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Second location. Plant-based/vegan restaurant and cafe. Dish of the day and fixed menu. Brunches. Gluten free options. Casual and chic. Garden and private esplanade. Dish of the day with seasonal ingredients. Falafel, burger, sweet & savory pastry, mushroom toast, tofu toast, hummus toast and more. Juice of the day, and other fruit options, lattes (golden, coffee), espresso, cappuccino, local craft beer and local wine, local kombucha, cake of the day, traditional house pie (mela canela pie). Overnight Oats. Pancakes (gluten free pancakes too), scrambled tofu. Energy balls and more. Open Mon-Sun 09:00-18:00.
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- Outdoor seating
- Accepts credit cards
- Free Wi-Fi
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Last update on 16 Feb 2026 by MelaCanela
Update business info -
Added by MelaCanela on 14 Jul 2023
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93 Reviews
First Review by mahatmasamatman
mohansrinivasan
Points +105
Fabulous vegan eatery close to Sintra station !! - Edit
Had a great breakfast here (Tofu scramble) then headed for a hike the Pena Palace/Castle of the Moors/Pena Gardens. The rushed back before their kitchen closes (17:30) for dinner. Highly recommend this place !!
Read morePros: Great food, Great people, Conveniently located near the station
Guest
MevrouwtjeHavermoutje
Points +98
Great lunch, great people - Edit
Loved this place, big brunch and lunch menu. Lots of cakes! And the people that work there are lovely. Coffee wasn’t be best but lunch was great. Also a nice kids option available.
Read morePros: Staff, Taste, Cakes!
Guest
VeraF
Points +15
A vegan-must in Sintra! - Edit
My favorite place to eat in Sintra, these days.
Read moreFresh homemade food, dish of the day and a very friendly staff are the main reasons to come back every time.
Good portions and tasty food, all natural.
Pros: Fresh homemade food, Friendly staff, Dish of the day
Cons: Difficult to park nearby
Guest
pistol_pete
Points +396
Tasty and healthy - Edit
The food was very good. The seitan empañada was very tasty. The house burger was a little bit on the “health vegan” side for me, and quite soft and breaks apart, and they don’t offer fries, and I personally am not a fan of just a green salad with a burger, but the flavours were good. The dish of the day was very good, a delicious tofu “fish” in a spinach sauce with perfectly cooked potatoes. Quite expensive.
Read morePros: Tasty meal of the day, Friendly staff, Seitan empañada
Cons: Quite “health vegan”, A little expensive
Guest
Tough-Reflection
Points +27
Delicious Pies - Edit
Lovely atmosphere and delicious pies!
Read moreGuest
Flybyknightly
Points +17
Delicious! - Edit
Was so happy to find this gem in Sintra. After hours of walking outside I was starving and this delightful restaurant served up a delicious black bean burger. Very nice staff. Good 90s/00s jams playing, too.
Read morePros: Delicious food, Friendly staff, Great music
Guest
kale_and_trail
Points +463
Nice escape from the rain! - Edit
My friend and I enjoyed the daily special, which was a squash and chickpea curry, and shared a piece of cake. It was warm and nourishing on a cold, rainy trip to Sintra, and the respite we needed. Not the most punchy and not at all spicy, but we enjoyed it. The staff was friendly and helpful.
Read moreGuest
js-toronto
Points +1595
Mostly great - Edit
This is a fully vegan restaurant very close to the Sintra train station, so a must-visit if you are doing a day trip in Sintra. I had the special of the day, which was a sort of stew that I found a bit salty but had excellent seitan in it. My partner had an empanada that was ok and a soup that felt a little nondescript. The desert was tasty but crumbly, the coffee a little watery, but overall we did enjoy our meal. Prices were fair for the location and the service was very friendly.
Read morePros: Friendly, Great location, Some tasty dishes
Cons: Not everything was stellar, Bad coffee
Guest
lakerjake
Points +21
Mela Canela - Sintra “a MUST dining experience “ - Edit
Terrific service (friendly & fast) &
Read moreoutstanding food (daily special of seitan / roasted potatoes and beet / bean veggie burger)
Pros: Food was delicious, Staff was great, Atmosphere was wonderful
Guest
BethSyverson1
Points +56
A vegan beacon in Sintra - Edit
It seems like Mela Canela is the only vegan restaurant in Sintra, and it did not disappoint. We had great service, and the food was delicious. My wife ordered the dish of the day, which was a traditional Portuguese dish (modified to be vegan of course), and she LOVED it. I got a salad and a really great soup of the day. The choices were healthy and homemade. Loved it!
Read moreGuest
Veatriki
Points +5544
Worth it - Edit
Super friendly owner, delicious vegan food
Read moreGuest
Woodruff01
Points +382
Great food with a wide selection - Edit
Lots of options available including soup, traditional
Read morePortuguese food and other healthy options. Convenient location.
Pros: Lots of choices, Great service with friendly people, Yum food
Guest
Sasuu
Points +1953
Super cute Café - Edit
The Mela Canela is near the Trainstation of Sintra , its a whole vegan Café/Restaurant and the food is so delicious 🥰.
