The Best Breakfast and Brunch Spots in Leipzig, Germany

For more than 100 years, Café Maître has wooed its guests with its French-infused interior and cuisine. The breakfast menu lists all kind of French treats, ranging from no-fuss combinations of croissants and jam or baguettes and brie to more elaborate creations that easily feed two. The Paris-ÎIe-de-France platter comes with pork terrine, salmon, a selection of French cheeses, Burgundy ham, salami, olives, homemade jam, boiled eggs, marinated veggies and fresh orange juice.

On the weekends, this trendy locale is mostly frequented by Leipzig’s students who slowly kick off the day with a late breakfast (available till 3pm). The menu at Café Cantona includes standard items such as pastries and sandwiches to eggs in all shapes and sizes, but it also draws inspiration from Germany’s regional specialities, like the Bavarian sausage and pretzel breakfast. International foods also make the list. The full English breakfast with the much-loved baked beans, bacon, eggs and sausages is also available, as are vegetarian and vegan options.

Sheltered from the city-centre buzz, süß + salzig occupies a spot in west Leipzig’s Lindenau neighbourhood. The mid-week breakfast menu lists a number of sweet and savoury combinations, including muesli and yoghurt, pastries with jam and a chocolate spread and buns with ham and cheese. All items can be ordered vegetarian or completely vegan, which come with hummus, olive tapenade and seitan. If you’re heading here on the weekends, we recommend that you make a reservation, since the Saturday and Sunday breakfast and brunch buffet is quite popular.

While Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse (‘Karli’), the main drag of the hip Südvorstadt district, draws the nighttime crowd with its many bars, pubs and nightclubs, the mornings see coffee and breakfast enthusiasts flock to Café Puschkin to kick off the day with a sumptuous meal. You can pick from standard options involving all kinds of baked goods, toppings, boiled eggs, pancakes, omelettes and granola; the menu also lists a number of intriguing hearty dishes. Think fried eggs with baked beans and bacon or the hangover cure of a beef burger patty on rye bread with BBQ sauce, pickles, tomatoes and onions.

A stone’s throw from Leipzig’s old market square is Café Zuckerhut. From Monday to Friday, the charming locale serves a number of favourite breakfast items that cater to everyone, including cheese lovers, fitness enthusiasts and Champagne drinkers. Themed platters aside, you can also create your own plate of scrambled eggs with a bunch of different ingredients. On Saturdays, you can pick and choose from a breakfast buffet, while Sundays are reserved for a brunch feast of warm and cold foods ranging from fruit platters and cereal, to breads and spreads, to antipasti, waffles and more.

Another one of ‘Karli’s’ studenty breakfast and hangover-recovery hotspots is Hotel Seeblick. While the café does not offer views of a lake, as the name might suggest, it welcomes you with a rather bland GDR-style interior and is definitely on the casual end of the eatery spectrum. But they whip up an opulent daily breakfast all the way until 4pm, which comes in handy if you want to sleep in. Options include Portuguese almond pastries, bagels, pancakes, and eggs on toast. The vegan breakfast platter comes with homemade dips, spreads and a smoothie.

Café Luise is only a short stroll from Leipzig’s city centre and its main attractions. Finding a seat shouldn’t be a problem during the week, but if you’re planning for a relaxed weekend breakfast, it’s best to reserve a table. The menu caters to all tastes – the Vital platter, for example, appeals to the health-conscious eaters who like to start the day with muesli and yoghurt, wholegrain bread, cream cheese and orange juice, while the Bauernfrühstück is a hearty composition of fried potatoes with eggs, bacon, bell pepper and onions.

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