London’s best brunches

Despite its focus on superfoods, Andina also works wonders on the indulgent brunch front. Alongside nut-laced chia seed puddings and seasonal quinoa-filled granolas you might find avocado pancakes (with sweet and savoury toppings) or soft ‘chicharron sandwiches’ filled with confit pork belly – a South American take on the bacon roll. If you accidentally pig out, balance the books with a colourful superfood smoothie.

Don’t miss: Edith’s corn cake, which has a poached egg, sliced avocado, salsa criolla and huancaina sauce. 

Brunch for two with service: Around £35.

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 British 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 brew melt (ham, gruyère, vine tomato, poached eggs and pesto served in a toasted pide).

Brunch for two with service: Around £35.

The owners of this gorgeous-looking Clerkenwell joint want us all to ‘make friends with food’ – and we’re certainly sold on the place with its low-key backstreet vibe, pretty plants and cleverly contrived gluten-free cooking. Breakfast and brunch mean cereals and grains, ‘no-bread’ savoury pots, bruschetta and fry-ups (including a veggie version) – plus on-message cold-pressed juices and organic wheatgrass.

Don’t miss: The ingenious ‘frittata muffin’ (stuffed with eggs, olives, tomatoes and fragrant herbs).

Brunch for two plus service: Around £20.

The younger sibling of Bababoom in Battersea, this is a kebab joint for the twenty-first century. Modish skewers are the backbone of the repertoire and they also figure on the short weekend brunch menu – try the ‘good morning’ meat version with merguez sausage, date-glazed bacon, za’atar tomato, fried eggs and harissa-whipped feta. Otherwise, opt for a bowl of tahini granola with yoghurt and candied apricots or sweet potato hummus with chargrilled flatbread. Wash it all down with a smoothie or a frozen margarita.    

Don’t miss: The cinnamon-dipped eggy bread with Nutella, caramelised banana, clotted cream and honeycomb.

Brunch for two plus service: Around £30 (without drinks).

Once a pub, this brick-walled space is now Madame Babette’s pride and joy – a neighbourhood restaurant with a Gallic vibe, chandeliers in the front room, blackboard menus and Bermondsey beers on tap. Weekend brunch (till 4pm) tells a different story, with everything from baked eggs and buckwheat crêpes to full English steak fry-ups and loaded veggie boards (soft-boiled egg, avocado dip, baked portobello mushrooms, arancini, salad etc).

Don't miss: The stilton, kale and egg toastie.

Brunch for two with service: Around £20.

It’s dude food with attitude at this deliberately scruffy City hangout, where Friday means ‘Frunch’ and weekends see all-day bottomless brunch (with or without booze). Neon signage flashes and a punk soundtrack plays as brunchers sit at diner-style booths and hoover up dishes from a globetrotting line-up: poké bowls, burger hash, guacamole and black bean tacos; pork belly with slaw, and pancakes with fried chicken, banana and maple syrup. There’s a shorter offering during the week.

Don't miss: Unlimited Bloody Marys, Mimosas and prosecco.

Brunch for two with service: Around £50 (£70 with unlimited cocktails).

The weekend brunch menu at this snazzy French-brasserie-by-way-of-Manhattan covers the usual gamut of eggs (boiled with soldiers, florentine, egg-white omelettes and so on), plus American-style pancakes – but you can go in even heavier with lunch-style dishes such as steak frites, lobster spaghetti or confit duck with toulouse sausage and haricot beans. Wash it down with one of the best classic Bloody Marys in town.

Don’t miss: Of all the egg-based dishes, opt for the scrambled egg with cornish crab. Sounds odd, but it’s a delicacy brought together with a light dollop of crème fraîche on top.

Brunch for two with service: Around £45.

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. Their ‘fancy’ bacon roll includes Holy Fuck 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.

Brunch for two with service: Around £30 (‘bottomless parties’ £39.50 pp).

