Formentera? Never heard of it. Hmm. This little island gets upstaged by its more popular neighbours. Ibiza parties. Mallorca draws the crowds. Menorca plays the nature card. And Formentera? It keeps a lower profile. But for me, it is the most beautiful of the Balearics!
Covering just 80 square kilometres (19 km long), Formentera hides one of the world’s top-rated beaches. But beyond the beaches, the island has developed a real breakfast culture: homemade bread, juices pressed to order, açaí bowls and ovens that have been running since the 1950s. On such a small island, every address is within 20 minutes by scooter.
Where to find good places for breakfast or brunch on the island? Here is my top list, village by village.
Breakfast map
Each marker matches a detailed entry further down this page.
Blat Picat: the temple of healthy breakfast
Number one for breakfast: voted best breakfast in Formentera by travellers
Street café format: a small, friendly, laid-back spot
Sant Ferran de Ses Roques, a village with a genuine hippie atmosphere, is home to this little hidden spot, open since 2016. At Blat Picat, breakfast is taken seriously. It is an ideal place for a hearty, tasty brunch before a day of exploring and perhaps some water sports? The perfect fuel to start the day!
The best breakfast in Formentera!
On the menu:
- Natural fresh fruit smoothies
- Energy bowls (açaí bowl)
- Toast on homemade bread: artisan bread with original toppings
- Homemade cakes and biscuits
The place is 100% plant-based (it is listed on HappyCow, the vegetarian and vegan restaurant guide). The brunch is hearty: portions are generous and keep you going until the evening. The result? Customers who come back every morning. Regulars make up 70% of its trade.
No phone bookings.
Tip: avoid 10am to 11am; come earlier or later.
Address: Carrer de Joan Castelló Guasch, 30, 07871 Sant Ferran de Ses Roques, Balearic Islands, Spain
Instagram account
La Forastera: plan B, 200 metres from Blat Picat
The same street as Blat Picat: at no. 21 while Blat Picat is at no. 30
Bakery & breakfast: homemade pastries and healthy brunch, takeaway available
Photos: @laforasteratakeaway
Here is the tip nobody gives you: when Blat Picat overflows between 10am and 11am, the solution is a 30-second walk away. La Forastera is on the same street, Carrer de Joan Castelló Guasch, a few numbers down. Same no-ultra-processed philosophy, same customers looking for a breakfast that fills you up, but a different room and a slot that is often less busy.
Their signature is the açaí bowl. Juices are made with seasonal fruit and vegetables, pressed to order. The rest of the menu follows the same logic.
- Açaí bowl, the star of the brunch menu
- Natural juices from seasonal fruit and vegetables
- Matcha and spirulina lattes, choice of plant milks
- Artisan pastries, vegan and gluten-free versions
- Tostadas and bowls, vegetarian and vegan food
The real practical advantage: takeaway. You pick up your order and head off for a beach picnic, which changes everything when you want to be on the sand early. Allow €10 to €20 for a full breakfast.
Who it suits: vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free diets, and anyone who wants to take their brunch to the beach.
Less suited: if you want a traditional Spanish breakfast, look elsewhere.
Address: Carrer de Joan Castelló Guasch, 21, 07871 Sant Ferran de ses Roques
Official website and Instagram account
Café Matinal: the Sant Francesc institution since 1988
Open since 1988: the island’s longest-running breakfast spot
Homemade bread, yoghurt and jam: the three pillars of the menu, all made on site
Photos: @cafematinalformentera
In a lane near the church in Sant Francesc, Café Matinal has served breakfast since 1988. For almost 40 years the house has made its own bread, yoghurt and jams: it is written in black and white on the menu, and it is why reviews all come back to the bread.
The menu is built around house set breakfasts, each with a name, which makes ordering easy even if you do not speak Spanish.
- Petit (€9.90): coffee or tea, soft-boiled egg, croissant, bread, butter and jam
- Energy (€14.90): coffee or tea, fresh juice, fried eggs, sliced tomatoes, bread, fresh cheese and jam
- Veggie (€14.90): avocado, hummus, tomatoes, lamb’s lettuce, bread, margarine and jam
- Plant based (€14.90): vegan sobrassada with olives and cashews, vegan cheese, tomatoes, bread
- Payès (€16.90): glass of wine, sobrassada, Mahón cheese, almonds, honey, bread, grated tomato and garlic
- Brunch (€18.90): soft-boiled egg, Iberian ham, cured sausage, camembert, bread, croissant
- Mar y Tierra (€19.90): cava, scrambled eggs, marinated salmon, avocado, gherkin, lamb’s lettuce
The Payès set deserves a mention: sobrassada, Mahón cheese, almonds and honey are the Balearic farmers’ breakfast, not an invention for tourists. If you want to taste something genuinely local first thing, this is it. Several of these products also feature in our article on Formentera’s 10 must-try foods.
