Best brunches in London
We take ‘brunch’ to mean a really lazy breakfast-cum-lunch meal that you can spend hours enjoying. It’s something indulgent (think pancakes, waffles and eggs royale), usually enjoyed at the weekend (who doesn’t love a Sunday brunch?), and booze is very often present… your brunch should go on until after midday, after all! Head to one of our below recommended London brunch spots with family or friends.
Honey & Co. Daily, Bloomsbury – for a Middle Eastern brunch
Tucked away on Store Street, a quiet Bloomsbury pocket steeped in intellectual heritage and artistic spirit, Honey & Co Daily feels like a hidden gem. Sunlight pours through tall windows, illuminating pale woods, fresh bakes and a space designed for slow mornings. There’s a thoughtful separation between the casual deli space and dining area, yet both hum with the scent of fresh bread, za’atar and honey.
The menu is rooted in bold Middle Eastern flavours, balanced with finesse. The labneh with roasted aubergine and plum sauce is a riot of contrasts: cool, sour yogurt against warm, smoky aubergine, with pomegranate molasses adding sweetness. It’s served with pillowy soft seeded bread, perfect for scooping. The cheese and chive bureka is crisp, buttery and deeply savoury, its pickles sharp and sweet. Potato, feta and thyme fritters arrive golden and crisp, flecked with herbs and dotted with chunks of feta. A fried egg, perfectly seasoned, tops the plate: salt beef is optional but not essential.
Drinks are just as well considered. The orange blossom iced tea is sweet and floral, refreshing if you enjoy perfumed notes. Mint tea, served in handmade ceramics, adds to the sense of ritual.
Dessert is non-negotiable. The honey and feta cheesecake – cold, rich and layered over crisp kadaif pastry – balances sweetness with the gentle salinity of feta and a crunch of richly roasted salted almonds. A quiet corner just steps from the bustle of Tottenham Court Road, Honey & Co Daily is the ideal place to stay and linger. honeyandco.co.uk
Yauatcha, City and Soho – for dumplings
This yum cha brunch is available at both Yauatcha City and Soho. Kick off with a negroni-style cocktail (or non-alcoholic alternative) before your first steamed dumplings pork and prawn shui mai; har gau and seafood black truffle dumpling. A vibrant edamame baked puff and a venison version are next. Gone in a jiffy? No problem – they will be replenished at your request – but save space for baos (pork and veggie) before choosing a generous main course of stir-fried beef; scallop and prawn or sea bass curry with rice. A little stack of soufflé pancakes with cream and honeycomb is a cute end. £45 per person. Upgrade to English fizz or wine for £54 or £40. taogroup.com/venues/yauatcha/
Dovetale, Mayfair – for customised frozen margs and much more than eggs
Its famous knickerbocker glory station – choose your own ice-cream, sprinkles and syrups – has proved such a hit that Mayfair restaurant Dovetale has extended this winning formula to its frozen margarita offering on weekend brunch. Choose from three Casamigos tequilas; add strawberry, apricot or cherry sorbet; season with lime, ugly berry or tajin salt and top with mint, popping candy or coconut flakes. Soak up the cocktails with superior snacks like Marmite onion rings, choose mains like buttermilk chicken waffles and hot sauce; a Thai-inspired crab omelette with slaw and nam jim or a Wagyu cheeseburger. 1hotels.com/mayfair/taste/dovetale
Portobello 177, Portobello Road – for midweek-to weekend, all-day brunching
Served from 8am-3pm from Tuesday to Sunday this is a collaboration with Kiwi sandwich master ‘World Famous’ on (world-famous) Portobello Road. But there’s more to the well-written menu than just its excellent chicken sandwich (with dill mayo and gravy) and the classic salt beef reuben. Braised lamb sausage roll with pickle; smashed pea with smoked beets and its signature merguez, eggs any style, seasonal green and house hash speak to the kitchen’s skills and imagination. Upstairs from cocktail bar Trailer Happiness, the space is diner by day, atmospheric small-plates by night. portobello177.com
Mount St. Restaurant, Mayfair – for breakfast with a view
Sit among works by Picasso, Warhol and Matisse for breakfast at Mount St Restaurant, a light-flooded dining room located above the landmark Mayfair pub, The Audley. Art decorates the entire space, with mosaic-marbled floors creating a one-of-a-kind setting to awaken the senses. Think opulent updates on classic London dishes, such as white truffle-flecked scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, omelettes topped with Oscietra caviar or porridge pepped up with a dram of whiskey. Sausages, chutneys and honey are sourced from Durslade Farm Shop, while beef and lamb come from its farm in Somerset. For drinks, choose from a selection of vibrant juices or a top-quality coffee made behind the glossy white bar. Ask politely for a postprandial tour of the dazzling private rooms located on each floor, including a luxe Venetian-inspired dining room and cosy games room turret. mountstrestaurant.com
Brother Marcus, various locations – for brunch with an Eastern Mediterranean twist
For the perfect slow Sunday morning brunch, look no further than Brother Marcus. Founded by hospitality duo and lifelong friends Tas Gaitanos and Alex Large in 2016, the restaurant is named after Alex’s little brother. Specialising in all-day dining and brunch, Brother Marcus has been serving the vibrant flavours of Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Lebanon and the wider Eastern Mediterranean to hungry Londoners for nearly a decade.
