunger in neighborhoods throughout the city.
Plan Your Lisbon Trip
Hungry for More in Lisbon?
Check out our picks for Lisbon’s best restaurants, pizzerias, pastel de nata bakeries, specialty coffee cafes and ice cream shops. Then check our our restaurant reviews of Belcanto, Ponto Finale and Tasca Baldracca. If you’re limited in time, consider sampling a range of Lisbon food favorites at the Time Out Market.
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About the Authors
Daryl & Mindi Hirsch
Saveur Magazine’s BEST TRAVEL BLOG award winners Daryl and Mindi Hirsch share their culinary travel experiences and recipes on the 2foodtrippers website and YouTube. The married Food and Travel content creators live in Lisbon, Portugal.
Original Publication Date: August 12, 2020
Republish Date: August 11, 2021