The best brunch in London

This is brunch, Thai-Americana style. Head to The Hoxton hotel in Shepherd’s Bush for the endlessly delicious Chet's diner, which serves up a sublime brunch from 10am-4pm every day. If you're after something sweet then there's banana french toast with caramel-battered milk bread, pecan pandan cream, condensed milk and maple syrup. Or try spicy chicken ‘n’ roti waffles, a hefty pancake stack with blueberries and maple syrup, or a spicy pork patty scone with crispy chilli oil, thai sausage, wok fried egg and coriander. 

Don't miss Throw a five-spice cinnabun onto your order or live in a world of regret.

Brunch lasts all weekend at this Islington hangout ft. a garden: the dishes on offer will induce stomach-rumbling indecision, the prices are great, the service is sparkling and the food is magnificent. The menu comes stacked with things like sugar-dusted, fruit-filled french toast drizzled with salted-caramel sauce; perfectly ripe avocados with labneh, tabbouleh, poached eggs and harissa; waffles topped with pulled pork and yuzu hollandaise… basically anything your brunch belly could want is on there. 

Don’t miss: The ever changing special; at last look it was jerk and maple spiced gammon with sweet potato hash, pineapple relish and fried egg. 

Akub, chef Fadi Kattan’s Palestinian restaurant on an extremely cute residential backstreet in Notting Hill, does a serious line in brunch. Fresh mint and sage tea, as well as potent Arabic coffee accompanies decadent bowls of fatteh (short rib for the meat eaters, aubergine for the vegetarians), oozy slabs of grilled Nabulsi cheese dotted with nigella seeds, cauliflower and corriander fritters and rich fava bean stew.

Don't miss: The baked spiced meghli cheesecake to finish, a savoury/sweet sensation. 

Lucky, lucky ducks. Not only do the web-footed locals of Victoria Park have a gorgeous lake (complete with nesting islands and a pagoda), they also get to snack on some of the best artisan bread of any park café in London. Yards of outdoor tables and smoothly pulled coffees make this a lovely watering hole for humans, too. Calorie-loaded American and British classics are cooked in a straightforward style using flavourful ingredients, many of them brought in from Borough Market. Brunch is served all day, every day, from 8am.

Don't miss: Specials such as the Sri Lankan brekkie complete with dhal and hoppers.

Stokey gives good brunch, but The Good Egg is where you’ll find queues out the door come the weekend. This stylish café with an open kitchen is a breezy daytime hangout and its brunch menu holds heaps of Middle-Eastern delights: think shakshuka topped with preserved lemon yogurt, or bacon-and-egg pita with date jam, plus lots of exotic nibbles to share and a cardamom-infused coffee cocktail to sample. They're also now serving up in Camden's North Yard Stables Market Camden (and there's a Margate outlet too if you're ever that way).

Don’t miss: A sweet slice of babka loaf.

Want to brunch like Jay Gatsby? Then the fabulous and fancy Colony Grill Room – just off the main Mayfair drag – can offer you oysters and bubbles for Saturday brekkie in some seriously swanky surroundings. Then you can get stuck into an indulgent full english brekkie, corn fritters with avocado and a fried duck egg, or sour cherry and clotted cream pancakes.

Don't miss: A side order of the extremely moreish chickpea fries with lurid green jalapeño ketchup. 

Claiming to be the 'the world's first Nigerian tapas restaurant', Tottenham's Chuku's is the place to go in N15 for weekend brunch. For £35 per person you'll get three sharing plates from the restaurant’s regular menu – think honey suya prawns, lamb ayamase, and jollof quinoa – as well as a cocktail each. Upgrade for a tenner and you'll get a pudding of chin chin cheesecake, plantain waffle, or yam brownie added into the mix. 

Don't miss: Chuku’s most popular cocktail; The Eze. A potent tequila, lemonade, mint, and zobo combo. 

Head down to the basement of the newly revamped NPG and you'll find Larry's – a daytime brunch spot and evening cocktail joint run by the team behind Aussie cafe collective Daisy Green. As well as fancy bacon sarnies, flash sweetcorn fritters and Bondi-beach worthy fry-ups, the best thing about Larry's are the special brunch packages with tickets to shows upstairs.