The brunch menu caters to all tastes, offering everything from classic eggs benedict to the more adventurous kefir fried chicken atop crispy potato rostis, fried eggs and zingy kasundi jam. Nursing a weekend hangover? The selection of refreshing juices and smoothies is sure to revive you. Alternatively, embrace a hair of the dog approach with the two for £20 brunch cocktail deal. The bloody mary is bold and fiery, guaranteed to shake off the remnants of the previous night’s indulgence. brothermarcus.co.uk
Ottolenghi, Spitalfields – for a Middle Eastern spin on staples
Ottolenghi Spitalfields is the largest outpost of the Ottolenghi empire, with a dining room serving breakfast through dinner, cocktail bar and modern deli for takeaways. Furnishings are kept to a minimum, with wooden furniture, flowers and draped curtains providing a relaxed setting to while away the hours.
Clear your head with a pear, apple juice and basil mocktail, or continue weekend revelries with a classic mimosa. You can expect loosely Middle Eastern twists on classics, from shakshuka with braised eggs, to scrambled eggs and smoked salmon with grilled focaccia – all the flavours synonymous with Yotam. Welsh rarebit on sourdough with a fried egg and salad is cheesy and unctuous, while vegan scrambled tofu with grated tomato and confit garlic is a smoky spin on scrambled eggs.
Finish with a trip to the counter of cakes – highlights include spiced date cake with orange icing and pecan brittle and a flourless orange and almond cake with chocolate ganache. Choose from a selection of pastries, from almond croissants to cinnamon brioche pretzels – best served with a frothy cappuccino. ottolenghi.co.uk/spitalfields
Sunday in Brooklyn, Notting Hill – for American-inspired cult favourites
London’s Notting Hill is the ideal setting for this vibrant corner spot that balances being American without feeling themed. The menu covers all the brunch bases, service is friendly and professional and the room has an outside-in feel with a central foliage chandelier and wooden furniture. Pancakes are plate-sized, drenched in a chocolate praline sauce. Steak is slices of charred hanger steak (onglet) with scrambled eggs, toast and home fries, which also appear on the sausage dish but are confusingly called something else. Burgers are stacked high, available as cauliflower or chicken versions but we went for the classic which had the flavour you only get from good provenance. Fun cocktails are well mixed – we tried the signature pineapple and rum Honey Bear on Holiday that comes in the iconic bear-shaped honey bottles and the more morning friendly Champagne Problems (bubbly and strawberries). All this plus a list of extras so you can customise, great coffee and freshly squeezed juices had us feeling there wasn’t much more we could ask of brunch. sundayinbk.co.uk
Where The Pancakes Are, Fitzrovia – for pancake fans
Brunch-obsessed Londoners will already know about this all-day breakfast hotspot in London Bridge. Now, their second restaurant has opened in Fitzrovia, serving the popular buckwheat and buttermilk pancakes. Designed largely using recycled materials, the casual interior is light and relaxed, with a marble bar made from reclaimed dining tables and – impressively – black tiles made from recycled desert-soldier uniforms.nnYou can’t go wrong with the classics on the menu; thick and fluffy American pancakes with maple syrup and bacon, or the classic English breakfast with homemade baked beans. But, if you’re after something different, opt for the pulled beef pastrami with crunchy kale slaw, creamy thousand island sauce and sauerkraut, or the Montgomery cheddar and goat’s cheese Dutch baby (a bit like a giant Yorkshire pudding), complemented by thyme and radiccio. The Fitzrovia site also has Korean miso pancakes and polenta chips with bacon mayo from 5pm. The zesty hummingbird pancakes with cinnamon-poached pineapple and coconut, which can be made vegan, are great if you want something sweet. If you’re not recovering from the night before, we’d recommend ordering a breakfast-inspired cocktail, like a maple old fashioned or espresso tequila martini. It is the weekend, after all. wherethepancakesare.com
Eggslut, Notting Hill – for egg buns
