Traditional Portuguese Breakfast - The Sounds of Portuguese

Strolling through the picturesque streets of Portugal, especially in the bustling city centres and popular tourist spots, you’ll undoubtedly encounter cafes boasting full breakfast options with pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausages, and more. While these hearty breakfasts can be delightful and fuel you for a day of exploring, they are far from what a Traditional Portuguese breakfast entails.

Table Of Contents

Pequeno-Almoço or Café da Manhã?
The Simplicity of a Traditional Portuguese Breakfast
Enjoying Breakfast at the Pastelaria
- Toast Heaven
A Sweet Morning Treat
Your Portuguese Breakfast Checklist
Related Posts for Further Reading
- Let’s Connect!

Pequeno-Almoço or Café da Manhã?

In Portugal, breakfast is called pequeno-almoço, meaning “little lunch”. Unlike in Brazil, where it’s known as café da manhã, here in Portugal, “café da manhã” simply refers to morning coffee. ☕

The Simplicity of a Traditional Portuguese Breakfast

While the Portuguese take their time with lunch and dinner, breakfast tends to be a simpler affair, often unfolding in two stages.

Breakfast at Home

Most families keep it uncomplicated at home. Toast and coffee, milk or chocolate milk is the all there is too it. Weekends might see a rare indulgence in scrambled eggs, but the staples are straightforward and require little preparation.

But just out of curiosity, how do we refer to different types of prepared eggs:

fired egg – ovo estrelado or ovo frito

boiled eggs – ovos cozidos

poached eggs – ovos escalfados

scrambled eggs – ovos mexidos

omelete

Bread and Toast

The cornerstone of a typical Portuguese breakfast is pão (bread). Whether as torrada (toast) or a quick sandes (sandwich), bread is essential. A local ritual is saving the soft middle strip of toast, cut into three parts, to eat last. While cafes might serve toast with butter, at home, it’s often enjoyed with sweets, jams, or marmalade, featuring unique flavours like tomato, pumpkin and walnut, or fig and Port wine.

Sandwiches

For sandwiches, ham, cheese, or a hand & cheese (mista) is popular. Meat lovers might add cold cuts like chourição or paio. Although presunto is typically an afternoon choice, those seeking a heartier breakfast might opt for a presunto sandwich.

Cheese and Jam

Pairing salty cheese with sweet quince jam is a delightful tradition, especially in smaller communities where homemade jam is prevalent. We call this simply queijo com marmalada, but it’s also known as Romeu e Julieta (Romeo & Juliet).

Flamengo cheese, similar to Edam, often features in breakfast, recognisable by its red or pink wax coating.

Yoghurts and Cereals

Breakfast in Portugal is quick and sometimes on the go, making drinkable yoghurts popular. At home, solid yoghurts and cereals are common, especially for children.

Coffee: A Morning Essential ☕

Coffee is nearly a given for most Portuguese from adolescence onward. Choices include galão (one part coffee to two parts milk), meia de leite (equal parts coffee and milk), or a simple espresso. Milk-based coffees accompany breakfast, while espresso is typically enjoyed later. More here on Coffee in Portugal. If you’re more of a tea drinker, you’ll like my post on Tea in Portugal.

Enjoying Breakfast at the Pastelaria

With cafes and pastry shops dotting the landscape, having breakfast out is common and affordable. Many pastelarias offer budget-friendly breakfast menus.

Pastry Delights

In pastry shops, sandwiches might be replaced with a croissant filled with cheese and ham. A favourite is the croissant brioche, a dense, fluffy pastry. Another beloved option is the pão de Deus, a sweet brioche-like bread topped with a sugary mix of sweet egg and grated coconut.

Regional Breads

Morning sandwiches often use individual rolls, made from wheat or a wheat-rye mix. Rustic breads like Alentejo or Mafra bread are also common, especially on the mainland. In Madeira, bolo do caco (a flatbread) is popular, while in the Azores, bolo lêvedo (a slightly sweet bread) is a regional favourite.

Toast Heaven

Ordering toast at a Portuguese cafe usually means buttered toast unless specified otherwise. Thick slices of bread slathered in salted butter make for an indulgent treat. Some cafes might offer rustic bread options for a more nutritious toast.

At home, I like to make toast with one to two-day-old Portuguese bread. Heaven!

A Sweet Morning Treat

Even if you don’t usually have breakfast out, visiting a pastry shop for a late morning coffee or a quick cake is common. Known as “lanche da manhã,” this small meal often includes pastries like custard tarts, perfect for a caffeine and sugar boost.

Sweet Treats For those with a sweet tooth, queen cakes like queques and bolo de arroz (rice cakes) are common. Portuguese queen cakes/fairy cakes, adapted from the English word “cake,” are simple flower-shaped pastries sometimes enhanced with nuts or chocolate.

Your Portuguese Breakfast Checklist

When planning breakfast out in Portugal, look for these common foods and drinks:

Sandes de queijo (cheese sandwich)
Sandes de fiambre (ham sandwich)
Sandes mista (“Mixed” sandwich means a ham and cheese sandwich)
Sumo de Laranja Natural 🍊(freshly squeezed orange juice)

Questions you may be asked:

Com ou sem manteiga? (with or without butter?)
Fresco ou natural? (chilled or room temperature?)
Com gás ou sem gás? (sparkling or still?)

Coffee Varieties ☕

As we saw in a previous post about Coffee in Portugal, these are the most popular types of coffee you’ll find:

Bica or café – espresso
Meia de leite – similar to a flat white or a cappuccino but without foam
Galão – similar to a latte but smaller and more coffee
Abatanado – similar to an Americano.

Here is an in-depth lesson on how to order coffee or tea in Portugal.