Who it suits: anyone who wants a proper, hearty savoury breakfast, and the curious about Balearic produce.
Less suited: it is closed on Sundays. And the small room fills up quickly mid-morning, as at Blat Picat.
Address: Carrer de l’Arxiduc Lluís Salvador, 18, 07860 Sant Francesc de Formentera
Official website and Instagram account
Ca Na Pepa: the casa payesa on the church square
Open 7 days a week: the Sunday solution when Café Matinal is closed
White farmhouse: a terrace under bougainvillea, right in the centre of Sant Francesc
Photos: @canapepa
Ca Na Pepa occupies a traditional white farmhouse on Plaça de la Constitució, right next to the church, in the heart of the village. The terrace with wooden tables, bougainvillea and soft lighting in the evening makes it one of the prettiest places on the island to linger over breakfast.
It is the address that takes you from morning to evening: breakfast, lunch and dinner, 7 days a week. Opening on Sundays is precious, because most of Sant Francesc’s good addresses close that day.
- Sweet and savoury croissants
- Pancakes and yoghurt bowls
- Eggs every which way, including eggs Benedict
- Toasts and bagels
- Cake of the day, juices and smoothies
The food leans Mediterranean and Italian, and the place is known at lunch and dinner for its seafood pasta. A chance to check it out at breakfast and come back for dinner.
Who it suits: Sunday mornings, families, and anyone who wants to settle in and take their time on the terrace.
Less suited: if you are in a hurry to get to the beach, the service takes its time.
Address: Plaça de la Constitució, 5, 07860 Sant Francesc de Formentera
Instagram account
Big Store: the concept-store café
Open since 2004: one of the oldest addresses in Sant Francesc
Café and shop: breakfast and shopping in the same place
Photos: @bigstoreformentera
A few steps from the church in Sant Francesc, Big Store is a local institution in the truest sense. Open since 2004, it has a colourful atmosphere full of stories, very Italian in spirit, and is still frequented by loyal regulars from one season to the next.
The concept mixes café and shop. You have your cappuccino and leave with a piece of clothing or an object, which makes it an address to combine with a shopping session.
- Cappuccino and coffee, the house’s reputation among regulars
- Homemade croissants and cakes
- Topped tostadas, notably cheese, ham and guacamole
- Smoothies, herbal teas and natural juices
Who it suits: a quiet Italian-style breakfast, strong coffee and a croissant, without the full brunch ritual.
Less suited: if you want a proper hearty brunch, the menu is lighter than elsewhere.
Address: Carrer d’Isidor Macabich, 2, 07860 Sant Francesc de Formentera
Instagram account
Forn Can Manolo: the island’s oldest shop, with a stone oven from 1925
A stone oven from 1925: still in use, nicknamed “es forn vell”
Emblemàtics Balears label: one of the six addresses in Formentera to have earned it
Photos: @can.manolo_formentera
A complete change of style. No açaí bowl or matcha latte here: Forn Can Manolo, also known as Panadería Manolo, is a village bakery, and the oldest shop in Formentera.
Its history is worth the detour. In 1925, José Cardona Marí received a wood-fired stone oven from his father-in-law. The bakery closed from 1947 to 1953, then his son Manuel Cardona Guasch reopened it as Panadería Manolo. Three generations later, the original oven is still running and customers keep coming precisely for that. The bakery holds the “Pa d’aquí, forn i tradició” certification, which recognises ovens making traditional Balearic breads.
- Ensaimadas, the typical Balearic spiral pastry
- Coca de sofrit and coca a la poma
- Cucarrolls filled with chard, sofrit and tuna
- Flaó, the fresh cheese and mint cake
- Traditional white and wholemeal breads, magdalenas
It is the address to know to understand what Formentera locals really eat in the morning, not just visitors. A coffee standing at the counter, an ensaimada, and you have a local breakfast for a fraction of the price of a brunch. The flaó also deserves to be tried at least once during your stay.
Who it suits: small budgets, early risers, and anyone who prefers local food to an international brunch. Also ideal for putting together a beach picnic.
Less suited: it is not a café where you sit down. You buy and take away.
Address: Carrer de Jaume I, 07860 Sant Francesc de Formentera
Café del Lago: breakfast facing the Estany des Peix
Lagoon view: a terrace on the edge of the Estany des Peix
Steps from the port: the arrival-day address, before you even pick up your scooter
Photos: @cafedellago
If you were to remember only one breakfast spot with a view, it would be this one. Café del Lago spreads its terrace along the shore of the Estany des Peix, La Savina’s inner lagoon, a few metres from the port where the ferry from Ibiza docks.
Hence the obvious use: it is the first stop on arrival day. You get off the boat, drop your bags and take time for a coffee facing the water before sorting the scooter hire and the drive to your accommodation. The food is Italian, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options and a children’s menu.
