My Mother’s Daughters, Lisbon review

Created by three daughters and their mother, My Mother’s Daughters is a gem of a café. You can find it in the oh so pretty Largo de São Sebastião where the local area is  buzzing with style, colour and a sense of community.

When one of the daughter’s turned to a plant-based diet, her mother learnt to cook new recipes which led to a very special eatery. The sisters are passionate about using locally sourced, sustainable produce. They don’t use any animal products and everything is prepared with family love.

The setting

It’s a fairly small venue set back up some steep steps. Our tip is to bring a book and be prepared for a wait. They’ve kindly put some cushions outside for you to sit on. If you are lucky you might be able to get one of the tables outside in the Lisbon sunshine.

The space

The café is immaculately designed.

It’s light and bright with shiny white tiles, locally sourced glass lighting, pale blue and white cushions and delicately engraved oak tables and chairs.

The staff are super friendly and relaxed.

The little things that make a difference

The family aim for zero waste. They use fruit peel in their pretty water carafes and the napkins are recycled. It’s a family business and you can see all the sisters hard at work front of house and in the kitchen.

 

The fresh juice test

We tried the signature Mada’s Greenie Smoothie a delicious mix of apple, pineapple, spinach, cucumber, ginger and spirulina. Next we had a refreshing carrot orange, ginger and basil juice. Both were delicious!

What we ate

We decided to review the beetroot smoothie bowl with black rice and tofu which tasted as good as it looked. Then we tried the Mexicano Taco. It was two home made tacos filled with black beans spread, sweet potato, corn, avocado, red cabbage and red onion pickle and a “queso” sauce topping.

For desert, there was a stunning display of raw options and amazing tarts.

What we’d go back for…

We loved the design, the food and the family story behind the Glowcation.

The bill

Mada’s greenie smoothie  €4
Carrot juice  €4
Beetroot Smoothies Bowl €12
Mexicano taco €12

 

Naked, Lisbon

Lisbon is showing a lot of plant-based love these days. Naked is one of the city’s hotspots. It’s natural and flexitarian with stacks of vegan and vegetarian options.  Plus, fruit packed ice-lollies don’t come better than this!

The setting

Naked is across from the Jardim do Príncipe Real. It’s a pretty tiled building with glass hatches opening onto the street so the perfect stop for a smoothie or an ice-lolly.

The space

Even though it’s more of a grab and go, the walls are decorated with copies of classical artwork following the Naked theme.

There’s a pastel pink counter where a selection of their glorious cakes are displayed.

Little things that make a difference

One of the founders is Miguel Júdice, author of The 500 Hidden Secrets of Lisbon, so Naked suggest scenic picnic spots across Lisbon including the Botanical Gardens or the staircase of the National Museum of Natural History. 

The fresh juice test

There’s a choice of cold pressed juices, wheatgrass shots and kombucha. It was a steamy hot July day and we had a cold-pressed green juice and a deliciously creamy beetroot latte.

What we ate

There’s a great choice of  salads, soups, bowls, cakes and even ceviche and codfish for the non-veggies.

Naked stocks Paletaria artisan sorbet ice pops. As it was hot, we just had to try five flavours and they were some of the best we have ever tried.

We especially loved the mixed berry and strawberry.

What we go back for…

A healthy picnic for the park and the ice lollies. We didn’t try all the flavours!

The bill

Paletaria ice pops  €3
Juice  €3.5
Beetroot latte  €3.5

 

O Antigo Talho, Lisbon

Ignore the sign of a pig over the door, because O Antigo Talho couldn’t be more vegan. The name translates as The Former Butcher and television host João Manzarra has transformed this beautiful location into a plant-based café and a multi-brand vegan store. It’s a quirky must-visit on your next visit to Lisbon.

The setting

O Antigo Talho is near the Marquês de Pombal roundabout and metro and close to the stunning Park Eduardo VII.

The space

Part store, part café, it’s a calm and warm environment you can linger in for hours. You enter via the store and there are steps tucked away at the back leading up to the café. It was full when we arrived so we pottered in the store before we were called upstairs.

The café has a natural feel with warm woods, pale green walls and whitewashed wooden ceilings. Plants hang from the ceiling and dot the café in modern troughs. The staff are friendly.

The fresh juice test

Chose from a fresh juice of the day or kombucha ( or even craft beers).

We loved the fact they used glasses made out of recycled port bottles to serve up the juice.

The little things that make a difference

The whole concept of a one stop vegan shop – for food and super stylish clothes, accessories and home decor. It also has free WiFi.

What we ate

Chef Filipa Ruas creates a different dish on the menu every day. From couscous and baba ganoush to curries and pho. There’s a choice of three fixed price brunches or create your own menu from açai bowls, salads, quiches and wraps. We chose the Colourful Orient wrap.

It was a fresh mix of tempeh, cayenne pepper hummus, avocado, tomato, spinach and red onion.

We also chose the Spring Garden salad. It was a delicious combination of tempeh, quinoa, spinach, roasted peach and pesto sauce. Finally, we picked the Fresh and Green cake. It was a creamy mix of avocado, lime cashew and pistachio.

What we’d go back for…

The in-house shop and the every changing menu. It was a calm and fun way to spend a few hours in Lisbon.

The bill

Juice  €3
Wrap  €7.5
Salad  €8.5
Cake  €4.50

Fauna and Flora, Lisbon

Lisbon loves brunching and they even have a name for it-  “brinner”as it’s served all day.  Fauna and Flora is a fun, plant-based café that you won’t want to miss.

Our tip? Beat the queues and get there as early as you can for an unforgettable brunch.

The setting

Fauna and Flora can be found in a pretty tiled building half way up the hilly Rua da Esperança. Arrive by one of the local colourful tuk tuks and you can’t miss it due to the innovative living wall of plants at ground floor level and the people waiting outside for a much sought after table.

Inside, the light and bright interior will make you smile . It features white washed stone and board walls, recycled wooded furniture and, true to its name, lush greenery wherever possible. Not surprisingly, it gets busy and as they don’t take reservations arrive as early as you can or be prepared to wait.

The little things that make a difference

We love the fact they serve their selection of fresh juice in recycled glass jars. We also adored the abundant plant life.

The fresh juice test

Fauna and Fauna has a wide range of juices and smoothies including juices and smoothies of the day.  So, it was quite difficult to choose. As it was a hot July day, we by-passed the delicious sounding Sunny Smoothie (pineapple, avocado, apple, vegetable mylk, spinach and oats) and focussed on the juices.

We ordered the signature Flora (a zingy green juice), the Passion Fruit “cocktail” with fresh passion fruit, lime and basil and finally a refreshing lemonade and ginger.

All were beautifully presented and served quickly.

What we ate

The café doesn’t have a specific brunch (or brinner) menu, but most items are traditional  brunch food. There’s a good choice for for non-vegan and non-vegetarians too.

We were hungry so went pancake overload and ordered both the Green Matcha with lemon curd and the Baga with condensed milk, berry coulis and fresh berries.

Both were delicious. We also couldn’t resist the Detox Smoothie bowl which consisted of a generous helping of  fruit and vegetable smoothie with ginger, spirulina – all topped off with fresh fruit, super seeds and roasted nuts.

What we’d go back for…

The food,  the design, the smiling happy service… frankly everything!

The bill

Green matcha pancake €6.50
Baga pancake  €6.50
Detox smoothie bowl  €6.50
Passion fruit cocktail  €2.50
Lemonade and ginger  €2.50
Flora Juice  €3.50

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