London's best breakfasts
From sizzling sausages to perfect pancakes, you can start the day by tucking into London’s finest breakfasts, as hand-picked by the Time Out food and drink team
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Central
The Crescent
As
far as we’re aware, only two hotels in London serve a proper Japanese
breakfast: the luxurious Landau (at £30 a go), and the more affordable
(at £19.95) but less opulent Crescent, which is all pastels and
pictures of English country scenes on the walls. The antithesis of the
greasy fry-up, the Japanese breakfast served here is very traditional,
even by Japanese standards, and is beautifully presented. The main dish
includes a choice from a variety of grilled fish, but you’ll also get a
little tub of natto – stringy fermented soy beans, gohan (steamed
rice), warming miso soup with spring onion and tofu, and onsen tamago
(an egg so lightly poached most people would call it raw). On our visit
we were the only table that ordered the Japanese breakfast; maybe we
arrived too late to see any Japanese salarymen holding business
meetings.
The Crescent, Montcalm Hotel Nikko, 34-40 Great
Cumberland Place, W1H 7TW (020 7402 4288/www.montcalm.co.uk) Marble
Arch tube. Breakfast served Mon-Fri 7-10am; Sat, Sun 7.30-11am.
Breakfast for one with service: around £22.
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The Providores & Tapa Room
Hugely
busy at weekends, Peter Gordon’s ground floor Tapa Room is the place
for sensationally different breakfast dishes, such as the brown rice
porridge with miso, apple, maple syrup and quince compote; or edamame
and feta tortilla made with paprika-spiced potatoes, topped with greek
yoghurt and rocket leaves. Even the humblest of dishes such as poached
eggs are pimped, in this case Turkish eggs with whipped yogurt and hot
chilli butter, while ordinary condiments such as hollandaise are given
pizzazz with tangy yuzu (a Japanese citrus fruit). But it’s not all
show and no tradition – the soft-boiled eggs with Vegemite soldiers are
a testament to its ability to do timeless breakfast items as well. As a
Kiwi-run joint, the coffee and the fruit smoothies are pretty good,
too. Anyone with the urge for a pre-noon tipple is also well-catered
for – bloody Marys are made with a dash of wasabi along with the usual
suspects, and Bellini spin-offs include the drink they’ve named the
Pashillini (passionfruit purée with Champagne).
The Providores
& Tapa Room, 109 Marylebone High St, W1U 4RX (020 7935
6175/www.theprovidores.co.uk) Bond St tube or Baker St tube/rail.
Breakfast served Mon-Fri 9-11.30am; Sat, Sun 10am-3pm. Breakfast for
one with service: around £11.
Best for... bacon
Inn the Park
Oliver Peyton’s subterranean St
James’s Park café offers a choice from at least five varieties of bacon
(frequently changing), from dry cure to black streaky to oak-smoked.
Inn the Park, St
James Park, SW1A 2BJ (020 7451 9999/www.innthepark.com) St James’s Park or
Green Park tube. Breakfast served Mon-Fri 8-11am, Sat, Sun 9-11am.
Breakfast for one with service: around £8.
Best for... eggs
The Only Running Footman
The omelette ‘Arnold Bennett’ is spectacular, with plenty of moreish, smoked haddock.
The Only Running Footman, 5
Charles St, W1J 5DE (020 7449 2988) Green Park tube. Breakfast served
daily 7.30-10.30am. Breakfast for one with service: around £16.
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Flâneur (© Alys Tomlinson)
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Best for... veggies
Flâneur
The weekday breakfasts here are
excellent, and the menus change weekly. So far, we love the French
toast with bananas and pecans, and the pan-fried sheep’s cheese with
Greek honey and pistachios.
Flâneur, 41
Farringdon Rd, EC1M 3JB (020 8465 5577/www.flaneur.com) Farringdon
tube/rail. Breakfast served Mon-Fri 8-10.30am. Breakfast for one with
service: around £9.
Best for... healthy appetites
The National Café
The ‘light and healthy’ menu has a few stunners,
such as herby egg-white omelettes served with warm, fresh tomatoes and
an olive oil and basil dressing, and the colourful fresh-fruit plates.
Handy location on Trafalgar Square, too.
The National Café, The East Wing, The National
Gallery, WC2N 5DN (020 7747 5942/www.thenationalcafe.com) Leicester Square
tube or Charing Cross tube/rail. Breakfast served daily 8am-12noon.
Breakfast for one with service: around £12.
Best for... stylish scoffing
The Landau
Head
to this hotel restaurant where the massive menu is as impressive as the
lavish surroundings. There are the ever-reliable English and
continental options, as well as viennoiserie, plus a full Japanese
breakfast (at a whopping £30), all to be enjoyed in the gleaming,
impeccable baroque-styled dining room.
Portland Place, W1B 1JA (020 7965 0165/www.thelandau.com) Oxford Circus tube. Breakfast served Mon-Fri 7-10.30am, Sat, Sun
7-11am. Breakfast for one with service: around £30.
The Wolseley
The breakfast menu at this St James’ stalwart is
varied and surprisingly well-priced, delivering classics (boiled eggs
with soldiers) alongside hearty specials such as Cumberland sausage
sandwich with relish. It’s all backed up by a fine selection of
pastries, superb cappuccinos and good service.
The Wolseley, 160
Piccadilly, W1J 9EB (020 7499 6996) Green Park tube. Breakfast served
Mon-Fri 7-11.30am, Sat, Sun 8-11.30am. Breakfast for one with service:
around £12.
Best for... coffee
The Ambassador
The must-have is the splendid
Indonesian coffee – buttery, intense, and perfect to start the day
with. A special fruit smoothie of the day is also available to guzzle.
The Ambassador, 55
Exmouth Market, EC1R 4QL (020 7837 0009/www.theambassadorcafe.co.uk)
Farringdon tube/rail. Breakfast served Mon-Fri 9am-12noon. Breakfast
for one with service: around £10.
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| The Table (© Heloise Bergman) |
Fernandez & Wells
The brews at this coffee bar outpost of
the original Lexington Street deli are expertly made from Monmouth
Coffee Company espresso, topped with textbook-perfect crema (foam).
Enjoy with a breakfast bun filled with grilled pancetta and egg
mayonnaise.
Fernandez
& Wells, 73 Beak St, W1F 9SR (020 7287
8124/www.fernandezandwells.com) Oxford St or Piccadilly Circus tube.
Breakfast
served all day Mon-Fri 8am-7pm; Sat -Sun 10am-6pm. Breakfast for one
with service: around £6.
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