Nina Café — Restaurant in Montpellier

Brunch is a casual way of dining out but I love enjoying a good meal no matter how casual it is. Unfortunately I've noticed that a lot of restaurants or cafés offer brunch as a quick way to make a buck without paying attention to the experience they could bring to their customers. I've had my fair share of brunches as I was fortunate enough to travel some, but no place like Nina Café has ever come closer. It's a little cozy place with outdoor tables to enjoy the great weather the south has to offer. But obviously what makes this Café unique and makes me come back more often than I would like to admit, is the incredibly tasty dishes prepared with extra fresh ingredients. When the plate arrives on your table not only is it a joy for the eyes, with a splash of colors but it is a feast for your nose and then your palate. The usual dishes are served: eggs Benedict, salmon toast, pancakes, granola but there's nothing usual about them, because each recipe has been thought after and prepared to have the best combination of flavors, so each ingredient enhances the other with perfect balance. When I'm super hungry I order the Bun Benedict: 2 soft boiled eggs served on a brioche bun layered with avocado and covered with a revisited Benedict sauce, sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and chive and served with lamb's lettuce. But lately I am fond of their Turkish eggs: I let the picture speak for itself although you won't be able to appreciate its amazing smell. This Café also offers an extensive option of beverages: coffees, homemade juices and this season the team came up with their own Matcha tea recipes: mine was with Mango. And for those with a sweet tooth no worries, you won't be disappointed: I can't recommend their brioche perdue enough, topped with seasonal ingredients. At my last visit I discovered a new drink/dessert named the iced tiramisu: heaven on earth ! You have all the flavors of the actual cake without feeling stuffed: a must try! So with that being said you understand that I love this place and I think I figured out why: besides everything I just described there's one ingredient other places are lacking and there's no secret: Love! The owners really pour a lot of it in everything they do in their Café and you can tell. I hope that on your next trip to Montpellier you will stop at this address and see it for...

A local friend of mine recommended this place to me and a friend visiting Montpellier. It seems to be one of the institutions for brunch. 🥟

The first important info: be there at least 15 mins before it opens, or, be willing to wait in line. We were there around 20 mins before, and a couple was already. I am not actually sure booking is possible.

The place is rather small, and, when people with strollers come in, you can get the feeling of being a bit cramped. However, this is a small detail.

The price/quality ratio was just perfect for what I had. At the same time, I would say this cafe might be on the higher spectrum.

Also, after ordering coffee, I told the waiter we wanted to wait for a friend. It took her sadly nearly 1 hour to arrive, and he was kind and understanding of having us be at the table for that long without food. This is a real plus, because nowadays after covid arrived, restaurants and cafes started to allocate tables for 2 hours and so on. We were lucky this cafe just let people enjoy their food, rather than rushing them out.

Of course when she arrived, we ordered food. I loved the fluffy pancakes. I rarely had them this fluffy and high. I love when there’s care in the presentation too.

Definitely...

Nina cafe was mine and my partners saviour after a gruelling day of travels from Bordeaux to Montpellier. We arrived from the station in desperation for a good meal and coffee. To say the list Nina Cafe and their staff went above and beyond our expectations. We had the Avo and salmon toast which was to die for. The coffee is also the best we’ve had in France.

Luckily for us we were staying on the same street as Nina’s so we grabbed a coffee before starting each day.

The staff were so welcoming including the owner whom prepares the Beautiful food with the rest of his kitchen staff. We went every day for 3 days and after the first they already remembered our coffee order and repeated it back to me before I even had to ask for anything.

A huge stand out was on our final day before travelling to Nice I walked to the Cafe half an hour before they opened without realising and without hesitation they served us when they easily could have turned me away until they where officially open. Not to mention after chatting with the owner about our plans he gave us some excellent recommendations for our visit to Nice.

All in all an amazing spot if you just want some good Coffee and some awesome food for a very reasonable price....