Don't miss: The art! Enjoy your slap-up meal alongside entry to the exhibitions, such as the recent Paul McCartney photo extravaganza.

Expect a banging brunch menu at this attractive Fitzrovia brasserie when the weekend comes around. Malted pancakes and various hollandaise riffs loom large (try the avocado and chard florentine), but also dive into breakfast ramen, smashed avo with dill salsa or smoked Cajun pepper stew. 

Don't miss: ‘The Burgerdict’: poached egg, a dry-aged patty, special hollandaise and tomato in a muffin. 

There are few London brunch spots worth queuing in the rain for. This is one of them. An Aussie-style neighbourhood cafe, it's bright and casual and, unsurprisingly, knows a thing or two about eggs. It operates a walk-ins only policy, which often leads to a conga line curving off Uxbridge Road during peak weekend brunch hours. The menu is loyal to classics like scrambled and poached eggs and also experiments with dishes like smoked tofu benedict and turkish eggs, the only item left unchanged over the last five years. The staff are equally sunny-side up. Get in line.

Don’t miss: The Nutella french toast; slathered in hazelnut chocolate, maple syrup mascarpone and coated with cornflakes for extra pizazz. Proper sticky carby goodness.

Expect your vegan chums to be particularly perky every Saturday and Sunday between the hours of 11am and 4pm, as these legendary plant-based Mexican street food slingers will be serving up their 'Bangin Brunch'. Expect crispy corn tortillas with scrambled tofu, beans and 'chorizo' or fried 'chick'n' on waffles with chilli maple syrup.

Don't miss: The cocktails; a Bloody Maria, Hibiscus Bellini and Breakfast Margarita with guava.

Bao buns for brunch? Now there’s an idea! Following the hip trend for pillowy Taiwanese morsels, this pocket-sized eatery offers weekenders witty brunch riffs turned on their heads – try the bacon bao, or ma po beans with hash browns and then a kimchi pancake with sweetcorn salsa. There are sweet options too; pancakes with blueberry miso compote is sheer perfection.

Don’t miss: Taiwanese sausage with Cantonese scrambled eggs – and the bottomless cocktail specials.

You know about The Palomar and The Barbary – well, this King’s Cross beauty comes from the same crew and it doesn’t disappoint. Weekend brunch follows the house style, so expect revved-up riffs highlighting the flavours of modern Jerusalem: Machneyuda’s polenta with asparagus, mushroom ragout and parmesan (a must-order) or octopus al lachuh, with Yemeni pancake and truffle harrisa sause. Thrilling food served in a killer space designed by co-owner Tom Dixon.

Don’t miss: The nibbles – perhaps a lion’s gate pretzel with white sesame and date molasses. 

Destination neighbourhood dining in Peckham – that’s the schtick at Kudu, a good-looking restaurant specialising in South African-inspired small plates. Done out like a sleek, vintage lounge bar, its weekend brunch deal (11am-2.30pm) involves some thrillingly clever takes on the classics – from shakshuka with burnt kale, boerewors (sausage rolls) with egg, German mustard and crispy shallots to sourdough waffles with home-cured salmon, crème fraîche and poached eggs. There are cocktails by the glass or jug, too.  

Don’t miss: Those house waffles. 

If your idea of a gentle awakening in the morning is a nice cup of tea while listening to Radio 2, you’d best go elsewhere – you can hear the sound of deep house coming through Milk’s open french windows before you reach the Bedford Hill site. The coffee provides a good caffeine kick – Workshop always seems to feature among its suppliers – and the menu lists some interesting hot dishes, such as a fish sando with panko fried red snapper and a pork-patty muffin with streaky bacon.

Don’t miss: A blissful banana bread with halva butter and pumpkin seed tahini.

Minimalist and airy (with an outdoor terrace), this independent little spot in Flat Iron Square does one thing: pancakes. But, boy, does it do them well. Dutch owner Patricia Trijbits is passionate about quality, so in addition to gluten-free and dairy-free (vegan) options, there’s proper maple syrup – even for the kids – plus glitteringly fresh fruit, top-notch bacon and so on. You’ll find many a pancake pilgrim here, partaking in these fluffy stacks of joy.