Berber’s sexy low lighting eases you gently into the day ahead and the smoky, meaty smells snap you right back to your senses, so cosy up on a banquette and enjoy. There’s plenty for carnivores to love here (the mangal breakfast sharer is a meat-fest), but veggies can feel just as satisfied with a plate of ‘campfire’ Moroccan pancakes loaded with quince, sweet labneh and pecans or a ‘full Israeli’ mezze-style breakfast for two.

Don’t miss: The sweet and spicy harissa bloody mary.

Brunch for two with service: Around £40.

Diners will struggle to choose just one of the enticing cooked brunches on offer at this cheery 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’s a branch in Sloane Square, too.

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

Brunch for two with service: Around £35.

A naughty-but-nice East End sibling of Blanchette in Soho, this trendy-luxe bistro is not only a solid-gold date night option but a shoo-in for weekend brunch (served from 11am). Boulangerie, croques, fluffy buttermilk pancakes and granola bowls are the standards, but don’t ignore the cooked dishes – from eggs Florentine to full English. Booze? Bloody mary, orange mimosa or kir royale.

Don’t miss: The baked Moroccan eggs or the merguez sausage rolls.

Brunch for two with service: £20 (£40 with cocktails).

Brunch is served from 8.30am every day of the week at Green Lanes’ Blend, which explains why it’s usually filled with local mums and their nippers. Keep your brekkie simple with a ham and cheese croissant or superfood-filled porridge, or live it large with Amaretto-laced French toast or a full-on fry-up. The convivial daytime vibe is aided by pretty pendant lighting and lovely works of art on the walls. Service can slow a bit at busier times, but Aussie coffee will make the wait pleasurable.

Don’t miss: Treat your kids to the ‘toddler-approved’ mini menu – the lovely early-day options are cheap as chips.

Brunch for two with service: Around £25.

Blixen’s brunch menu is short and sweet, but you’ll still struggle to decide between the blueberry pancakes with whipped mascarpone, the pulled pork crumpet, the ‘bao bun bhaji burger’ (a real mouthful), and the cumberland sausage fry-up with smoked potatoes, fried egg, tomato jam and black pudding crumb. Weekend brunch hours (from 10am) will allow you plenty of time to sleep off that hangover before getting togged up. Alternatively, opt for the all-day menu, which includes the excellent rösti topped with salt beef and poached eggs, all slathered in mustard hollandaise.

Don’t miss: That salt beef rösti. So good, it’s worth mentioning twice.

Brunch for two with service: Around £20 (£40 with cocktails).

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 laid-back Saturday brunch. The food is very good too: their 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 fair shores.

Brunch for two with service: Around £35 (without cocktails).

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 (two quid extra, but worth it).

Brunch for two with service: Around £25.

This Indian barbecue restaurant has all the calling cards of its high-stepping owners, the Sethi family (Gymkhana, Bao etc), and their salute to brunch is a bottomless weekend offer the pulls together top-shelf Indian tiffin in a ‘full Indian nashta’ feast (sapper’s egg, tandoori tomato, curry-leaf bacon chops, chaat masala aloo etc). Alternatively, plump for a masala omelette pao or a tandoori steak and egg naanwich with chaat chips, karahi mushrooms and tandoori tomatoes.

Don’t miss: The scrambled egg dosa with coconut chutney.

Brunch for two with service: £50 (£70 with bottomless booze).

This buzzing Brooklyn-style café and cocktail bar in Balham comes courtesy of three school besties, who serve hip weekend brunches alongside gallons of silky-smooth coffee. The brunch menu has something for everyone, from sticky pastries and fruit-topped cereals to eggs most ways, but also check out ‘Bob’s Your Uncle’ (pork belly, fried egg, cucumber, spring onion, sriracha and tomato relish). There’s another branch in Angel.

Don’t miss: ‘Step Sister’ (sweet potato, courgette and feta fritters with kale and turmeric yoghurt).

Brunch for two with service: Around £25.

