London’s best restaurants for breakfast

What is it? A Highgate pub that just so happens to do excellent morning food. The Angel is from the same team as acclaimed gastropub Red Lion and Sun around the corner.

Why we love it: It’s rare to find a breakfast in London that doesn’t secretly make you think ‘I could’ve made this at home.’ But trust me, none of you are getting anywhere close to this kind of finesse on a hangover. The Angel breakfast menu has got it all, from expertly-crafted brunch classics – full English, avo toast and the likes – to a wonderfully thick Croque Madame, Thai sausage bap with lime mayo and crispy prawn chilli oil, and a whopping great kipper glistening with parsley butter. Their light-streaked dining room is just the right decibel, the bacon is perfectly crisp, the scrambled eggs come gorgeously glossy and the Bloody Marys slap you round the face. Order the one with kimchi and gochujang – a spicy, umami bomb of a drink that’ll have you skipping through Waterlow Park afterwards.

Time Out tip: We get it, you’re stuffed, but you’d be a fool not to at least glance at the pastry selection, and promptly order a dark chocolate and sea salt bun to go. Future you will appreciate it.

Address: 37 Highgate High Street, London, N6 5JT

Opening hours: Breakfast and brunch served 8am-4pm, Monday-Saturday. On Sundays it ends at 11.45am to make way for roasts.

Expect to pay: Main dishes £8-19, juices £6-7, coffee mostly £4.40.

What is it? A swanky Sloane Square Italian by the team behind The Dover.

Why we love it: Fancy having breakfast in a room that feels like a 1930s ocean liner? Then slink over to Chelsea for a slap-up Martino’s breakfast. Open from 8am on weekdays, this twinkling room is where you can order everything from cacio e pepe scrambled eggs, ricotta pancakes, avocado bruscetta and baked eggs arrabbiata, to a full Italian complete with cannellini beans, eggs any style, pancetta, and salsiccia. There are also cornetto pastries which go a treat with your capuccino, and savoury, cheesey bakes if you prefer a smaller start to your day.

Time Out tip: Go all-out and subsitutue your full Italian eggs for the cacio e pepe scrambled version. Divine. 

Address: 37 Sloane Square, Chelsea, SW1W 8AN.

Opening hours: From 8am on weekdays and 9am on the weekend.

Expect to pay: Cold breakfast from £10, hot breakfast from £11, egg dishes from £12. 

What is it? An airy, bright and really rather big all-day cafe from the team behind excellent restaurant Jikoni. Find it downstairs at the new V&A East Museum in Stratford. 

Why we love it: Open from 10am every day, a breakfast at Cafe Jikoni can be as blow-out or as light as you like. Eat yourself around the world with a global menu that encompasses shakshuka saffron buns and Tottenham cake, as well as Vietnamese coffee brownies, shiitake mushroom egg congee, spiced granola with seasonal fruit and alphonso mango coconut sago. The surprisingly green views over Stratford from the venue’s dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows aren’t half bad either. 

Time Out tip: Follow breakfast with a trip upstairs to the V&A East, the South Kensington institution’s edgy, younger sibling.

Address: 107 Carpenters Road, Stratford, E20 2AR.

Opening hours: Sun-Wed 10am-6pm, Thu 10am-10pm, Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-10pm. 

What is it? Piccadilly’s always-fun and always-busy art deco-styled grand café - and still a celeb-spotting paradise.

Why we love it: If you like to start your day with a sense of occasion, it doesn’t get much better than The Wolseley. From a just-baked pastry or an omelette Arnold Bennett, to a decadent kedgeree or the creamed porridge with fruit compote. Prices are not low, but at a place of this exceptional quality you wouldn’t expect them to be. During the week, things kick off bright and early at 7am. 

Time Out tip: There’s another branch of the Wolseley in City, which also opens at 7am during the week.

Address: 160 Piccadilly, Mayfair, W1J 9EB.

Opening hours: Breakfast is served Mon-Fri 7am-11.30am and Sat-Sun 8am-11.30am.

Expect to pay: Hot breakfasts £7.50-24.50. Full English £24.50.

