The Best Breakfast and Brunch Spots in Cardiff

Milgi is great any time of day, but its breakfasts will give you a healthy and hearty start to the day. Its thing is plant-based vegetarian food and there’s a huge choice for vegans or those following a gluten free diet – most meals can be adapted to suit either. There are freshly-made juices using specialist health food ingredients and five breakfast options including a full Welsh fry up, an Indian breakfast, a laverbread option (a traditional Welsh delicacy using seaweed) and avocado on toast.

Cafe Brava does a classic breakfast and brunch menu with everything you could want to start your day. Particularly of note is their eggs Benedict – generous and rich hollandaise sauce poured over muffins stacked with eggs, spinach and salmon. There are also bagels, croissants, fry ups, porridge and breakfast burritos to choose from, and to drink you’ve got good coffee, smoothies and bucks fizz or a Bloody Mary if you want to push the boat out.

Chapter is an arts centre with a big open cafe/restaurant/bar with plenty of inside and outside seating. The food on offer is inclusive of special diets and very tasty. For breakfast and brunch there’s a range of fry ups (meat, veggie and vegan), sourdough, Turkish eggs, fritters, pancakes, porridge, granola and toast all with a range of delicious toppings and accompaniments.

A fully-vegan, healthy but indulgent restaurant, Anna means food, health or earth, and Loka means world or planet in Sanskrit, which should give you an idea of the ethos. It’s found in the Roath/Cathays area of the city, about a 30 minute walk from the centre. The breakfast menu includes fresh juices and smoothies and dishes with tasty things like marinated crispy tofu, omelette, smokey tempeh rashers, scrambled tofu, banana and blueberry pancakes and breakfast baps.

There are three Waterloo Teahouses in Cardiff and all are equally good. This one is the most central, found in one of Cardiff’s Edwardian arcades. There’s a very calming atmosphere, simple yet plush decor and a great selection of premium teas to choose from. The breakfast is also well worth writing home about and surprisingly cheap at around £6 each. Options include smashed avocado, feta, chilli oil and sourdough, scrambled tofu or eggs, avocado, braised peppers and tomatoes and poached eggs, spinach, hollandaise and sourdough. They do vegan and gluten free options and a good cup of coffee too.

A cafe well-loved by locals in the student area of Cathays. They do a big indulgent breakfast with everything you could want while going the extra mile to make good coffee with Welsh roasted beans and offerings like a fully vegan breakfast, matcha coffee and inventive sandwiches. The stag symbol is everywhere, portions are generous and prices are reasonable. Brunch and breakfast dishes include avocado on toast, pancakes and full Welsh breakfasts.

This is a central cafe where the quality of the coffee is the main priority. The decor is pared down and unfussy, with lots of sanded wood and mismatched furniture. What makes it so good is the breakfast bar – cereals, toast, various fruit, pastries and more for less than £4. They also do a good cake selection, avocado on toast, sandwiches, fresh juices and all the technical high spec coffees.