Tailor-made for South Ken’s ‘Barbour and brogues’ brigade, Bumpkin serves up patriotic British fare in designer-approved country-chic surroundings complete with wooden crates and sheaves of wheat. At the weekend, park your Chelsea tractor and roll in for brunch – a mixed bag of classic bites (granola, buttermilk pancakes, avo on toast, eggs benedict) plus patriotic pies, fish and chips, hanger steaks and veggie options such as curried cauliflower. After that, pig out on sticky toffee pud or a plate of English cheese.

Don’t miss: The Dingley Dell bacon chop with fried duck egg, fat chips and smoked tomato ketchup.  

Brunch for two with service: Around £35.

Like a grand railway café within the Ned’s gargantuan indoor boulevards, this plush Parisian-style venue is a très jolie hideaway and speedy refuelling point for City workers on the go. Breakfast and lunch menus overlap, so this is an ‘unofficial’ brunch spot – but just fine if baguettes, croques, omelettes, salads and French patisserie float your boat. There are wines too, if you need a swift sharpener. Open weekdays only.    

Don’t miss: The massive slabs of quiche Lorraine (the cheesy, meaty Sun King of quiches).

Brunch for two with service: £20.

Just like the Clerkenwell original and other outposts (see below), Caravan Bankside’s menu takes influences from many parts of the world. One of the myriad attractions of the brunch menu is its happy accommodation of vegetarians: it's easy to avoid meat here if you are so inclined, and even carnivores might be tempted by jalapeño cornbread with fried eggs, black beans, avocado and chipotle. Similar fare at Caravan King’s Cross, Fitzrovia, Clerkenwell and Mansion House.

Don't miss: Post-brunch desserts including vanilla ice cream doused in salted-caramel espresso.

Brunch for two with service: Around £35.

The weekend-only brunch at this cute Soho spin-off of Andina is a laid-back Latin affair. Pisco sours are basically mandatory (ask for the strawberry and raspberry version, it’s a dream), and the menu adds ‘any style eggs’ with avocado and sourdough toast to the restaurant’s regular offer of inventive ceviches, superfoods and grills – although the star turn is ‘Edith’s corn cake’. Take yours out to Casita’s ‘secret’ outdoor terrace – with bright blue walls, pot plants and three tiny tables in the sunshine, it’s a slice of Lima in London.

Don’t miss: ‘Edith’s corn cake’ with a poached egg, sliced avocado, salsa criolla and huancaina sauce. Brunch has never felt this exotic.

Brunch for two with service: Around £45.

Colourful Ceru’s good-value all-day menu roams the Eastern Med, running through the greatest hits of the Levant from fragrant dips and spicy salads to Syrian-style meatballs and battered squid with harissa yoghurt. At weekends the small hangover-busting brunch menu also features falafel fritters, shakshuka (with baked eggs in a punchy tomato sauce seasoned with cayenne pepper and fennel seeds) and a spicy lamb shawarma hash topped with a fried egg. There’s also a branch in Soho.

Don’t miss: Shakshuka with grilled halloumi.

Brunch for two with service: Around £25.

The grown-up Chelsea sibling of Marylebone’s Pachamama, Chicama is all about seafood served with oodles of local pizzazz. Weekend brunch (11am-4pm) mixes contemporary Peruvian small plates such as sea bream ceviche with specials ranging from sweetcorn pancakes with crab and ají amarillo hollandaise to fish brioche buns with spiced red cabbage. Chicama’s flirty young staff, bubbly vibes and deep Latin beats are guaranteed to set your pulse racing.

Don't miss: The tapioca marshmallows (listed as a snack).

Brunch for two with service: Around £35.

If you fancy chicken and cocktails first thing, this colourful coop is for you – but it offers so much more than poultry and a piss-up. Roll in from noon on weekends, choose either the brunch bun (consisting of fried thigh, avocado, hot sauce, homemade kewpie as well as the staples: bacon and fried egg), or an entire dressed fried chook to share. Pair with some perfectly poised sours and Asian-inspired sides, then tuck into the most tender, crunchy and downright delicious chicken in Dalston. Branches in Islington and Seven Dials.