Read morePros: Cute café, Delicious food, Friendly staff
Guest
DFS61
Points +776
Vegan Goodness In Sintra! - Edit
Before our 2:30 p.m. tour of Sintra’s palace, we needed some fuel to power through that late appointment. Plant-based and vegan options in Sintra are pretty limited, but we stumbled upon this modern vegan restaurant called Mela Canela (“Mel a Canela” means “Honey and Cinnamon”). It’s a super modern, clean, and well-lit space with a huge outdoor patio for outdoor dining on a nice day. The woman who was both our greeter and waitress (she was an expat from Zimbabwe, but I can’t remember her name!) was super friendly and welcoming. We started with a couple of Sintra-brewed beers and the hummus, olive, and bread starter. After hearing the special of the day, we didn’t have to ask twice: Enchiladas was the main course! They came with a side of lime rice and a small salad. Everything was really tasty (the enchiladas were a bit chilly), especially the lime rice, which was fluffy and light and had a great flavor and texture. When we were done, we left feeling full and energized for our palace tour. If we ever find ourselves in Sintra again, Mela Canela will be our go-to spot…! :D
Read morePros: Friendly Service!!, Modern, clean setting., Very good food.
Cons: Chips on the glazed plates.
Guest
akbrewman
Points +292
As Good As It Gets - Edit
After exploring Sintra, I craved a quick bite. Mela Canela, a 100% plant-based restaurant, caught my eye. The menu impressed me. I started with a Black Sparrow beer and the Curvet. For lunch, I had the Lentil Enchiladas with Lime Rice and a small salad. It was delicious! The friendly server was knowledgeable about the menu and Sintra. They make their own spicy Piri Piri hot sauce. The enchiladas were among the best vegan Mexican I’ve ever had. I’d almost return to Sintra just for Mela Canela.
Read moreGuest
CLRtraveller
Points +10843
Friendly eatery, good food - Edit
Fabulous to find an all-vegan eatery right in Sintra. I was in town for a week and ate at Mela Canela every day! I enjoyed everything, and the staff are nice and welcoming (and speak English).
Read moreDish of the Day can be seitan parmigiano or shawarma wrap or Feijoada (bean stew), etc. I had a delicious Soup of the Day: green been purée with other veg. I've also tried the house-made burger in a bun (can opt for rice instead of bun); pancakes with vegan Nutella and coconut cream; quiche (a very tasty one, creamy mushroom zucchini); tofu scramble and House Salad with quinoa.
They have local Sintra-brewed beers in bottles and (currently) a blonde ale on draft.
Sweets I enjoyed: Mela Canela slice (like apple pie), carrot cake, orange muffin. There are also fresh juices, smoothie bowl, hot drinks, etc.
Outdoor seating as well.
Updated from previous review on 2023-11-06
Pros: all vegan
Guest
c.unt77
Points +18
It‘s sooooooo yummy - Edit
After a day in Sintra, we saw that the Café was still open…and we entered. Lovely dishes and yummy cakes. You must try it!
Read moreGuest
lindab13
Points +158
Super nice! :) - Edit
Got here on a foggy and rainy day before leaving Sintra and it was the best idea! The staff is super friendly and the food is fresh, varied and the carrot-choc cake I had was very good. The all-choc cake was not my favourite (a bit crumbly) but still nice. They also prepare daily juices and smoothies :)
Read moreI also got a mushroom empanad which was tasty and meaty!
Updated from previous review on 2024-10-08
Guest
vickerbasket
Points +1409
Simple lunch - Edit
Came here for lunch on a day trip to Sintra. Got the tofu empanada as everyone suggested, decent. Filled with shredded tofu. Also got the mushroom toast. Good flavor but very hard crust. We also saw another table who left the entire crust of their sandwich behind. They also sell local Sintra beer which was nice. Cute outdoor area.
Read moreGuest
Mrs.Kamelin
Points +2276
Cozy cage right next to the train station - Edit
Cozy and friendly place! Really nice and helpful staff. Had a really good golden latte, the food was kinda bland, unfortunately. Had an empanada and a bagel, I hope their mains are better.
Read moreGuest
DieSteffi
Points +134
Our favorite here - Edit
Nice stuff, delicious meal of the day and yummy cake
Read moreGuest
fab.jos
Points +23
Gem for vegans - Edit
The empanada was my highlight, but everything else is very delicious too. Definitely worth a visit!
Read moreGuest
NatashaRice
Points +176
Perfect vegan breakfast for day out in Sintra - Edit
Lovely vegan cafe with good vegan breakfast options. Perfect for a day-trip to Sintra.
Read moreVegan pancakes were delightful
Pros: Tasty food , Good price , Good location
Guest
maraboufrou
Points +51
Very friendly, delicious food - Edit
We had a starter plate, an empanada, the vegan burger and cakes for dessert. Everything was super tasty! The staff was welcoming and friendly. The prices are a little higher compared with other portugese cafes but it was worth it! We would definetly recommend!
Read moreGuest
RiverFilms
Points +204
Pleasant, delicious, cozy - Edit
Arrived in Sintra for the day and it was raining, mistake on our part for not checking the weather. Got very lucky and found Mela Canela! We sat down and ordered some of there breakfast plates which where amazing, the Tofu Scramble is something I recommend, as well as their Pancakes (we got gluten free). We then stayed and played board games to wait out the rain. We stayed until the lunch rush, had some of their lunch dishes and headed out for our day.
Read moreStaff was very pleasant and made us feel welcome. Had some small conversations, and they also had some board games of their own for us to try. The music was very groovy, and I of course had to steal their playlist for myself.
Pros: Tofu Scramble, Pancakes (gf), Special of the day
Guest
Mikalai
Points +131
Good menu and price - Edit
Friendly waiters, tasty food and good selection
Read morePros: Price, Food
Guest
carolameyer
Points +24
Vegan surprise in a tourist hotspot with personal service - Edit
Perfect place to get a good vegetable stew (dish of the day), burger or pasta with a delicious desert (various cakes, muffins, mousse), not very many choices of drinks, but sufficient.
Read morePros: individual service, friendly staff, deserts (incl. gluten-free)
Guest
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