Don’t miss: The ‘Dutch Babies’ – baked pancakes, not unlike giant yorkshire puds (there are both savoury and sweet options), cooked in a cast-iron skillet.

Swap the mopeds for Lime bikes whizzing past on the pavement, and eating on The Laundry’s terrace is a dead ringer for brunching on a Florentine piazza. A former Edwardian laundry is now an all-day restaurant and wine shop. When it comes to brunch, try The Dirty Laundry stack – made up of hash browns served with a roulette of sauces. There's also sautéed mushrooms with poached eggs, served on sourdough and slathered in creamed cheese. In the drinks department, the Picante Margarita hit the spot. 

Vegans will have a brunch-shaped field day at WAVE, which stands for We Are Vegan Everything. Breakfast brioche, avo toast, and mac and cheese – topped with coconut bacon, naturally – make up the powerful plant-based menu. For those who like it sweet, there's apple crumble pancakes and a banana smoothie bowl with oak milk, tahini, dates and maca powder. 

Don't miss: The house mushroom sausage roll, wrapped in flaky puff pastry.

Sore head on Sunday? Laurel’s sunny poolside hangout – with its glorious skyline views, nifty cocktails and indulgent Cali-inspired plates – is exactly what the doctor ordered. Select wisely (or greedily) from a mouth-watering array of beautifully presented dishes, including sweet, sumptuous berry-covered French toast or hearty flank steak served alongside however-you-like-‘em eggs and crispy golden potatoes. There's also a vegan English breakfast complete with sausage, beans, toast, asparagus and mushroom.

Don't miss: Wash it all down a freshly blended, ultra-fruity smoothie – or, for a stronger remedy – their signature Pineapple & Peach Rum Punch. That’s better.

With its serene but welcoming atmosphere and short but tempting food menu – think breaded halloumi with romesco sauce and Israeli couscous, or treacle-cured bacon sarnie with smoked garlic and tomato chutney – Franks will fix your day before it’s even had a chance to go wrong. Good coffee, efficient staff, generous portions and a playlist full of memorable tracks will gently transform you from a duvet zombie to a chipper day-seizer with minimum fuss.

Don’t miss: The menu changes regularly, but grab some treacle-cured back bacon, which is always on offer as a side.

This friendly all-day Dalston café bills itself a ‘modern greasy spoon’ and has perfected the art of curing hangovers – thanks to its devotion to hash browns and all things pork. Its quirky brunch dishes (available Tuesday to Sunday) strike the perfect balance between wholesomeness and the restorative powers of fried bacon – although they also sneak in a surprising amount of veg, from kale to homemade beans. The ‘Posh Pig’ muffin is particularly good, and the vegetarian options are genuinely decent, too. Expect to queue at weekends.

Don’t miss: Sides, which include a ‘bucket of bacon’ with maple syrup.

From the outside this black-painted building looks rather severe, but step inside and suddenly you’re in a bright and airy space that feels more like colonial-era Delhi than modern-day Clerkenwell. This is the place for an elegant yet laidback Saturday brunch. The food is very good too: the huevos benedictos are a perfect balance of spicy chorizo and creamy béarnaise sauce, while the gluten-free pancakes with toasted hazelnuts and caramelised banana are an indulgent treat that veers close to pudding territory.

Don’t miss: The house Bellini and other treats from the stunning cocktail list – the guys at B&H were among the first to bring the New York trend of bottomless brunching to our shores.

If you like your brunches dainty, minimalist and covered in seeds, this probably isn’t the place for you. But for the pancake girlies, The Breakfast Club’s branch in Angel – run by the chirpiest staff you’ve ever encountered – is a brunch lover’s dream. They’re plating up huge stacks covered in cream and berries, or served with bacon, hash browns, sausage and cheese. Our top tip? Go on a sunny day, and sit in the huge covered outdoor section where the market is two days a week, which they opened during lockdown but got to keep.

Don’t miss: The Bloody Marys bigger than your head.

Eclectic breakfasts are served until noon during the week at this easy-going Stokey coffee house, but the kitchen tweaks its offer for brunch at the weekend. Staples such as four-grain porridge and breakfast sandwiches stuffed with egg, creamed spinach and walnut gremolata are joined by the likes of Mandarin pork collar, and squash and comice pear salad. To drink? Juices, teas and house-made softies (beet and rhubarb drinking vinegar, anyone?). 