What is it? Head chef Max Rocha’s immaculate canalside Hackney restaurant, with a vibe that’s at once chic neighbourhood bistro and heartfelt tribute to his Dublin roots.  

Why we love it: There’s something of St John’s minimal approach in Cecilia’s laidback interiors, wooden tables and white washed walls, and the breakfast here is just as winningly simple. Their house Guinness bread comes toasted with jam, or you can have it with boiled eggs and Gouda-like Coolea cheese from Cork. There are bacon and sausage sarnies, marinated tomatoes on toast with goat curd, or the star of the show; kippers with parsley and capers. Hearty, but still chic, stuff. 

Time Out tip: Sit by the huge windows to watch the most stylish folk in London Fields strolling by the canal.

Address: 32 Andrews Road, Cambridge Heath, E8 4RL.

Breakfast served: Sat-Sun from 9-10.45am.

Expect to pay: Dishes £5-17.

What is it: A superlative Soho udon noodle joint.

Why we love it: Koya has gone well beyond its remit, opening for morning meals from 10am. As well as the classic Japanese breakfast combo of grilled fish, miso soup, pickles and rice, Koya Soho serves up morning udon dishes such as hot noodles with raw egg and soy sauce (kama tama udon), and a full-English-breakfast-inspired egg, bacon and shiitake mushroom udon.

Time Out tip: Koya has an offshoot on Broadway Market in east London. It doesn’t open until midday during the week, but 10am on Sat and Sun when you can score breakfast udon until 11.45am.

Address: 50 Frith Street, Soho, W1D 4SQ.

Opening hours: Breakfast served from 10am.

Expect to pay: Breakfast udon £9.80-15.30.

What is it? The long awaited return of St John’s breakfast menu, which is available at their prettiest location yet, in a cosy Covent Garden courtyard.

Why we love it: It’s been a while since St John dipped their esteemed toe into morning feeds, but a short and sweet breakfast menu is now on offer at their diminutive Neal's Yard location. The bacon bun is a thing of majesty, with so many rashers poking out of the glossy bread roll, that there could honestly be an entire pig inside it. It comes with a tangy and rustic ketchup and the bun is buttered to within an inch of its life. This is the kind of breakfast that could just as easily slay a brutal hangover or have you falling asleep at your desk. 

Time Out tip: If the bacon bun is a bit too hefty, there’s also granola bowls with stewed fruit and yogurt. There are also bloody marys and wine pairings (!) for various breakfast items. 

Address: 6 Neal's Yard, Covent Garden, WC2H 9DP.

Opening hours: Open daily from 9am (10am on Sundays). Breakfast served until 11.30am. 

Expect to pay: Bacon bun £12, Welsh rarebit £6, granola with rhubarb and yogurt £10.75, bacon and smoked cod’s roe bun £13.50. 

What is it? A swanky and sustainably-minded West End resto with plenty of clout.

Why we love it: Every weekday, this swanky St James’s spot serves up next-level takes on your favourite brekkie items. The royales are a must, wedged between two croissant rolls with black pepper hollandaise, while the black pudding benedict is served on a honey waffle. There’s also not a single avocado on the menu, if that means anything. Try and get a spot by the window.

Time Out tip: Definitely order the hash browns, served with Fallow’s intensely umami mushroom ketchup.

Address: 2 St James’s Market, SW1Y 4RP.

Opening hours: Breakfast is served Mon-Fri from 7.30-10.30am. 

Expect to pay: Croissant royale £16, full breakfast £24. 

What is it? A charmingly English restaurant and coffee house in Spitalfields serving traditional grub.

Why we love it: This family-run British restaurant in a 1600s townhouse is a timeless classic. Inside the dark wood-panelled snug Anglophiles will find the brekky of their dreams, with a menu featuring fry-ups, cheese and marmite crumpets, and eggs or mushrooms on toast. There is one sweet option, which could be granola, pancakes or something more adventurous, like french toast crumpets. The kedgeree is triumphantly fragrant and served with a generous heap of salty smoked mackerel on top. Proper stuff to start the day with.