Don't miss: The dips. The tangy kewpie mayo is sure to ruffle a few feathers.

Brunch for two with service: Around £40.

Dinner reservations at this über-fashionable Marylebone restaurant are still like gold dust (unless you’re an A-list celeb), but brunch (from 11am-3pm at weekends) is a slightly more realistic prospect. Be warned: prices are very high. A crab omelette with XO bisque is £24, avocado tartine with bean shoots is £14 and a grilled chicken caesar bagel rolls in at £18 – but the dishes are all excellent. No bookings are taken, so arrive early – and smile like you’re a regular on the red carpet.

Don’t miss: Chef Nuno Mendes’s famous crab-stuffed doughnuts (with ‘coral dusting’!).

Brunch for two with service: Around £50 (without cocktails).

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 (10am-3.30pm) 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); josperised aubergine with green tahini; ‘shikshukit 2.0’ (two dense lamb kebabs on soft pitta). 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 green harissa or a ‘pizza from the past’.

Brunch for two with service: Around £40.

Where to go for Saturday brunch in Peckham? How about the old ticket office next door to the station? Now an ever-so-cool small-plates eatery, the Coal Rooms has the lot – counter seating, a robata grill, and a kitchen that likes ramping up the transatlantic flavours. The brunch offer runs from Moju cold-pressed juices and Bloody Caesar cocktails to coffee-cured bacon sarnies and coal-roasted cauliflower with miso bagna cauda – plus Peckham Fatboy potatoes on the side, and buttermilk panna cotta to finish.

Don’t miss: Sharing a mighty full English – a right royal plateful involving pork and caramelised onion sausages, smoked pig’s head blood pudding, fried eggs, two sorts of bacon and more.

Brunch for two with service: Around £25 (£40 with cocktails).

Sizzling steaks and fish cooked over coals are the headliners at this handsome London offshoot of Brighton’s Coal Shed – but what about brunch, we hear you cry! Well, on Saturdays, you can go with a burger or woodland mushrooms on toast – or go for broke by ordering the surf ‘n’ turf blowout (Himalayan salt-aged sirloin, maple-cured Tamworth bacon chop, smoked black pudding, scallop and pork belly skewer, tiger prawns, ‘nduja mussels and fried eggs – £32.50pp including two sides and one sauce).

Don’t miss: The smoked pork belly with kimchi, fried eggs and Korean BBQ.

Brunch for two with service: Around £30.

If its vivid, green-and-gold interior doesn’t wake you up, Coppa Club’s front-row view of Tower Bridge and City Hall should do the trick. This glam-but-chilled riverside restaurant also boasts a massive terrace and a varied brunch menu peppered with on-trend ingredients. From hangover-slaying smashed avocado and poached eggs with chilli and lime to a skillet breakfast fry-up loaded with meaty goodies, Coppa covers all bases. There’s also a branch near Oxford Circus.

Don't miss: The ‘big healthy brunch bowl’, which has all your favourite vegan ingredients. 

Brunch for two with service: Around £35.

Generous tacos served with lashings of old-school hospitality is the deal at Corazón – a cosy and sincere taqueria custom-built for Soho’s hungry hordes. Nibble at the bar or sit in the main space for a full-on weekend brunch – think buttermilk cornmeal pancakes with caramelised banana, huevos rancheros, baja fish or carne asada (marinated hanger steak with pickled onions, avocado and blue corn tortilla), plus some intriguing sides including ‘drunken’ black beans. Also check out the brunch margarita flights.  

Don’t miss: The eye-watering rajas con crema (fiery roast Padrón peppers, jalapeños and serrano chillies in a garlicky, cheesy cream sauce).

Brunch for two with service: Around £30 (plus £20pp for a flight of four margaritas).

