Best Breakfast & Brunch

London takes breakfast seriously — from the full English fry-up to the weekend brunch culture that fills independent cafes across the city every Saturday and Sunday morning.

The Full English

A proper full English — bacon, sausages, eggs, baked beans, toast, grilled tomato and mushrooms — is one of the great reasons to be awake before noon. Greasy spoons (traditional British cafes) are the authentic venue: unloved, cheap, reliable. Look for ones with handwritten menus and tables that have been there for decades rather than recently opened "traditional" versions, which are usually more expensive and often worse.

Café Brunch Culture

The East London café scene (Shoreditch, Hackney, Dalston) produces some of the best contemporary brunch in the city — avocado toast has its critics, but the same cafes usually do eggs well in every format and coffee properly. The best spots have queues on weekend mornings; arriving at 9am rather than 11am makes a significant difference.

Hotel Breakfast

If your hotel includes breakfast, it can be worth taking — London's breakfast prices at cafes add up across a trip. If it doesn't, the premium for hotel breakfast is usually significant and rarely worth paying compared to the cafes nearby.

Tips

• Find a genuine greasy spoon for at least one full English — they're becoming rarer and worth seeking out.
• Arrive at popular East London brunch spots before 9:30am or expect a queue.
• Hotel breakfast supplements are rarely worth paying — eat out instead unless it's included.
• Many of the best breakfast spots don't take reservations — go early or accept a short wait.