We stayed in the Alfama neighbourhood this time when we visited Lisbon, and the good news is that everything was cheaper than staying in the Bairro Alto neighbourhood.

Wander away from the cafes in the center of the tourist area and you’ll find lots of hidden gems. We wrote about our lovely meal set against sunny city views at Cafe de Garagem last week, and this week we share another gem we found on our last day in Lisbon before a short drive to Fatima — Quase Café.

We wish we had found this cafe earlier in our trip, as we would have eaten breakfast here more than once! Although I would caution those who are travelling with seniors and young children (me!) that they may want not like sitting outside, as the tables are set on a narrow street and on an inclined slope, so you’ll have to be careful that your drinks and food don’t tip over on the table. There is air conditioning inside, so if you want to sit more comfortably you’ll want to wait for an indoor seat. We had to wait roughly twenty minutes for a seat and we just arrived before the lunch rush, so make sure to get there early if you don’t want to wait in line.

We saw that many tables opted for a large breakfast with scrambled eggs and sausages, but coming from Vancouver, those were dishes we could readily enjoy back home and so we chose to enjoy a few breakfast toasts and tasty drinks on the menu.

I ordered a Beetroot oat milk latte and joked with the waitress that this means I could be basic even when I’m in Lisbon and she laughed. I can’t say enough how great it is that there is no surcharge to substitute oat milk here (at least for the places where I’ve been they didn’t charge more). I happily sipped my latte as I waited for my avocado toast. I saw comments online mentioning the high price of this cafe, but back in Vancouver avocado toast at a brunch spot could easily be fifteen to eighteen dollars, so a seven-euro avocado toast was a no-brainer!

My niece decided that she would have a sugar overload brunch with a banana Nutella crepe and Hakuna Chocolate, which is essentially a cup of chocolate topped with a cup of whipped cream. As with all kids, she only loved the concept of an all-sugar brunch, and eventually took over my avocado toast and left me to finish her crepe and hot chocolate.

Observing what other guests ordered, we would say that the breakfast toasts are your best bet in terms of taste and price. If you’re headed to Lisbon over the next few months, this would be a nice brunch spot to visit!

Visit

Quase Café

+351 21 886 0636

Rua do Salvador 32, 1100-465 Lisboa, Portugal

Photography by Florence Leung