Time out tip: Rock up for just coffee and pastries and you’ll be able to nab a table in the airy front bar, by the big windows. It’s the perfect spot for a leisurely coffee over a newspaper.

Address: 50-52 Brushfield Street, E1 6AG.

Opening hours: From 9am every day.

Expect to pay: £15 for a full English or kedgeree; sandwiches from £8; eggs and toast from £9.

What is it? A laid-back Middle Eastern spread in a beloved Bloomsbury restaurant.

Why we love it: Honey & Co may be mellow in its atmosphere – inside it’s all cream walls, warm brown furniture and lush plants – but it’s certainly not mellow in its flavours. Fragrant red shakshuka arrives with a pillowy hunk of toasted challah – perfect for tearing off and dipping into the just-runny-enough yolks of the eggs submerged in the tomato sauce. Also on the menu you’ve got your labnehs, your hummus’, your smoked salmons, your fried aubergines. Of course, tahini plays a starring role. Sit by the window and watch the bougie shoppers popping into the boutiques on the ever-so-charming Lambs Conduit Street.

Time Out tip: This is a brekky that comes with pudding. What a treat! Save a bit of space for a Fitrovia bun adorned with pistachio chunks and sour cherries to round off the morning meal.

Address: 54 Lamb's Conduit Street, WC1N 3LW

Breakfast served: Daily from 8am-11.30am

Expect to pay: Dishes £5.50-£17.50

What is it? If ever proof were needed that not all caffs are created equal, this grade II-listed greasy spoon on Bethnal Green Road is it.

Why we love it: People come here as much for the atmosphere and decor as for the grub. Inside, it has an almost opulent feel, harking back to a time when caff culture was king in the capital. Chrome-lined vitrolite panels cover the outside, and the wood-panelled interior is full of formica tables and original art deco touches. 

Time Out tip: Breakfast is served all day (mind you, they are only open until 3pm, and closed on Sundays).

Address: 332 Bethnal Green Road, E2 0AG.

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 8am-3pm.

Expect to pay: Full English £8.40. Veggie breakfast £8. 

What is it? London’s first Michelin-starred tasting menu breakfast. 

Why we love it? This five-course meal features luxurious takes on early morning classics. It kicks off with a bespoke ‘amuse-juice’ followed by a seasonal ‘bakery creation’ by the restaurant’s executive pastry chef Francesco Mannino. Then, diners have the choice between a chia pudding with mango or granola with berries, and after that eggs royale (with an extra caviar option) or a weekly chef's special such as Turkish eggs or tiramisu pancakes. The final course is a round of French toast with caramelised hazelnuts and whipped cream and, to top it all off, guests will be treated with a parting gift of ‘Les Chocolats de Yannick Alléno’, which the restaurant describes as ‘a gastronomic delight made with birch bark extract’. 

Time Out tip: Veggies and vegans are catered for. 

Opening hours: Sat from 6.30am (Sun from 7am)-10.30am.

Expect to pay: £70 per person. You can add a drinks pairing (teas, juices and mocktails, no booze) for £20 more.

What is it? A desi pub with a special South Indian brekkie.

Why we love it: If you’re sick of poached eggs and avo toast, the south Indian breakfast at the Tamil Prince is a great place to try something different every Saturday and Sunday. Kick things off with a gloriously indulgent South Indian filter coffee that’s nutty and wonderfully creamy. Then you can treat yourself to selection of curries and chutneys with various breads and pancakes for dipping. We rated the uttapam, a big crispy pancake topped with tangy beetroot and carrot and lots of coriander.

Time Out tip: There's only one dessert dish, but it's worth ordering - kuzhi paniyaram are pan fried dough balls made from lentil, rice, jaggery and cardamon batter and are served with a super sweet syrup.

Address: 115 Hemingford Road, Islington, N1 1BZ.

Opening hours: Breakfast is served Sat-Sun 8.30am-10.30am.

Expect to pay: Breakfast dishes £7-10.50.

What is it? A much-loved Med and Middle Eastern cafe and bakery. 