From the people behind the Lundenwic coffee house, this head-turning minimalist café/restaurant in Spitalfields is a daytime diamond for all the family with an eclectic brunch menu to match. There are heaps of croissants, apple turnovers, banana flapjacks and brownies for sweet-toothed carb-hungry punters, while savouries range from flatbread with halloumi and harissa yoghurt to coconut dhal with chapatis or a three-cheese and onion toastie with fried egg and berkswell cheese. There’s booze if you want it too.

Don’t miss: The banana bread with strawberries, mascarpone ice cream and mint.

Brunch for two with service: Around £30.

A spin-off from Peckham’s popular Mr Bao, this hip Asian hangout is a dark, buzzy, atmospheric spot dedicated to fluffy Taiwanese buns and more. Weekend brunch (11am-4pm) is served alongside the regular menu, and there’s some classic stuff on show – including two bao Benedict dishes and a Full Taiwanese – a spring onion pancake, Taiwanese sausage, smoked bacon, Asian beans, spiced eggs and a bao bun. This big Daddy is also cheap, great fun and really friendly.

Don’t miss: The braised tofu and kimchi bao from the regular menu.

Brunch for two with service: £20 (plus £18 for a bottomless hour).

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 an heirloom mary (vodka, pineapple, tomato, umeshu plum brandy, tabasco and wasabi).

Brunch for two with service: Around £35.

Sipping a gloriously red blood-orange bellini just out of reach of Carnaby Street’s weekend crowds is enough to make you feel like Dehesa is your own little secret. This calm and classy dining room serves a Spanish-style brunch that’s a far cry from your trad Brit offerings. Sweet options include waffles topped with caramelised apples and whipped yoghurt, while savoury pulls such as grilled Mahón cheese with roasted tomatoes, potato cake and chargrilled courgettes are the sorts of dishes that are just made for brunch.

Don’t miss: Whatever they’ve made with chorizo. Always choose the chorizo.

Brunch for two with service: Around £30.

Dominique Ansel Bakery should really rename itself MTJC: More Than Just Cronuts. The London outpost of the NYC joint behind the cult croissant-doughnut-combo also does a mean line in brunch – not just patisserie and proper puds but savoury stuff too (think double-dipped buttermilk chicken sandwiches, basque shakshuka, lobster rolls and ham hock muffins). Be sure to go on a warm day, so you can sit on the slim pergola-shaded back terrace (easily the nicest spot) and feast on the sensational, béchamel-slathered croque monsieur.

Don’t miss: That legendary croque. Sooo good.

Brunch for two with service: Around £35

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, foie gras crème brûlée and baked duck eggs with wild mushrooms, melted gruyère and soldiers. 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. 

Brunch for two with service: Around £50.

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 bircher muesli, french toast and poached eggs with carrot escabèche, carrot-top pesto and pumpkin-seed salsa are joined by the likes of asparagus with grelot onions, pecans, preserved lemon or roast chicken salad with cucumber, alphonso mango and sesame – both with a soft-boiled egg in the mix. To drink? Juices, Postcard teas and house-made softies (beet and rhubarb drinking vinegar, anyone?). Note: cards only, no cash.

Don’t miss: Whipped cod’s roe with baby gem, broad beans, buckwheat and a soft-boiled egg.

Brunch for two with service: Around £30.

Airy, elegant and laid-back, Farmacy has ‘meet me for brunch’ stamped all over its chic interior. The free-from menu suits vegans, vegetarians and anyone avoiding gluten or dairy. But, happily, ‘no additives’ doesn’t mean ‘no taste’. In fact, dishes such as sweet potato cakes and calzone are packed with flavour and interesting textures. Stylish salads and hearty ‘earth bowls’ sit beside brunch classics including the (meat-free) English breakfast.

Don't miss: The Farmacy burger – trust us, you won’t miss the meat.

Brunch for two with service: Around £60.

