12 of the Best Brunch Spots in Lisbon, Portugal
Looking for the best brunch in Lisbon? This comprehensive guide details the 12 best places for brunch in Lisbon, Portugal, and what’s so dang good about each of them.
Scouring the internet for the best brunch and coffee spots in Lisbon? I’ve gotcha covered! After nearly two weeks in Lisbon, I created this guide to Lisbon’s 12 best places for brunch. The Portuguese have a long-standing history of café socializing, making Lisbon the ideal place for grabbing a coffee and enjoying a delicious breakfast before a day of exploring. As an avid brunch goer, I felt spoilt by the choice of cafés that awaited me in Lisbon. Local haunts with beautiful baked goods and modern joints with innovative food— Lisbon has it all.
Sprinkled with chic cafés and sleek coffee shops travellers can kickstart their days, Lisbon has an atmosphere that is uniquely suited to brunch. There are two theories for this: 1) the city’s colonial and maritime history has made it a hub of international influence and 2) its become a hotspot for expats seeking cafés that double as aesthetic workspaces. I believe it’s a mix of both of these truths that have made Lisbon a brunch haven for the morning-time hungry.
I’ve rounded up the best places for brunch in Lisbon so that you can find your way to good food, great coffee, and perfected atmosphere.
12 of the best brunch spots in Lisbon ↴
Dear Breakfast
My second day in Lisbon started with brunch at Dear Breakfast, a spot set inconspicuously down an alleyway with nothing but a tiny, circular sign to mark its existence. The café has only been open since the summer of 2017, but it has already garnered a reputation for serving one of the best breakfasts in town. My favourite bit of Dear Breakfast was the window two-seater tables with views leading out into the cobblestone streets. The pop-y remixes of indie songs made my heart as happy as the food did.
OPENING HOURS | weekdays 9 AM - 4 PM, weekends 9 AM - 5 PM
STALK THEM ON INSTAGRAM HERE | @dearbreakfast
Miolo
Start your morning at Miolo; a colourful and quaint café that’s not only pet-friendly but vegan-friendly. I was skeptical about Miolo. There seems to be a common trope where bright pink cafés lure in excitable Instagrammers without providing coffee, service, or food to back up the online hype. However, Miolo seems to have broken this cycle. The homemade granola bowls, pancake stacks, and coffee all measure up, making the pink floral wallpaper and vintage table vases a bonus.
OPENING HOURS | every day from 9 AM - 5 PM
STALK THEM ON INSTAGRAM HERE | @miololisboa
Fauna + Flora
If you’re looking for healthy options that are served up in an aesthetic way, Fauna + Flora is the café you’re seeking. Walking into the café, you’re immediately confronted with rustic furnishing and abundant plants— every millennial’s moodboard. But, like many of Lisbon’s cafés, Fauna + Flora’s food lives up to its visual appeal. Smoothie + granola bowls served to the brim with fresh fruit, heaping toasts, and photo-worthy pancakes stacks smothered in fruit are all offered on the extensive menu. Fauna + Flora simply cannot be missed by brunch-goers! It’s an all-around winner.
OPENING HOURS | 9 AM- 7 PM
STALK THEM ON INSTAGRAM HERE | @faunafloralisboa
Quase Café
Quase Café is ideal for those who aren’t morning people but don’t want to miss out on the best meal of the day— brunch. Quase’s Instagram is like a portfolio of their gorgeous food, which is as delicious as it looks. Whether your brunch vibe is more breakfast or more lunch, Quase has you covered. You can enjoy a simple coffee with croissants and eggs, or you can go hard with crispy fries and a burger. They also have brunch classics like avocado toast and granola bowls.
OPENING HOURS | 9 AM- 7 PM
STALK THEM ON INSTAGRAM HERE | @quasecafe
Heim Café
Heim Café is the passion project of Hannah and Misha, two Ukranian expats living in Lisbon. The café is light and airy, but incredibly small, so be prepared to show up early if you want to hunker down at a table. The giant windows make the space feel bigger than it actually is, and the floor is tiled in true Portuguese fashion. Digital nomads can be found from early in the morning working away, chatting with the owners, and devouring the delicious menu offerings. Don’t sleep on their waffles piled on a bed of fresh berries.
OPENING HOURS | every day from 9 AM - 6 PM
STALK THEM ON INSTAGRAM | @heimcafe.lisbon
Seagull Method
If you can’t find a table at Heim Café, try their sister café: Seagull Method. A large espresso machine sits on the reclaimed wooden counter. Opening shelving hangs with neatly stacked glassware on display. The staff at Seagull are warm, smiling as they serve stacks of fluffy pancakes with sliced bananas in between each layer. Despite being located in a cozy neighborhood, crowds get here early for brunch and tables fill up right away.
