Tucked between the calm residential streets of Bairro do Rosário and the local bustle of the Riyadh Shopping Centre, there’s a café where summer never seems to end. It’s called Leto – and the name says it all. “In Russian, leto means summer”, explains co-founder Dimitri Pushkar. “And summer, for everyone, is the happiest time of the year. It’s when we’re on holiday, eating fresh fruit, when everything feels lighter. That’s exactly what we wanted to bring here”.
Opened in February and dedicated to breakfasts and brunches, Leto was born from a desire to combine good food, a relaxed atmosphere and the healthy lifestyle that, as executive chef Roman Karimov puts it, “defines Cascais”. Karimov – one of three founders – brings over a decade of experience from cafés and restaurants focused on brunch and light dining. “Throughout those years, I worked on very similar concepts: speciality coffee shops, brunches, simple but high-quality dinners. When I arrived in Cascais, I realised there were already plenty of great places – but something was missing. My vision”, he says.
That vision is refreshingly straightforward: high-quality, fresh, organic ingredients prepared without fuss. “We’re not trying to do anything crazy. The concept is easy to understand – excellent ingredients, simple but interesting food. In the end, it just has to be perfectly made”.
That quest for perfection starts first thing in the morning. “I personally buy all the fresh herbs, fruit, vegetables and fish every day. It’s important to know exactly what we’re serving. These days, a lot of people have allergies, so we want to protect ourselves and our customers by avoiding surprises. We only work with fresh produce, combining ingredients naturally. Our philosophy is simple: fresh, simple and tasty.”
That philosophy can be seen – and tasted – in the dishes Roman serves on the day of Time Out Cascais’ visit, particularly the Shakshuka (€14), topped with basil, mint, coriander and dill – an aromatic herb native to the Eastern Mediterranean and southern Russia. The freshness of the ingredients shines through in every bite. We also tried the Syrniki (€13) – traditional fresh cheese pancakes found in Ukrainian, Russian, Belarusian and Lithuanian cuisines – and washed it down with a cappuccino (€3.50–€4.50, depending on size).
A café for locals
Leto Café opened inside the Riyadh Shopping Centre, on Avenida Gaspar Corte Real, and quickly won over the neighbourhood crowd. “We wanted to open outside the centre”, says Dimitri. “There are loads of brunch spots downtown – and they’re all great – but there are plenty of people living here in Rosário who don’t want to drive just to grab breakfast. Here, they can walk, bring the dog, enjoy the weather. Our focus is on locals, not tourists”.
That’s also why Leto stays open every day from 8am to 6pm, serving an all-day brunch menu – “you can have pancakes with eggs at eight in the morning or six in the evening, it’s the same menu”, says Roman. On Fridays, the café also opens for dinner, from 7pm to 11pm.
The menu leans into brunch classics, protein-packed dishes and seasonal ingredients. “The most popular one is the Leto Breakfast (€13) – fried eggs, roasted tomatoes, guacamole, grilled sausage and fresh herbs with Greek pita bread – or other brunch options like the omelette (€12), turkey with potatoes and broccoli (€17), soups (€9.50), pastrami sandwich (€16), tuna sandwich (€17) and the green salad (€5)”, lists the chef.
When it comes to cocktails (€4–€5), the same logic applies: simplicity and quality. “At first, we thought about creating signature cocktails, but decided to keep things simple and approachable. We’ve got margaritas, negronis, bloody marys, whiskey sours – we’re not a bar, we’re a café, and we want everything we serve to be easy to recognise and easy to enjoy”.
Roman says his biggest source of pride is the bar team – “they’re really good” – and the welcoming atmosphere that fills the space, where light tones, natural sunlight and small summery touches make it feel like a slice of holiday you never want to leave.
More than just a brunch café, Leto aims to be a space for the community. “Cascais isn’t a city full of teenagers or universities. It’s a calm, family-oriented place where people feel safe. For parents, it’s very important to know exactly what their children are eating – no surprises. And it matters to adults too, who are increasingly mindful of what they eat. Leto was born from that observation – we understood what people needed and created a concept that matched it”, Roman explains.
With a steadily growing following, the founders are already thinking about what’s next. “We have several ideas for the future”, they admit. One of them is to host more parties and sunset gatherings on the café’s terrace, although there have been a few bumps in the road with the shopping centre’s neighbours. Still, the team is confident that, in time, everyone will see Leto’s good intentions – and how a bit of buzz can bring something positive to the whole community.
Until then, life at Leto revolves around pancakes, omelettes and expertly pulled coffees. “Our concept is for the people who live here – those who value what they eat and how they live”, Roman sums up.
Avenida Gaspar Corte Real 198A Loja 17, Centro Comercial Riyadh (Cascais). Sat-Thu 08.00-18.00; Fri 19.00-23.00