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York & Albany

York & Albany
A converted pub in Camden is not the place you’d normally expect to sit down to eat off Royal Doulton china, but the York & Albany (now a restaurant, bar and boutique hotel) is a Gordon Ramsay outfit – complete with his own-branded china – and adjacent to the elegant residences surrounding Regent’s Park. Breakfast takes place in the welcoming front bar, which attracts local regulars, hotel residents and people treating themselves to something more formal than the usual fry-up. The elegant full English (£12) features chubby Lincolnshire sausages, Gloucester Old Spot bacon, Irish black pudding and eggs your way (ours were perfectly poached) but still disappointed. It simply wasn’t hot, neither was the toast that came with it, and the roast tomato was insipid. Sweet-seekers have the treat of choosing between Belgian vanilla waffles (own-made and pleasingly chewy), blueberry pancakes and French toast with caramelised apples; the health-oriented list is hefty too, with egg-white omelette, poached fruit and cottage cheese on rye. The coffee is only adequate, more care being taken with placement of sugar bowls, napkins and saucers than making the drinks, but this is still an agreeable way to spend a morning.
York & Albany, 127-129 Parkway, NW1 7PS (7388 3344/www.gordon ramsay.com). Camden Town tube. Breakfast served 7-10.30am Mon-Fri; 7-11.15am Sat, Sun. Breakfast for two with service: around £40. Feature continues

Brew House
Mornings are the best time to visit this English Heritage institution. It serves top-notch free-range scrambled eggs, dry-cured bacon, superb sausages, tomatoes and mushrooms, cafeteria style – with plenty of toast included if you opt for the £7.25 set breakfast. For something lighter, look in the chiller cabinet for yoghurty concoctions. The coffee is from Union Hand-Roasted, teas from Muswell Hill favourite W Martyn. The best seats (and there are plenty of them on weekdays) are in the pretty courtyard garden. If you want to grab and go, head for the adjacent Steward’s Room.
Brew House, Kenwood House, Hampstead Lane, NW3 7JR (8341 5384/www.companyofcooks.com). Archway or Golders Green tube then 210 bus. Breakfast served 9-11.30am daily. Breakfast for two with service: around £17.

Ginger & White
Own-made smoky baked beans served on sourdough toast and hot sausage butties with brown sauce are key weekend draws at this cosily stylish new Hampstead coffee shop. Weekdays see an abbreviated choice but the emphasis is still on good English suppliers and carefully crafted coffee. The peanut butter is ownmade, too. In fine weather, sit at one of the outdoor tables – Perrin’s Court offers a pleasant respite from the traffic on the high street.
Ginger & White, 4a-5a Perrin’s Court, NW3 1QS (7431 9098/www.gingerandwhite.com). Hampstead tube. Breakfast served 7.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri; 8.30am-5.30pm Sat, Sun. Breakfast for two with service: around £18.

Feast on the Hill
All-day breakfasts are the staple of this friendly Muswell Hill favourite. You’ll find all the expected egg-bacon-sausage classics plus the likes of olive and chorizo frittata with herb salad, cooked with loving attention to detail. To drink, there are smoothies and a wide range of teas and coffees. Kids get their own menu.
Feast on the Hill, 46 Fortis Green Rd, N10 3HN (8444 4957). East Finchley tube or Highgate tube then 43, 134 bus. Breakfast served 8am-6pm Mon, Tue; 8am-10pm Wed-Sat; 9am-5pm Sun. Breakfast for two with service: around £15.

Garufa
You’ll need a gaucho’s appetite for the full Argentine breakfast (£9.80) at Garufa, a 2009 finalist for Time Out’s Best Local Restaurant award. It includes a 150g rump steak as well as sausage, scrambled eggs, mushroom and tomato – an extra fiver will get you the same served with a Bloody Mary. Alternatively there’s organic muesli, omelettes of cottage cheese and chives, and toast served with jam and South America’s favourite caramel sauce, dulce de leche.
Garufa, 104 Highbury Park, N5 2XE (7226 0770/www.garufa.co.uk). Highbury & Islington tube/rail. Breakfast served 10am-5pm daily. Breakfast for two with service: around £25.

Ottolenghi
Ottolenghi’s own bread and baked goods form the bedrock of its breakfast menu. You can toast its grape focaccia and sourdough to eat with Lescure butter and jams right at the table. Go savoury with herby egg, courgette and Gruyère bake served on toast with spicy pepper salsa and soured cream, or opt for the lush delights of banana and pecan bread with salty honeycomb butter and maple syrup.
Ottolenghi, 287 Upper St, N1 2TZ (7288 1454/www.ottolenghi.co.uk). Angel tube or Highbury & Islington tube/rail. Breakfast served 8am-noon Mon-Sat; 9am-1pm Sun. Breakfast for two with service: around £25.

Penk’s
Much-loved local bistro Penk’s attracts a well-heeled Queen’s Park crowd, yet weekend brunches are delightfully unpretentious. Kedgeree – spiced rice with smoked haddock, egg, sultanas, yoghurt and optional bacon – stands out on the rather safe menu, while courgette fritters and spinach add oomph to Penk’s vegetarian version of the full English. The kids’ option is £5 – sausage, egg and chips is the norm, but fussy parents can pick their preferred components.
Penk's, 79 Salusbury Rd, NW6 6NH (7604 4484/www.penks.com). Queen’s Park tube/rail. Brunch served 10am-1pm Sat, Sun. Brunch for two with service: around £30.

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