Don’t miss: The sensational house preserves; 

Combining a beautifully crafted shack-like interior and an extensive menu with cheerful Aussie service that’s even chummier than the norm, Brickwood’s Balham branch is a cracker. Brunch is served until 3pm, with imaginative dishes such as Brickwood burritos, four-cheese sourdough toasties or sweet potato and feta with poached egg and kale pesto on toast. Best of all? You probably won’t have to queue. Branches in Clapham, Tooting and Streatham. 

Don’t miss: Wild mushrooms on brioche with a poached egg, spinach, pine nuts and torn ricotta – plus some morsels of ham hock.

Diners will struggle to choose just one of the enticing cooked brunches on offer at this cheery Covent Garden café – there’s brioche french toast, toasted granola, crispy confit duck hash and even bubble and squeak. High-quality, fresh ingredients and ample portions justify its pricing, and attention to detail is a strong point – look out for the cucumber-infused tap water. Piles of arty magazines and a super-soulful soundtrack make it far too easy to spend all day here. There are branches in Sloane Square and South Bank, too.

Don’t miss: The signature hashes – perhaps wild mushroom and crispy polenta or salt beef with spinach and green tomato chutney.

Brunch at Antipodea is an Aussie affair. Sipping your flat white in the conservatory-style dining room, you could almost be in Melbourne. Apart from, you know, the London weather. The line-up includes a huge selection of eclectic treats: all manner of eggs (poached, Turkish, folded with chorizo, soft-boiled with Marmite soldiers), plus treacle-cured bacon sarnies, acai smoothie bowls, sweetcorn fritters, coconut and chia pudding and more besides. There’s an offshoot in Richmond.

Don’t miss: The Antipodea Melt, with ham, gruyère, tomato, poached eggs and pesto.

Bill Granger has built a TV cooking career out of selling the Aussie dream: lots of sunlight, casual vibes and easy-going, photogenic dishes. As one of his London outlets, this Notting Hill eatery ticks all the boxes: it’s spacious and bright with big windows and verdant views. Less-obvious brunch choices range from grilled cheese-and-kimchi open sandwiches to mushroom xo fried rice with szechuan pepper, shredded daikon and a poached egg. The restaurant operates a walk-in policy, although the place fills up quickly with affluent-looking folk. Also try Granger & Co in King’s Cross, Clerkenwell, Marylebone and Chelsea.

Don’t miss: The signature dish of ricotta hotcakes with banana and honeycomb butter.

Even at an early hour, the dark-panelled dining rooms of this ever-popular all-day Soho restaurant buzz with the animated chatter of media types. Smooth service eases things along nicely, too. The all-day breakfast/brunch menu is mostly classic stuff (fruit salad, smoked salmon with scrambled eggs, kedgeree, a full english), although Scottish patriots will be delighted to see square ‘lorne’ sausage and tattie scones on offer.

Don't miss: The kedgeree sloshed down with a Bloody Mary.

If you want to do more than a caffeine cut and run, sneak into a space at one of the tables and the staff will bring you granola or pancakes, eggs on sourdough toast and other goodies, piled on cutesy mismatched vintage crockery. A couple of simple hotplates behind the cake-laden counter do the job of a kitchen, making the beautifully poached eggs on avocado-spread toast with a mound of smoked salmon an even more impressive achievement.

Don’t miss: The delicious riffs on reliable dishes – beans and eggs on toast among them. Or, go on, the red velvet pancakes.

Dinner reservations at this über-fashionable Marylebone restaurant are still like gold dust (unless you’re an A-list celeb), but brunch at weekends is a slightly more realistic prospect. Be warned: prices are very high. Eggs florentine with wild mushrooms on a toasted croissant is £20 and black truffle scrambled eggs with parmesan an even heftier £34. But the dishes are all excellent. Arrive early – and smile like you’re a regular on the red carpet.

Don’t miss: Seeing as you’re here, you might as well chuck £50 at half a dozen oysters and a glass of Moët & Chandon, you fancy pants, you.  

