The brunch scene in Lisbon is very competitive as there are so many good places to visit that are all scattered across the city. But in this charming city with bustling restaurants, cafes and brunch spots, Heim Cafe Lisbon truly stands out.
If you only have a few days to explore Lisbon, it’s important to select your restaurants and cafes wisely. Heim Cafe delivers on every category: ambiance, price, extensive menu and friendly staff.
Brunchgoers looking for a tasty meal, a good vibe and some fun with friends will enjoy the brunch scene in Lisbon! In this article, we are going to share our experience visiting Heim Cafe Lisbon. We will go over the ambiance, the creative brunch menu, wait times, prices and everything else you can expect.
Heim Cafe Lisbon – The Best Brunch Spot
Are you visiting Lisbon and thinking about going to Heim Cafe for brunch?
Don’t. Just go already!
Matthew and I wished we had tried Heim Cafe earlier in our month-long Lisbon stay so we could have visited it more than once. Don’t make the same mistake and make sure you try it at the start of the trip in case you fall in love with this incredible brunch spot like we did.
Here’s everything you need to know about brunching at Heim Cafe Lisbon.
Heim Cafe Opening Hours
When’s the best time to visit Heim Cafe Lisbon?
If you want to avoid the long wait times, we suggest going on a weekday. You can visit during the weekends but you will either have to visit very early or very late. We got to Heim Cafe around 12:30pm (which we thought was almost past peak already) and we still waited 30+ minutes in line. Lining up is just part of the restaurant/cafe scene in Lisbon!
These are the opening hours of Heim Cafe Lisbon:
- Heim Cafe Santos: 9am to 6pm
If you want to have an early brunch, you can try arriving right at 9am when they open but again – it’s a popular spot that is worth waiting in line. If you go on the weekend, Heim Cafe sometimes give out complimentary sparking wine while you wait which is just the cherry on top!
Location of Heim Cafe
Where is Heim Cafe located?
Heim Cafe is in the Santos neighborhood which is just a bit west of the city center. We took the tram from Rossio to Santos station and it was barely a 5-minute walk from there.
The location of Heim Cafe Lisbon is actually amazing because it’s actually not overcrowded in that area. Because it’s kind of in an area where there aren’t any attractions or activities, most people who visit Heim Cafe are either locals, expats or the cluey tourist! It’s honestly worth the extra 5-10 minutes on the tram to get to Heim Cafe.
Heim Cafe is located on the most charming corner with some beautiful architecture and buildings surrounding it. The area is also noticeably quiet and that’s why it’s great to brunch at Heim Cafe – you can get away from the hustle and bustle of the city center.
Heim Cafe Brunch Menu
While the ambiance and friendly staff are amazing at Heim Cafe, the brunch and breakfast food steal the show! There is something for everyone on this brunch menu – whether you prefer something sweet or savory for breakfast, it will taste GREAT!
There’s plenty of choices based on your preferences, tastes or dietary restrictions. Here are just a few of the most popular dishes on their All Day Food Menu:
- Happy Eggs
- Mushroom Toast
- Waffles & Ice Cream (categorized under dessert lol)
We ordered the Happy Eggs and the Mushroom Toast. Believe me when I say…it was DIVINE! Heim Cafe is really great at taking something simple like eggs and making it so tasty. It’s exactly what you want on a brunch date.
Don’t even get me started on the mushroom toast! More than the deliciousness, each dish is plated so beautifully. I feel like this is what really makes Heim Cafe shine because it elevates the whole brunch experience for customers.
Heim Cafe also offers a set brunch menu for €17 ($18 USD). In this brunch set, you’ll get scrambled eggs, french toast, granola and fresh orange juice. It’s the perfect brunch to have with friends on the weekend!
Ambiance
What’s the ambiance like at Heim Cafe Lisbon?
Cozy. Charming. And absolutely delightful.
You’ve got the outdoor terrace which is perfect when the weather is warm. Inside the cafe, it’s a little small and more intimate but there’s a lot of charm in the way they’ve designed it. You’ve got plenty of plants and greenery hanging around which adds warmth and fits well with the white and neutral aesthetic.
The only downside is that during certain times of the year, there may be flies around. We didn’t notice it too much when we went so it honestly didn’t bother us. Just something to keep in mind!
Food
If I could describe the food menu at Heim Cafe Lisbon with one word, it would be:
Creative!
They put such elegant twists on classic items, like avocado toast. Heim Cafe is great at elevating their meals with extra ingredients – for example, they pair a mushroom toast with a sweet potato puree. It’s just so creative!
Here are some of our favorites to order at Heim Cafe:
- Happy Eggs
- Salmon & Waffles
- Mexican Benedict
- French Toast
- Good News Pancakes
Doesn’t it all already sound delicious?! I mean…who wouldn’t want Happy Eggs, you know?!
What about the good ole taste test? The food LOOKS good, but does it taste just as good? OH YES. Whether you choose something sweet or savory, the food at Heim is simply delicious. They take the humble sweet potato and make it into this beautiful puree. Each dish is just beautifully presented at Heim Cafe and tastes amazing too!
At Heim Cafe, you can tell they put a lot of thought and creativity into creating a menu that everyone will love.