Why we love it: Ottolenghi has put shakshuka, the North African dish of eggs, peppers and tomatoes, on London’s culinary map. This is probably what your first breakfast in heaven tastes like. You can go sweet here too, with french toast accompanied by berry jam and orange yoghurt, as well as porridge with toasted buckwheat, Medjool dates and hazelnuts. The pastry counter will also flirt with you – let it, especially if the cinnamon brioche pretzel is on.

Time Out tip: There are loads of branches of Ottolenghi across London, not just the Upper Street branch. 

Address: 287 Upper Street, Islington, N1 2TZ.

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 8am-10pm, Sun 9am-5pm. (Breakfast until 11.45am)

Expect to pay: Bakes from £4, shakshuka £15.50.

What is it? A weekend-only brekkie offering that gives you an authentic taste of Hong Kong.

Why we love it: Known for their addictive Hong Kong-style french toast made with deep-fried milk bread, Brick Lane’s HOKO Café is the real deal. With three separate breakfast set menus, go for either ham soup macaroni with a toasted bun and fried egg; satay beef soup noodles with a toasted bun, fried egg and ham; or the veggie offering of tomato soup macaroni with scrambled egg, a toasted bun and buttered sweetcorn. Utterly unique. 

Time Out tip: The set breakfasts are a weekend only deal, but you can get the french toast all throughout the week. 

Address: 224 Brick Lane, Shoreditch, E1 6SA.

Opening hours: Breakfast served Sat and Sun from 9am-11.45am. 

Expect to pay: Set breakfast menus £10.80-14.80.

What is it? London’s favourite Indian resto chain. 

Why we love it: The Covent Garden branch of this Bombay-styled café is ideally placed for morning meetings but has enough knick-knacks to make you feel a million miles away from London. The Parsi power breakfasts, bacon naan roll and gently spiced chai are hits among the masses. Green-chilli-flecked scrambled eggs are just as popular – a warming plate with traditional (and fluffy) pau buns served on the side. 

Time Out tip: Try the (even) more casual Permit Room offshoot on Portobello Road for breakfast if you're mooching about Notting Hill. 

Address: 12 Upper St Martin’s Lane, Covent Garden, WC2H 9FB.

Opening hours: Breakfast is served Mon-Fri from 8am-11.45am and Sat-Sun 9am-11.45am.

Expect to pay: Cooked breakfasts £11.90-17.20. Naan rolls £10.40-13.50.

What is it? Affordable all-day Japanese breakfast at this cosy Kings Cross cafe.

Why we love it: There are two breakfast options; the vegan takana with sesame oil (steamed rice topped with pickled mustard green, or onsen tamago with dashi (steamed rice topped with egg yolk). Both come with miso soup, kobachi stewed veg, pickles and fruit, and both are simple and delicious enough to transport you halfway across the world. 

Time Out tip: Still hungry? Score a tamago egg sando for the road.

Address: 102 Caledonian Road, Kings Cross, N1 9DN.

Opening hours: Breakfast is served all day, Tue-Fri 9am-4pm, Sat 11am-4pm. Closed Sun-Mon. 

Expect to pay: Breakfast £6.90 or £9.80.

What is it? A Wes Anderson film set-worthy Italian diner. 

Why we love it: It makes sense that Leo’s was once a greasy spoon. Now an Italian all-dining spot, it still retains shades of classic caff-ery. Come from 9am from Wednesday through to Sunday for a breakfast that would make Sophia Loren proud. Sip a morning cappucino then eat boiled eggs with anchovy butter and soldiers, as you read the morning papers in this very La Dolce Vita-styled space.

Time Out tip: On the weekends-only, you can order a sweet cornetto alla crema to go with your coffee.

Address: 59 Chatsworth Road, Lower Clapton, E5 0LH.

Opening hours: Breakfast is served Wed-Sun from 9am.

Expect to pay: Breakfast dishes £6.80-12.50.

What is it? An artsy bakery and cafe, attached to next door Toklas restaurant in Temple. 

