What Breakfast Looks Like in 10 Different Countries
From pastries to pickles, here’s how mornings taste around the world.
When I started travelling, I fully expected culture shock to hit somewhere dramatic—like train etiquette or dinner time. But nope. It hit at breakfast.
Turns out, what you eat before 9am varies wildly depending on where you are. Here’s a quick, scrollable guide to what’s on the morning table around the world.
🇫🇷 France – Simple & Chic
A weekday French breakfast is all about keeping it light: tartines (buttered baguette or brioche), maybe a splash of jam, and a strong coffee.
Pastries like croissants? More of a weekend treat. Somehow still feels fancier than my soggy toast at home.
🇮🇹 Italy – Espresso & Cornetto, Please
Standing at a café bar, sipping a cappuccino and biting into a cornetto (a slightly sweeter croissant) is the Italian way to kick off the day.
Blink and you’ll miss it—it’s all over in about 3 minutes flat.
🇩🇪 Germany – Breadboard Heaven
Germany goes all in. Expect crusty rolls (Brötchen) loaded up with cheese, meats, boiled eggs, jam—basically an entire brunch board.
Pair with coffee or tea and you’re set till lunch.
🇪🇸 Spain – Tomato Toast Goals
Pan con tomate is a Spanish breakfast hero: toasted bread rubbed with fresh tomato, olive oil, and sometimes garlic. Add a café con leche and you’ve got yourself a seriously satisfying start.
🇬🇷 Greece – Yogurt & Pastries
Think creamy Greek yogurt with honey and nuts, or flaky savoury pastries like spanakopita (spinach and feta pie). Light, fresh, and ideal if you’re easing into the day slowly… preferably by the sea.
🇸🇪 Sweden – Open-Faced & Functional
A typical Swedish breakfast features rye crispbread or open-faced sandwiches topped with cheese, cucumber, or cold meats. Sometimes smoked fish joins the party too. Bonus points for being very photogenic.
🇹🇷 Turkey – The Full Spread
Turkish breakfast (kahvaltı) is basically a morning banquet: bread, white cheese, olives, cucumber, tomato, boiled eggs, jams, and a strong black tea. It’s less “grab and go,” more “pull up a chair and stay a while.”
🇬🇧 UK – The Full English (and Then a Nap)
If you like a heavy start, the British breakfast delivers: eggs, sausages, bacon, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, toast—sometimes even black pudding. It’s hearty, iconic, and best followed by a lie-down.
🇳🇱 Netherlands – Sprinkles on Toast? Yep.
Dutch kids (and plenty of adults) grow up on hagelslag: chocolate sprinkles on buttered bread. It sounds made up, but it’s a legit breakfast—and kind of brilliant, to be honest.
🇨🇿 Czech Republic – Cold Cuts & Pickles
Breakfast in the Czech Republic leans savoury: sliced bread, ham, cheese, sometimes hard-boiled eggs or pickled veg. Like a sandwich platter turned morning meal. Efficient. Tasty. No frills.
🛫 Final Thoughts
Breakfast really is one of the best (and weirdest) ways to get a taste of local life. I still love my trusty bowl of cereal, but there’s something pretty magical about trying tomato toast in Barcelona or a yoghurt-and-honey combo in Santorini.
Got a favourite international breakfast—or one that totally surprised you? Let me know. I’m always collecting snack-based reasons to plan my next trip.