OPENING HOURS | every day from 9 AM- 6 PM
STALK THEM ON INSTAGRAM | @seagullmethodcafe
Zenith
Zenith is one of Lisbon’s most-visited brunch spots. The natural light makes it an airy, casual environment to enjoy brunch in. The Zenith location in Lisbon has the same exposed brick and golden counter as its Porto counterpart, but the café itself feels a bit bigger. Still, I recommend you go early to get a seat. The menu is extensive and every dish is decadent. Take the french toast for example. Whole wheat raisin walnut bread is served with a thick blueberry jam and mixed berries, garnished with almonds and mint leaves. Drooling yet?
OPENING HOURS | 9 AM- 5 PM weekdays, 9 AM-6 PM on weekends
STALK THEM ON INSTAGRAM | @zenithlisboa
Filosofia
“Filosofia” means philosophy in Portuguese, and it’s clear what the philosophy of this little pink café is: fresh, organic food that is both delicious and nourishing. Instead of heavy breakfast fare, Filosofia serves up smoothie bowls with açaí, chia seeds, and generous amounts of walnuts. It’s such a healthy establishment that the lattes at Filosofia aren’t espresso based. Instead, they used grounded fruit and nut powders mixed with non-dairy milks to create faux lattes of sorts. The women working when I visited were super friendly, despite their English being on par with my Portuguese. Only MasterCard and cash are acceptable forms of payment here, so come prepared.
OPENING HOURS | Mondays through Saturdays from 9 AM - 6 PM, Sundays 10 AM - 5 PM
STALK THEM ON INSTAGRAM | @filosofialisboa
Café Janis
Imagine a space that’s bright and airy, covered in hanging plants, and splattered with Polaroid pictures and you’ve nailed the aesthetics at Café Janis. But, as they say, it’s not right to judge a book by its cover alone, so I tried the breakfast and coffee to see if it matched the perfect design of the place. Spoiler alert: it did! I am pretty picky about coffee. I have high standards thanks to time spent in Australia and New Zealand, where the world’s best coffee can most consistently be found. So, it’s no small thing for me to say that I had the best soy flat white of my life at Café Janis. Paired with a flakey, buttery croissant, my coffee at Café Janis put me on top of the world. In conjunction with the fantastic coffee, the service here was the very best I experienced while in Lisbon. Everyone was super friendly and fast.
OPENING HOURS | Mondays + Tuesdays from 8 AM - 6:30 PM, Wednesdays through Sundays from 8 AM - 1 AM
STALK THEM ON INSTAGRAM HERE | @cafejanis
Amélia Lisboa
The interior of Amélia was your standard hipster coffee joint— millennial pink accents with plenty of greenery and cutesy neon lights. And, while the interiors were definitely Instagram-worthy, it was the details of the place that impressed me the most. From the ballet photographs and soft recycled-paper napkins to the fire-clay plates and coffee cups. Everything felt intentional. My avocado toast with beetroot hummus was yum, though my avocado wasn’t actually ripe. What made up for my hard avo was the cappuccino I gulped down, which was the best I drank in Lisbon. Come here for a vibey atmosphere and good coffee. If you like Amélia, you might also like the other two cafés by the same company: Nicolau and Basílio.
OPENING HOURS | every day from 9 AM - 9 PM
STALK THEM ON INSTAGRAM HERE | @amelialisboacafe
Manifest
Manifest is basically my ideal space to enjoy a cup of coffee while working away. The details of Manifest will make those with a keen eye marvel: bag hooks cleverly attached to each table, antique goblets for branded glass bottle of cold brew, and a bathroom so divine I contemplated revisiting with my camera in hand. On an overcast afternoon, I walked to Manifest and was greeted by a friendly face with a menu for true caffeine lovers. I had/highly recommend the vanilla cold brew to accompany the pastries I scarfed. Jazz music played while I relaxed in a squishy pink chair happily as an hour passed. The only thing I’ll say about Manifest is that Luke’s orange lemonade came with a plastic straw and it instantly killed the buzz I had about the place. Even still, I adored Manifest.
OPENING HOURS | every day except Monday from 9 AM - 11 PM
STALK THEM ON INSTAGRAM HERE | @manifest.lisbon
The Mill
Everyone knows that no one does brunch better than Australians. The Mill is Australian brunch brought to Lisbon. Served all day in a casual café, the brunch and coffee at The Mill are taken seriously. The menu reads like a love letter to the first meal of the day: banana bread with mascarpone, toast with vegemite, bagels with roasted tomatoes and goat’s cheese. Trust me, you won’t find a better flat white in the city.
OPENING HOURS | 8 AM- 3 PM weekdays, 8 AM- 4 PM on weekends
STALK THEM ON INSTAGRAM HERE | @themillpt
map ↴
Find all the best brunch stops in Lisbon, Portugal on the map below.