Despite its off-the-beaten-track spot on a residential road in Highbury, Fink’s is almost always full – and it’s worth hanging around for a brunch table at weekends. The trendy menu is great value and offers dishes that you won’t find elsewhere – sobrasada (spreadable chorizo) with a drizzle of honey on toast, say, or bacon sarnies in challah with cinnamon butter and maple syrup. Service can get a little flustered, but it’s friendly and the food doesn’t suffer. Traditionalists might baulk at the lack of egg staples, but we love the originality of this irresistible menu.

Don’t miss: Inventive brunch cocktails that are sure to wake you up. 

Brunch for two with service: Around £30.

You wouldn’t guess it, but this all-day diner is actually the main restaurant for the Park Plaza Waterloo next door – and it’s a real treat. Take the brunch route by plundering their line-up of all-day egg dishes or hit the flatbreads – anything from smoked burrata, aubergine and tomato to lamb, chilli, parsley and tzatziki. Otherwise, cherry-pick from the salads, pasta and burgers, with British bubbles and BrewDog beers on hand for refreshment.

Don’t miss: The full English with a huge fried ostrich egg – the whole plateful serves six and weighs in at a whopping £75. Strictly seasonal – these birds don’t lay in winter.

Brunch for two with service: Around £25.

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 roast ‘crown prince’ squash with poached eggs, Aleppo chilli brown butter, caraway sour cream, toasted pumpkin seeds, radicchio and flatbread. You read that right.

Brunch for two with service: Around £30.

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 baked eggs, or bacon-and-egg pita with date jam, plus lots of exotic nibbles to share and a cardamom-infused coffee cocktail to sample. There’s also an outlet in Soho’s Kingly Court.

Don’t miss: Oded’s babka loaf – a sweet finale for the whole table.

Brunch for two with service: Around £40 (without cocktails).

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 (9am-5pm). There’s steak and eggs for the carnivores, a ‘full vegan’ for the flesh avoiders and comfort food for everyone else – think homemade granola with hung yoghurt, pancakes with maple syrup, a chuck burger with fries or chicken and avocado salad. Sandwiches, jackets, cakes and pastries provide the back-up.

Don’t miss: The mushroom and potato rösti with poached egg, labneh and chilli.  

Brunch for two with service: Around £30.

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 prawn, XO and ‘nduja-fried rice with 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 and Chelsea.

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

Brunch for two with service: Around £45.

Wunderkind Ollie Dabbous was here for a while, but this boutique hotel dining room is now a Basque-influenced small plates eatery overseen by chef Sylvain Roucayrol. During the week they serve Spanish-inflected breakfasts, but on Sundays an extended version (till noon) moves into brunch territory. The ‘full Basque’ is a fail-safe, or you can pick from the likes of coconut porridge, scrambled eggs with brocciu cheese and mint or churros and chocolate (for that calorific sugar fix).  

Don’t miss: The Ibérico ham toastie with quail’s eggs.

Brunch for two with service: Around £25.

This friendly all-day Dalston café bills itself as a modern greasy spoon and has perfected the art of curing hangovers – thanks to its devotion to hash browns and all things porky. 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.

Brunch for two with service: Around £30.

A second hurrah for Hoppers, this Marylebone offshoot is the civilised grown-up cousin of the sexy Soho original – and you can book. On Sundays they do a fixed-price whole-table ‘taste of Hoppers’ brunch menu – think green peppercorn squid, devilled chicken wings, butterbean and cheese kothu, and a choice of ‘kari’ riffs in addition to their eponymous Sri Lankan ‘hoppers’ (bowl-shaped savoury crêpes).

Don’t miss: The smoked gorakha Bloody Mary (or its virgin sister).

Brunch for two with service: Around £55 (without drinks).

If your idea of brunch is a virtuous bowl of granola or some sort of chia seed concoction, you’re in the wrong place. Meat is the order of the day at Hotbox, with deliciously indulgent dishes including smoked hash, St Louis pork ribs and smoked chicken with arbol chilli and mezcal ‘mop’. That said, the veggie options don’t feel like an afterthought – don’t miss the truffled egg toast with asparagus. Oh, and portions are huge – a bonus if you’re planning to make the most of the bottomless prosecco, mimosas and cocktails (note the two-hour time limit).