- Croissants and pastries
- Toasts with a variety of sweet and savoury toppings
- Piadinas and sandwiches
- Fresh juices and smoothies
The place is also known for its sunsets over the lagoon, which makes it a two-in-one address for the day. Booking is advised at peak times.
Who it suits: arrival and departure days, families, and anyone who wants a view without beach-restaurant prices.
Less suited: it is not a healthy brunch specialist; the menu is more general.
Address: Avinguda Mediterrània, 2, 07870 La Savina, Formentera
Official website
Salines Cafè: under century-old junipers, on the road to the beaches
Century-old sabinas: the Phoenician junipers guarding the entrance
Strategic position: on the La Savina – Sant Francesc road, at the start of the road to the northern beaches
Photos: @salinescafe
The name comes from the nearby salt flats, and the entrance is guarded by century-old sabinas, the wind-twisted junipers that are the island’s emblematic tree. Salines Cafè takes a slow-food approach, with healthy cooking and local produce.
Its main appeal is location: you are a few metres from the port, on the road to Ses Illetes and the northern beaches. A chance to refuel just before your day of sand and Posidonia.
- Artisan toasts with avocado, salmon or tomato
- Pancakes and bagels
- Bowls and focaccias
- Sweet and savoury croissants, pastries and artisan bread
- Natural juices and smoothies, vegan and gluten-free options
The menu changes through the day, from breakfast to a late-afternoon snack. Gluten-free bread is available, which is still rare on the island.
Who it suits: mornings when you are heading for the northern beaches, and gluten-free diets.
Less suited: the setting is pleasant but without a sea view, unlike nearby Café del Lago.
Address: Avinguda Mediterrània, 33, 07870 La Savina, Formentera
Official website and Instagram account
Es Caló Restaurante: Spanish tapas facing the fishing village
View of the fishing village: Es Caló de Sant Agustí, one of the island’s most photogenic coves
A renowned address: known on the island well beyond breakfast
Photo: Es Caló Restaurant (Facebook)
Es Caló Restaurante has one of the most spectacular locations on the island, on the edge of the tiny fishing village of Es Caló de Sant Agustí, with its traditional sheds where boats are still hauled out on wooden rails. The house is renowned across the island, but mainly for lunch and dinner: the menu online focuses on fresh fish, seafood and paella, with no explicit mention of breakfast.
I went there for breakfast, and for lunch too: the morning menu has nothing to do with the fish menu shown online, it is real Spanish tapas, and the view over the cove is worth the trip on its own! A real favourite!
- Traditional Spanish tapas for breakfast, including finely sliced Iberian ham
- Cured meats and cheeses, toasts
- Coffee and drinks facing the cove
Who it suits: anyone who wants a savoury Spanish-style breakfast with a view that justifies the detour, and fancies staying on for lunch.
Address: Carrer del Vicari Joan Marí, 14, 07872 Es Caló de Sant Agustí, Formentera
Official website and Instagram account
And what about Es Pujols?
I have not personally tried the addresses in Es Pujols, the resort in the north-east. Here are the two that come up most often if you are staying in the area, to check on the spot.
La Kasa (formerly La Kasa dei Kolori), Calle Espalmador 42. The name says it all, literally: bright decor, a young atmosphere and a decorative swing that has become a holiday-photo classic. On the menu: avocado-tomato toast, eggs every which way, fruit bowls with granola and honey, pancakes, artisan pastries and vegan options.
Photos: @lakasadeikolori_formentera
Café Miranda, at the start of the Es Pujols promenade, a few steps from the beach. Classic Italian breakfast (cappuccino and croissant), pancakes, yoghurt bowls, plant milks, pressed and centrifuged juices. It opens early and closes late.
Photos: @cafemirandaformentera
Which breakfast for your plans for the day
- You are arriving off the ferry: Café del Lago or Salines Cafè, both in La Savina, a few metres from the port.
- You are off to the beach early: La Forastera takeaway, or Forn Can Manolo to put together a picnic.
- It is Sunday: Ca Na Pepa, open 7 days a week, when Café Matinal is closed.
- You want local food, not brunch: Forn Can Manolo for the ensaimada, or Café Matinal’s Payès set.
- You are vegan or gluten-free: Blat Picat and La Forastera in Sant Ferran, Salines Cafè in La Savina.
- Blat Picat is packed: La Forastera, same street, a few numbers down.
Two habits that avoid nasty surprises. First, most of these places close out of season or cut their hours sharply: check their Instagram account before you go, that is where they announce openings. Second, 10am to 11am is the worst time everywhere on the island. Come before 9.30am or after 11.30am and you will save 30 minutes of waiting.
Ready to find the breakfast of your dreams?
These addresses are only the start of your food adventure in Formentera. The island is full of hidden gems where every meal becomes a memory. Discover Formentera’s 10 must-try foods and, if you are only there briefly, our itinerary for visiting Formentera in a day.