Founded in California in 2011, with the aim of brining gourmet eggs to the breakfast table, Eggslut opened its first UK branch on Notting Hill’s Portobello Road in August 2019. The décor is stark (think grey walls, a metal counter and high wooden stools) with pops of yolk yellow in the neon signs. Choose from six options, all of which come with Bread Ahead brioche buns and Clarence Court Burford Brown eggs. Our pick is the Fairfax, where buttery, softly scrambled eggs mixed with sweet caramelised onions, chives, sriracha mayo and a generous slice of melting cheese for an indulgent (and hearty) start to your day. eggslut.com
Milk Beach, Queen’s Park – for a classic neighbourhood brunch
Stray off the main high street of Queen’s Park down a pretty little mews to find this neighbourhood café and wine bar. There’s a communal wooden table to slouch round, with surrounding smaller marble-topped tables for smaller groups, and, on sunny days, white stable doors open out onto the cobbled pavement. The café’s co-owners source specialty coffee from around the world to roast on-site each week, and decent brunch options do the coffee justice – bread and pastries come from Little Bread Pedlar in Bermondsey (save room for a flaky pain au chocolat). Order the sourdough soldiers, their crevices flooded with puddles of butter, ready to duck into a jam jar of coddled eggs, cream, sweet potato purée and chives. milkbeach.com
Crispin, Shoreditch – for early risers
In a quirky, purpose-built zinc and glass pavilion, designed to look like an origami-folded bird, light pours into the back onto the cool polished concrete bars, and terrazzo-topped ash bar. There’s Assembly coffee from Brixton during the day, and at night Fernando Berry of Otros Vinos has helped curate a rotating wine list focussing on natural and low-intervention wines.
Breakfast starts at 7.30am and covers the classics, alongside trendy new contenders. There’s an organic bacon sandwich with house ketchup; bright-yolked, boiled Burford Brown eggs with Dusty Knuckle Bakery soldiers; and Secret Smokehouse (made in London Fields) on sourdough (check out our guide to sourdough here) with soft cheese, lemon and dill. Be sure to order the super-crunchy, smoked ham toastie – oozing with melted cheddar, topped with a crispy fried egg and showered in finely grated, nutty Berkswell cheese. crispinlondon.com
Kiss The Hippo, Richmond – for coffee geeks
Kiss The Hippo, so named to mark the coffee shop’s environmental ethos (all cutlery, straws and cup lids are fully compostable), brings a bright and airy hangout to Richmond’s George Street. Up front, a gigantic coffee station caters to the trendiest of coffee geeks, with niche brews including Ugandan Nitro Cold Brew coffee and Japanese-style iced filter coffee, dripped through a Kalita over ice cubes to bring out delicate elderflower and bergamot notes. Pastries and brunch dishes are prepared by the chef consultant from London’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Try tiny Sicilian apricot and mango tartlets with a delicate vanilla scent, or super light cinnamon rolls with cinnamon paste swirled through and white chocolate glaze slathered on top. kissthehippo.com
Friends of Ours, Hoxton – for a friendly vibe
Kedgeree is given a sophisticated twist courtesy of hake (from local fishmongers Sutton & Sons) that had been smoked in-house with black tea, subtly spiced black rice and an egg yolk cured in soy sauce. friendsofourscafe.com
Dishoom, across London – for an Indian brunch
With multiple sites across the capital, Dishoom brings the flavour and flair of traditional Irani cafés to London. There’s an elegant yet relaxed vibe, with unique touches in each restaurant (think rusty weighing scales and ornate tiled flooring). Reinterpreted Bombay dishes are the focus, from fluffy coconut appam pancakes topped with a dollop of shrikhand (a sweet Indian dish made of strained yogurt, sugar and cardamom) to comforting chilli cheese toast. Flaky naans (baked in a tandoor oven) filled with cream cheese, chilli tomato jam and crispy smoked bacon are a must, but, if you’re feeling peckish, order the ramped-up version with a frilly fried egg and peppery pork sausage. dishoom.com
Söderberg, Soho – for a Swedish brunch
