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

  • Shakshuka, the vegan way — our Shakshuka Burrata (spiced tomato and pepper sauce, homemade seed crackers) is marked on the menu with a vegan swap: tofu crumble instead of the egg and feta.
  • Carrot-Cake Pancakes — the fluffy pancakes themselves are vegan; the plate comes with mascarpone-coconut cream, so ask the team if you want it fully plant-based.
  • Ask what’s freshest that day. Because we cook on-site, the vegan picks shift with what the market gives us.

Keep it sweet

Smoothies and fresh orange juice are easy dairy-free orders, 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 most of them are 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. The one true exception: the Caramel Fudge cookie, filled with a soft date-caramel heart — it’s vegan and gluten-free, and it’s on the counter in all three cities.

So a great plant-based visit looks like: a vegan shakshuka, a specialty coffee or a mimosa, a Caramel Fudge cookie for the road, and a heads-up to your less-strict friends to grab the butter-based ones.

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 — two brunch spots: Strada General Christian Tell 1-3 (near Piața Romană) and Calea Floreasca 91-111 (northern Bucharest). Both daily 09:00–18:00.
  • 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.