Best breakfasts and brunches in south London

Discover the best restaurants and cafés for breakfast and brunch in south London

Our team of experts have sought out the best breakfasts and brunches across London. Whether you're looking for coffee and pastries in a café, a posh Sunday brunch, or a mouthwateringly meaty fry-up – don't miss the most important meal of the day. Also check out London's best breakfasts and brunches in central, south, north, west and east London, cheap breakfasts in London and our slideshow of the top ten breakfast dishes. Do you agree with the choices? Use the comments box below or tweet your suggestions.

Albion

Wrapped around the base of one of the Richard Rogers designed Neo Bankside ‘pavilions’ (tower blocks) just behind Tate Modern, this glass-walled café has a secluded outdoor terrace overlooking a beautifully landscaped garden. Breakfast is the main meal of the day, with dishes from toast and Marmite, to a full English. The kedgeree is mildly spiced and of perfect texture, while duck eggs on toast are fried sunny side up, runny with a single slice of toast.

Breakfast for two with service: around £35

Pavilion B, Holland Street, SE1 9FU. (020 7827 4343). Southwark or Blackfriars rail.

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Breads Etcetera

Every weekend, there’s a queue of people out of the door of Breads Etc and into Clapham High Street, waiting for a table at this this bakery-cum-café. There’s an enormous basket of freshly baked sourdough loaves on a counter top in the middle of the room: white or wholemeal, rye or seeds, all wonderful. The idea is to help yourself, cutting off as many slices as you like, and toasting them at your table. This DIY option costs £6.50, and as the staff point out, the only slightly dearer all-day breakfasts work out to be better value as you then get the bread for free. The vegan and vegetarian options are particularly strong, from the fruit and nut French toast to a vegan version of pyttipanna (Swedish bubble ’n’ squeak).

Breakfast for two with drinks and service: around £23

127 Clapham High Street, SW4 7SS. Clapham Common or Clapham North tube.
Breakfast served 10am-5pm Tue-Sat; 10am-4pm Sun.

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Lido Café

This Herne Hill hotspot makes the perfect place to load up on calories after a brisk morning swim, though you can eat here even if you haven’t taken a dip. Large windows flood the airy dining room with light, and there are also a few poolside pews. Expect the likes of eggs benedict with sweet, juicy Gloucester Old Spot ham and tangy hollandaise sauce; or stacks of thick buttermilk and blueberry pancakes with maple syrup. If you don’t want to undo all the good work from your morning plunge, plump for one of the lighter options such as organic porridge or granola with fruit compote and yoghurt. Locals love it.

Breakfast for two with service: around £15

Brockwell Lido, (Dulwich Road), SE24 0PA. (020 7737 8183). Herne Hill rail.
Breakfast served 9am-11.40 Mon-Fri; 9am-12.40pm Sat, Sun.

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Milk

If your idea of a gentle awakening in the morning is a nice cup of tea listening to Chris Evans, you’d best go elsewhere – you can hear the sound of deep house coming through the open french windows down the length of Hildreth Street. The service is laid back, but that gives you time to admire the artful dodge of a distressed interior, and to puzzle over why their logo reads ‘M1lk’. The coffee kicks – currently on offer are beans from Workshop and from Koppi in Sweden – and the menu lists some interesting hot dishes, such as Kurdish baked eggs with chorizo, spinach, labneh and Turkish dried chilli.

Breakfast for two with service: around £20

20 Bedford Hill, SW12 9RG. (020 8772 9085). Balham tube.

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No 67

There are few nicer places to breakfast on a sunny day than No 67 – whether on a bench under the dappled shade of the huge Tree of Heaven out front, surrounded by the lush planting in the walled garden at the back, or in either of the two elegant rooms inside. All the usual British breakfast staples are on offer, from thick porridge with golden syrup and cream to smoked salmon and scrambled egg. Fresh fruit juices and speciality teas are available, but the excellent coffee sourced from Allpress is what most regulars choose. A relaxed clientele includes freelance local professionals with laptops and art-loving visitors to the South London Gallery.

Breakfast for two with service: around £25

South London Gallery, (67 Peckham Road), SE5 8UH. (020 7252 7649). Peckham Rye Overground or rail
Breakfast served Tue-Fri 9-11.30am; Brunch served Sat, Sun 11.30am-3.30pm

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Roast

If you visit Borough Market you’ll see the fast-moving queue for Roast To Go, Roast’s ground-level takeaway, which sells pork belly sandwiches among other things. But the prime restaurant site, over Borough Market, offers a bird’s-eye view – and respite from the bustle below. The dining room is terribly smart and proudly British, with formidable quality produce. On the menu you’ll find smoked streaky bacon, black pudding from Ramsay of Carluke and other artery-liners. But if that’s too much to stomach, try the grilled Orkney kippers with lemon and butter, or a (Scottish) tattie scone with bacon, mushrooms and a fried egg. Stop by to gather your strength before hitting the market – or the markets, if you’re a City worker.

Breakfast for two with service: around £30

The Floral Hall, Borough Market, Stoney Street, SE1 1TL. (020 7252 7649). London Bridge tube.
Breakfast served 7-10.45am Mon-Fri; 8-11.30am Sat. Two-for-one breakfast deal: 7-8am Mon-Fri; 8-9am Sat.

Book online

The Table Café

This slick café not far from the Tate Modern serves excellent breakfasts and brunches. A chargrill dominates the open-plan kitchen, but those wanting something lighter than a cooked brekfast should look to the selection of fruit-yoghurt-muesli combos. Weekend brunches see the likes of buttermilk pancakes, sweetcorn fritters and The Table’s signature ‘stack’ featuring home-made baked beans, chorizo, poached eggs, hollandaise and red pepper pesto.

Breakfast for two with service: around £20