Why we love it: Opened by the founders of Frieze art fairs – and named after writer and bohemian Alice B Toklas – you can feel oodles of creative energy running through Toklas Bakery. Score a seat in the classy, mid-century canteen-style space and feast on elegant breakfast viennoiserie, with flaky croissants, pain au chocolat, and cardamom buns. Our favourite though is the Roman-style breakfast sandwich stuffed with bacon and tomato, courtesy of executive baker Adam Sellar. 

Order this: Try the sweet and savoury escargots, which aren’t actual snails, but swirly pastries shaped like them. 

Address: 9 Surrey Street, Temple, WC2R 2ND.

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8am-3.30pm, Sat 9am-2pm.

Expect to pay: Bacon sandwich £7, bakes £4-6.

What is it? An intensely sophisticated yet slyly fun French cafe overlooking Sloane Square.

Why we love it: A well-judged combination of shiny Gallic class and typically rambunctious Wolseley Group charm, this is somewhere you go to read the paper, sip black coffee and live in hope that one day the staff will call you by your first name and treat you like un habitué. Colbert has a world-class omelette and a banging kedgeree, but it’s about so much more than the (excellent) food. This buzzy breakfast spot boasts stunning art deco (and Victorian) features wherever you look (including, in one room, a lovely mosaic floor), so you’re guaranteed a nice view to go with your crispy bacon roll.

Time Out tip: The Arnold Bennett omelette is right up there with Mount St Restaurant’s in the ‘best in London’ conversation.

Address: 50-52 Sloane Square, Chelsea, SW1W 8AX.

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 8am-10.30pm, Sun 8am-10pm. 

Expect to pay: About £15-20 for an omelette. The full English is £23. Welcome to west London!

What is it? Brekkies don’t come much more bougie than at the modern art-filled Mount St Restaurant in Mayfair. 

Why we love it: It’s the fine dining London spot from Artfarm – the food and drink wing of fancy, world-famous gallerists Hauser & Wirth – and a seriously stunning space. Open from 7.30am on weekdays, you can feast on super trad British breakfasts, such as kippers, devilled kidneys on toast or a bacon chop with bubble and squeak and a fried duck egg. 

Time Out tip: For something lighter but just as old school, there’s porridge with honey direct from Durslade, Artfarm’s very own Somerset farm. 

Address: First Floor, 41-43 Mount Street, Mayfair, W1K 2RX.

Opening hours: Breakfast is served Mon-Fri 7.30-10am and Sat and Sun 9am-midday.

Expect to pay: Bacon sandwich £10.50. Full English £26.50. Kedgeree £22.50.

What is it? A word-of-mouth favourite of Southwark Street’s many jobbing architects, journos and early-rising tourists.

Why we love it: The Table is an ace little spot for grab-and-go coffees, pastries and superlative sandwiches. It’s also a fine place to dine in, with a wider brekkie menu heavy on eggs, avocado and pancakes, as well as a vaunted vegan riff on a full english. You can also ask for some off-the-menu granola. More ‘old-school’ morning meetings could – should! – be incentivised with a breakfast cocktail.

Time Out tip: Check out Table 2:0 on Battersea Rise.

Address: 83 Southwark Street, SE1 0HX.

Opening hours: Breakfast served from 8am Mon-Fri and 9am on weekends.

Expect to pay: Toasts £10-15, pancakes £13-15.50.

What is it? A sweet Scandi-style cafe. 

Why we love it: Inspired by the year she spent in Copenhagen, Alex Hely-Hutchinson’s Covent Garden café serves a range of wholesome porridges for breakfast, resulting in maximum hygge. The Turkish fried eggs with labneh, apricot harissa, chickpeas and herbs make for an indulgent start to the day, plus there are some creative comfort dishes worth a try, such as the banana, tahini, honey, cinnamon, sesame seeds and cacao nibs porridge.

Time Out tip: Clumsies should slurp their coffee with caution: the mugs are so Nordic-chic that they don’t have handles.

Address: 1 Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden, WC2H 9DP.

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8am-4pm, Sat-Sun 9am-4pm.

Expect to pay: Dishes £10.50-16.