Cape Verde, Africa (continent)May 21, 2025, by Carmen Esselink

This is how you have a budget-proof lunch in Mindelo on São Vicente, Cape Verde

Eat & Drink, Lunch
Cape Verde, Africa (continent), May 21, 2025, by Carmen Esselink

This is how you have a budget-proof lunch in Mindelo on São Vicente, Cape Verde

Okay, let's talk about lunch in Mindelo. Because trust us: if you're walking around here with a growling stomach, you don't want to go to some overpriced Cape Verdean tourist tent. No, you want good food, without fuss and preferably for a price that won't scare you. So, where should you go? These are the places where you can have a really good lunch without emptying your wallet.

Algarve pastry shop

Algarve pastry shop

Fancy more options than rice and beans? Then Algarve pastry shop your spot. Here you can score empanadas, croissants, strong coffee and freshly baked bread that smells so good you will definitely buy more than you intended.

A small heads up: there is no wifi. But honestly? Actually, that's just fine here.

Kasa d Vlu

Kasa d Vlu

Kasa d Vlu is one of those places where you get a plate of food in front of you and immediately think: 'yes, this is it'. The cachupa guisado (the local dish of Cape Verde) is thick, hearty and exactly as it should be: a hearty bean stew with corn and sometimes a piece of meat or fish. No frills, no exaggerated styling, just food as the locals eat it every day. And that for a price that makes you happy: you pay 400 escudos for the dish of the day, the dish of the day. That is equal to about four euros.

Please note: this place cannot be found on Google Maps (it is that well hidden), so here it is the location. 

Pasteleria Morabeza

Pasteleria Morabeza

Sometimes you just want cake or pastel de nata for lunch. And that's totally okay! At Pasteleria Morabeza you've come to the right place, because here they have freshly baked fruit pastries, airy cakes and many more sweet things that will immediately put you in a better mood. Do you still want something savory? They also have sandwiches and snacks. Simple, dirt cheap and exactly what you need if you want to eat something quickly.

Estrela Square

Estrela Square

This square is not only a lively market place, but also the place to get a cheap and hearty lunch. In the pavilion in the middle of Estrela Square there are three lunch spots where you can have a dish of the day orders for about 300 escudos (about 3 euros). The choice is not endless, usually two or three dishes but you get a plate full and in the meantime you look out over market scenes (and a few junkies from the city).

A few words of Portuguese will come in handy here, because they don't speak English. The most important thing you need to know? Dish of the day, aka dish of the day.

Pastelaria and Padaria Ki Bom

Pastelaria and Padaria Ki Bom

Last but not least: Ki Bom, the food spot on Rua de Coco, if you fancy more than just cachupa or bread for lunch. Of course they serve that, if you really want it, but also milkshakes, crepes, freshly squeezed juices and even ice cream (yes, ice cream). The fluffy crepes are filled with fruit and a generous dollop of whipped cream.

Also nice: this lunch spot is affordable and is centrally located, ideal for those who want to relax in the midday heat. You just have to know where to find it… because just like Kasa d Vlu, this place is so well hidden that you can’t find it on the online map with a search. So here we reveal the big secret of the city: the location.

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