Drinks
This charming, chic cafe surprisingly has a wide selection of drinks. You can order anything from non-alcoholic to alcoholic drinks such as:
- soft drinks
- coffee (hot or cold)
- tea
- cocktails
- sparkling wine (cava)
- beer
- natural wine
If you’re coming for brunch, a lot of people will order a coffee or tea. Around the afternoon though, people do visit Heim Cafe for a little aperitivo or drink with friends! They actually have an extensive wine list that’s worth trying if you’ve never had natural wine before. And remember: if you visit on the weekends, they may give you a glass of cava while you’re waiting in line!
Walk-in Only
Heim Cafe does NOT accept reservations. Unfortunately, you cannot book a table in advance or call them up to make a reservation.
You simply have to get to Heim Cafe and wait in line. The wait time isn’t so bad on weekday mornings – around 20 minutes or so. But weekend wait times? They can be much longer – around 30 to 45 minutes at least.
TTA TIP: Don’t just wait in the line if you see one. You need to find the host or hostess first and put your name down on the waiting list. This is the first thing you NEED to do, otherwise you could be waiting around for no reason while people get ahead of you on the list and it’ll take you much longer to get a table.
Matthew and I went one Saturday for a late brunch which is probably the most popular time to visit Heim Cafe Lisbon. We arrived at 12:35pm, we got seated at 1:20pm – that’s about a 55 minute wait in line. Our food arrived by 1:38pm which is pretty quick though. Don’t be put off by the length of the queue because the food is definitely worth it! But that’s not all…
…Heim Cafe sweetens the fact that you have to wait in line outside by giving everyone a free glass of sparkling wine (cava). This is just that cherry on top that makes it easier to stand in line for 40+ minutes! I believe this only happens on weekends so if you want the same, prepare to go on a Saturday or Sunday and it may not happen every single time.
Price
The prices at Heim Cafe Lisbon really stand out. Why?
It’s surprisingly affordable for what you get. The ingredients are fresh, each dish is executed well and your meals are always beautifully plated. Here’s the best way to show you that you get great value for money at Heim Cafe…
The ‘AVOTOAST’ on the All Day Food Menu includes:
- 🍞 piece of toast
- 🥑 beautifully ribboned avocado
- 🍳 poached eggs
- 🫑 roasted pepper puree
- 🌱 microgreens
- 🫐 sprinkle of chia seeds
…All for only €9 ($9.50 USD)?! Heim Cafe has crazy good prices if you ask us!
The drinks at Heim Cafe Lisbon are also reasonably priced. Matthew and I both ordered a coffee – a flat white and an iced caramel latte (since they were out of vanilla) and the total for 2 drinks cost €7 ($7.40 USD) at the time we went. The drinks cost anywhere from €1.20 ($1.30 USD) for an espresso to around €5+ ($5.30+ USD) for a chai latte. This is pretty standard pricing for some of the best coffee in Lisbon.
A lot of people wonder if Lisbon is expensive now and we think that the brunch prices are still pretty affordable for a capital city in Europe!
Staff
The warm welcome by the staff will make you feel right at home. They were so nice when we were asking about the waitlist and kindly put us down. Once it’s time to enter the cafe, they make you feel like you can fully enjoy your brunch experience without rushing.
You can tell the owners truly care about making it a great brunch experience for anyone who decides to dine at Heim Cafe. This attitude trickles down to the staff managing the front door and the waiters/waitresses delivering your order. The only downside might be that the service can be slow at times, but again, it’s one of the best breakfast spots in Lisbon and the crowds are pretty big!
Our Personal Experience Dining at Heim Cafe Lisbon
We absolutely loved dining at Heim Cafe Lisbon.
Matthew and I were worried that we’d left it too late and the queue would be SUPER long, but honestly, for Lisbon, it’s a pretty standard wait time (40+ minutes) for anything that’s worthwhile. The staff were lovely when we asked about the wait time and promptly added us to the waitlist. Halfway through, they surprised us with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine while we waited across the street from the cafe.
We were seated inside and we got great seats close to the window. The aesthetic indoors is really cozy and beautiful. Once the food arrived, we immediately got our phones out to take photos because each dish was presented so beautifully – how could we not?!
Overall, we loved visiting Heim Cafe Lisbon and it’ll be one of the first brunch spots we go to whenever we are back in this beautiful capital city of Portugal!
We were annoyed we didn’t try it sooner as we visited on the last weekend of our month-long stay in Lisbon as digital nomads. The reason we found out about Heim is because it’s actually the sister cafe of Seagull Method – another of our favorite brunch spots (which makes sense). But they have slightly different menus, so you should definitely check them both out!
5x More Breakfast Spots In Lisbon Similar To Heim Cafe
Maybe you’ve heard of Heim Cafe or you’ve already been, but…
…you want another brunch recommendation that’s similar to this trendy cafe? Here’s 5 more breakfast spots in Lisbon worth checking out:
You really can’t go wrong with the cafe scene in Lisbon – it’s so far on another level that it’s become one of our favorite cities for brunch dates!
Final Thoughts: Is Heim Cafe Lisbon The Best Brunch Spot?
We honestly loved dining at Heim Cafe Lisbon – it’s on our list of top 5 brunch spots in Lisbon, and we tried a few spots almost every weekend for a month!
If you are looking for a beautiful, aesthetic brunch spot with a cozy vibe, we think you’ll love Heim Cafe too. The prices are also very reasonable and the staff also make it a great experience!
