A lot of vegan brunch is an afterthought — one sad option tacked onto the bottom of the menu, deep-fried in whatever oil was cheapest that week. We took it personally. At Cookie Beacon, the plant-based plates are built to stand on their own, made fresh on-site, with the seed oils dialled right back.

Why we cut back on seed oils

Seed oils (sunflower, rapeseed, soybean and the rest) are the default cooking fat in most kitchens because they’re cheap and neutral. We’re not chasing a health halo here — we just think food tastes better when it isn’t swimming in them. So in our vegan dishes we lean on a small amount of good olive oil, roast and griddle instead of deep-fry, and let the actual ingredients do the work.

The result is brunch that feels lighter on the plate but not light on flavour. You leave full and happy, not heavy.

Fresh and handmade is the whole point

Our tagline is #webelieveinhandmade, and it shows up most in the vegan food. We cook from locally-sourced ingredients, prepped that morning rather than reheated from a bag. That matters more than usual for plant-based cooking, because vegetables, herbs and good bread carry the flavour that meat and dairy would otherwise. When they’re fresh, you don’t need to drown anything in oil or salt to make it sing.

Generous portions are non-negotiable too. Plant-based shouldn’t mean half a plate.

What to order

Here’s how to build a proper vegan brunch with us:

Go savoury

  • A loaded plant-based plate — think roasted veg, greens, good sourdough and a proper sauce, griddled rather than fried.
  • Smashed avocado on toast, done with care — fresh avo, acid, a little crunch, a drizzle of olive oil and not much else.
  • Ask the team what’s freshest that day. Because we cook on-site, the vegan board shifts with what the market gives us.

Keep it sweet

If you’re in a sweeter mood, the brunch side of the menu has you covered without the dairy. And yes — most people are really here for the cookies.

The cookies (read the small print)

Our handmade chunky cookies are baked in-house every day with real butter, so they’re not vegan. We’d rather be honest than mislabel them. They’re thick on the outside, gooey in the middle, loaded with Belgian chocolate, Nutella, Lotus or Dulce de Leche — a brilliant treat if dairy is on the table for you, and worth knowing about if it isn’t. Same goes for our Cheesecake by Cookie Beacon line.

So a great plant-based visit looks like: a vegan savoury plate, a specialty coffee or a mimosa, and a heads-up to your less-strict friends to grab the cookies.

A few practical things

We’re walk-ins only, no reservations — turn up, grab a table, take your time. We’re pet-friendly, so the dog’s welcome. You’ll find us in three cities:

  • Budapest — Hercegprímás u. 15, near St. Stephen’s Basilica. Mon–Fri 08:00–17:00, Sat–Sun 09:00–17:00.
  • Bucharest — Strada General Christian Tell 1-3, near Piața Romană. Daily 09:00–18:00. (A second Bucharest café is on the way at Calea Floreasca 91-111.)
  • Belgrade — Kralja Petra 20a, in the old town near Republic Square. Daily 09:00–18:00.

Bringing a bigger group? It’s walk-ins only — come a little earlier and we’ll find you a table.

Plant-based brunch doesn’t have to be a compromise. Come hungry, skip the heavy oils, and let the fresh stuff do the talking.