The best places for brunch in Lisbon

It was one of Príncipe Real’s most publicised new openings in 2017. But this is not Lisbon’s nudist restaurant. Here, the word naked refers to the food, which is served in the most unprocessed way possible. The brunch follows the same logic, with a comprehensive menu available every day of the week. It includes yogurt with homemade granola and fruit, gluten-free toast, homemade jam, peanut butter, egg-white omelet with carrots, coffee or tea – all from Companhia Portugueza do Chá, another shop you should visit on Poço dos Negros street – and you can also choose between orange juice or the daily juice special. 

The bowl trend has arrived in Lisbon in full force and São Bento’s latest venue is its flagship, with a menu of bowls filled to the brim with healthy, colourful and photogenic food. The brunch is DIY, so you can include any dish from the menu, but here’s a suggestion for two: smoothie bowl (€5), rice and salmon bowl (€9), steak sandwich with egg, cheese and peppers (€7.60), mango mimosa (€5) and limonade of the day (€3). They serve all day, which means that this could turn into slunch (supper lunch), brunch’s younger brother. 

First came the lemonade cart, parked at the Senhora do Monte viewpoint. Then came a nice little café in Graça, with an extended offering based on fresh local produce – and lemonade, of course – and an everyday brunch. What does it include? Greek yogurt with granola and fresh fruit, pancakes with honey, Nutella or berries, avocado, salmon, ham and cheese or tomato mozzarella toast and the lemonade of the day (we recommend strawberry). For an extra €2 you can get fried or scrambled eggs

Heim Café gave life (and a brunch) to a neighbourhood which, until then, was in dire need of daytime buzz. The place has become so popular that weekend lines are unavoidable. Don’t give up, because all three of their brunch options are delicious. The green one has avocado toast with tomato and salad, fried eggs, yogurt and granola with fresh fruit and orange juice; the yellow one has fried eggs, sausage, beans, toast with butter and jam, granola and lemonade; and the red one has scrambled eggs, bacon, avocado, salad, yogurt, orange juice and a waffle with maple syrup. 

Lisbon’s new trendy phenomenon is called Fauna & Flora. It doesn’t have a brunch menu per se, but everything there could be brunch food, from the açaí bowl (€6.50), green matcha pancakes with lemon curd (€6.50), savoury pancakes with bacon, fried egg and maple syrup (€6) or veggie toast (€7), to the various dips served with carrot and cucumber sticks (from €3) and the mini-burger (€6). There are also juices, smoothies and cocktails.

There is only one thing better than the scent of freshly baked croissants and that is the taste of a croissant you have just bitten into. This place off Rua das Janelas Verdes offers some of the finest examples of this French speciality as part of its brunch, along with scrambled eggs, a bread basket, homemade jams, Nutella and a cold collation of cheeses, cured hams and sausages, salad and fruit.

At this mansion in Alfama brunch is served amid stained glass and stuccoed ceilings – have your Instagram at the ready – but the food itself is a minor work of art in itself. As well as rolls, cheeses, cold meats, fruit and eggs, there are homemade jams, a delicious peanut butter, salmon, bacon, tomato with mozzarella and also a slice of cake.

The menu at Tartine has everything you need for the perfect brunch: fresh juices, cappuccinos and hot chocolates, eggs seven different ways, toast, pancakes, waffles, croissants and yoghurts. But there is also a set brunch for those who dislike the do-it-yourself approach, including a bread basket, hot drinks, granola with organic yoghurt, and more.

Forget all the brunches you have had anywhere else. This one is original and has a special Portuguese flavour. You can choose from two main dishes: a large bun with a poached egg, tomato, fresh coriander, farinheirasausage sprinkled with tangy São Jorge cheese, and an aromatic salad; or a flaky pastry with Mozzarella, ham, Edam-style cheese, bacon and tomato, with a parsley pesto salad. Along with either come a yoghurt with berries, juice, cake and coffee.

A long way from the city centre, in Marvila, this is a great place that offers a very unusual brunch. It has mini-hamburgers, scrambled eggs with asparagus, croissants, yoghurt, homemade cake and much more – of course including bread, cold meats, cheeses, juices and hot drinks. It is pretty trendy these days so it is best to book ahead.