Relax in the cool, calm interiors (think blonde wood, retro sofas and muted tones) of this Scandi café and enjoy a Swedish-style breakfast or brunch. Breakfast trays make ideal grazing material with a little bit of everything – a dinky glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, a jar of crunchy granola with thick yogurt, Lescure butter for spreading over Swedish crisp bread and seeded sourdough, slices of serrano ham and a fruit salad of fresh figs, blackberries and sweet, tangy kumquats. There’s a vegan option that swaps yogurt for coconut yogurt and butter for olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Squidgy buns are laced with cardamom and cinnamon and perfect for taking away. soderberg.uk
Ozone, Shoreditch – for Antipodean-inspired dishes
Exposed brick walls, florescent strip lights and weathered floorboards give a minimalist vibe to this Shoreditch coffee roastery and eatery just off Old Street’s Silicon roundabout. Upstairs, staff in dark-denim aprons prepare fruity single-origin espressos at the brew bar, while an open kitchen has chefs whipping up Antipodean dishes such as wagyu mince on focaccia; and smoked carrot, chard and house ricotta-stuffed omelettes. A spongy kaffir lime pancake comes with Crouch End honey, rhubarb, dark chocolate shavings and a dollop of labneh, while crispy bubble and squeak cakes make a hearty change from muffins for the eggs hollandaise. ozonecoffee.co.uk
Koya, Soho and City – for a Japanese brunch
Stop by either of Koya’s Soho or City sites for an alternative savoury brunch. Choose a window table simply laid with chopsticks and napkins, or take a seat on one of the high bar stools to watch chefs at work. The menu, split into udon noodle and rice dishes (with the option for small side plates) combines Japanese dishes and twists on English classics. Keep it simple with Kizami – a bowl of noodles topped with fried tofu and spring onions – or mix things up with a feast of kippers, poached egg, butter rice and miso soup. koya.co.uk
The Wolseley, Mayfair and City – for a traditional brunch
As you walk into the Wolseley from the bustling London streets, you immediately feel as if you’re somewhere luxurious. The high ceilings and marble decor give the place a touch of old-school glamour, yet it still feels warm and cosy. Perfect for spending a few hours catching up with friends or dining alone and reading the papers, if that’s what you prefer! The menu is classic: omelettes with jambon and gruyère, crispy bacon baps, pancakes with berries and crème fraîche and a full English with all the trimmings. It’s the sort of grub that powers you up for the day ahead. We had the rich, buttery and deeply spiced kedgeree with a runny poached egg, and eggs benedict, which came with a pleasingly lemony sauce. Of course, we had to have a round of virgin bloody marys for a fresh, spicy and pickle-forward hit. We also squeezed in a slice of cinnamon-spiced apple streusel, encased in thin, crisp pastry, with a cloud of whipped cream. thewolseleycity.com
Esters, Stoke Newington – for French toast
For the best brunch in Stokey, head to this neighbourhood café just off Church Street. White walls, grey slate, angular tables and pops of orange give this small space a sleek HAY-inspired Scandi vibe, while families spend the morning sipping on flat whites and friends get a post-run refuel. Don’t expect to find avocado on toast here, rather crispy pork belly with punchy wakame salsa verde, wafter-thin slithers of fennel, fried egg, sweet tomatoes (grown just down the road at Stoke Newington’s Growing Communities vegetable patch) and chunks of bread to mop up the rich aïoli. For those with a sweet tooth, order the french toast, where toppings change based on the seasons. estersn16.com
Check out more London restaurant guides:
Best restaurants in Marylebone
Best restaurants in Mayfair
Best restaurants in Fitzrovia
Best restaurants near Oxford Street
Best restaurants in Brixton
Best restaurants in Notting Hill
Best restaurants in Battersea
Best restaurants in Shoreditch
Best restaurants in Camden
Best restaurants in Covent Garden
Best restaurants in Kings Cross
Best restaurants in London Bridge
Best restaurants in Hackney
Best restaurants in Paddington