A spin-off from Peckham’s popular Mr Bao, this Asian hangout is a dark, buzzy, atmospheric spot dedicated to fluffy Taiwanese buns and more. Weekend brunch includes gochujang enoki mushrooms, onsen egg and a crispy pancake, smoked salmon and cream cheese bao, and a bacon, egg and cheese pancake roll. This big Daddy is also cheap, great fun and really friendly.

Don’t miss: The pud: a waffle with sesame ice cream and yuzu marmalade.

This serene Aussie-style café-restaurant is something of a quiet classic in this part of town. Come the weekend, the standard breakfast menu (lots of eggs and avocado, as you’d expect) expands into brunch territory with a host of sizeable salads and burgers, waffles, pancakes and favourites such as sweetcorn fritters. A perfect respite from the hordes at Tate Modern.

Don’t miss: The breakfast stack – a gargantuan pile of poached eggs, sweet potato, a mushroom and chickpea patty, baked beans and hollandaise, teetering off a bagel base.

Here’s the brunch drill at Parlour: there’s unlimited bread for a £1 – sure, it’s yesterday’s loaves, but who cares when it’s perfectly toasted? Fresh soda bread is the same price, but not unlimited, alas. Don’t carb-load too crazily or you’ll struggle to finish the ensuing brunch dishes, such the ‘Banjo’ (fried egg and bacon bap with Oxford sauce) or the massive ‘(No Subs) Full Parlour Breakfast’. Lovely juices and drinks are another plus.

Don’t miss: The double Bloody Mary. 

If you think the main menu at this City high-flier is rich, wait until you encounter its weekend brunch. The line-up covers English-style fry-ups, Belgian waffles and the signature duck ’n’ waffle (crispy duck-leg confit topped with a fried duck egg and mustard maple syrup). Plus spiced ox-cheek doughnuts. Prices are also sky-high – but here, it’s a clear case of go big or go home.

Don’t miss: Those views. Say good morning to the whole of the city. 

The current incarnation of Santo Remedio near London Bridge is simply brilliant. Low-lit, inviting and spread over two floors, it seduces punters with easy-listening Latin grooves, flickering tea lights and some inspired food. Craving brunch? Kick off with some homemade salsa dips or a pot of guacamole (with or without grasshoppers!) before hitting the bigger plates – perhaps hibiscus enchiladas or softshell crab tacos.

Don’t miss: A side of elote: corn on the cob with cheese and chipotle mayo.

Lantana’s weekend brunch menu rings the changes when compared to the standard menus on offer throughout the week. A few classics (smashed avocado) sit alongside more unusual assemblies including a tuna tataki poke bowl and nasi goreng with mushroom and tofu or shredded chicken. The corn fritters are surprisingly hearty, stacked with streaky bacon, roast tomatoes, poached egg and chilli jam.

Don’t miss: An epic barbecue beef-brisket hash, with sweet onions, crispy potatoes, pickled jalapeños and a fried egg.

Despite its low-key location – a residential stretch between Stroud Green and Crouch End – this neighbourhood eatery is always abuzz with local punters, many of whom come for the all-day brunch offer. There’s a ‘full vegan’ for the flesh-avoiders and delicious comfort food for everyone else, with buttermilk fried chicken, shakshuka and lunch burgers, all until 5pm. 

Don’t miss: The tuna melt is always a winner. 

Weekend brunch might look like an afterthought on The Ivy Soho Brasserie’s menu, but you’re guaranteed to get impeccable food for a lazy but classy sesh. A plate of hot buttermilk pancakes with strawberry sauce will see you right – or you can take the savoury route, with eggs royale or a juicy roast beef sandwich loaded with caramelised onions, chestnut mushrooms, horseradish cream and truffle sauce. Otherwise, play havoc by ordering a pistachio and raspberry ice-cream sundae. 

Don’t miss: The avocado benedict with chips.

Aussie brunch runs every day at Beany Green in Broadgate Circle, where the killer menu spans everything from shakshuka with charcoal toast to coconut tapioca pudding. Its ‘fancy’ bacon roll includes hot sauce in hollandaise form, and of course they slice and dice avocado every which way. If this brunch spot doesn’t have you feeling sunny, we don’t know what will. Also try the other branches in Little Venice and Regent’s Place.

Don’t miss: The banana-bread sandwich, piled with mascarpone, berries, honey and almonds.