Don’t miss: The Bloody Marys – they’re served in huge tankards and there are five to choose from (including one made with smoked dripping). 

Brunch for two with service: Around £30 (plus £25 per person for ‘bottomless booze’).

Weekend brunch might look like an afterthought on The Ivy Soho Brasserie’s all-day menu, but you’re guaranteed to get impeccable food for a lazy but classy afternoon. 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 with your calorie intake by ordering a pistachio and raspberry-ice cream sundae. Also try the Ivy Kensington Brasserie.

Don’t miss: The avocado benedict with chips.

Brunch for two with service: Around £40.

Like the Dalston original, Covent Garden’s Jidori is funky, functional and really great with yakitori (skewered chicken). It also shines in the brunch stakes, with a novel izakaya offer now available at the weekends (11am-4pm). Come here if you’re crazy about katsu curry Scotch eggs and katsu curry burgers, not to mention okonomiyaki – savoury Japanese pancakes (including a veggie version with kimchee and spinach). To drink? Shiso lemonade, iced matcha latte and togarashi-spiced Bloody Marys.

Don’t miss: Their take on kedgeree – smoked mackerel, curried rice, onsen egg, coriander and fried leeks.

Brunch for two with service: Around £30 (not including drinks).

‘Easy Rider’ meets east London hipster at Jim’s Café, a greasy spoon reborn with a little help from Hackney-based motorcycle collective Black Skulls. As a drop-in it’s very cool and custom-built for the neighbourhood. The short breakfast menu doubles for brunch – so rev up with crab kedgeree, a buttermilk chicken sandwich or salt beef hash with sautéed kale, crispy potatoes and a fried egg, plus a non-alcoholic brew. Hair of the dog? Shots, cocktails, indie beers and ciders await.

Don’t miss: A visit to the adjoining Black Skulls shop for some gear.

Brunch for two with service: Around £30.

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 or boerewors (sausage rolls) with egg, German mustard and crispy shallots to sourdough waffles with home-cured trout, crème fraîche and poached eggs. There are cocktails by the glass or jug, too.  

Don’t miss: The chocolate babka bun with candied kumquats and miso caramel.

Brunch for two with service: Around £25 (£40 with cocktails).

Lantana’s weekend brunch menu rings the changes when compared to the standard menus on offer throughout the week. A few classics (think smashed avocado and honey granola with Greek yoghurt) sit alongside more unusual assemblies including duck and sweet potato hash, a salmon poké bowl and a pork belly bánh mì burger with gochujang mayo. The corn fritters are surprisingly hearty, stacked with streaky bacon, roast tomatoes, poached egg and chilli jam.

Don't miss: The ‘big bubble’ – a real monster with bubble ‘n’ squeak, Cumberland sausage, black pudding, muhammara (Levantine hot pepper dip) and spinach.

Brunch for two with service: Around £25 – unless you opt for the whole-table blowout.

This Herne Hill hotspot is perfect for getting your weekend off to a good start – take a dip in the open-air pool (if you dare), then get some revitalising sustenance via the all-day brunch menu. Expect a lively veggie line-up taking in everything from coconut porridge and ‘green goddess’ superfood bowls to polenta scramble, celeriac and cavolo nero rösti, and a fake full English with seitan and tofu. If you must have something fleshy, you can order some Gloucester Old Spot bacon, chorizo or smoked salmon on the side.

Don't miss: The smashed avo on sourdough toast with hemp seeds and homemade chilli sauce.

Brunch for two with service: Around £35.

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 onto cutesy mismatched vintage crockery. A couple of simple hot plates 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.

Brunch for two with service: Around £20.

If you’re feeling foggy-headed as you step through the door at this machismo-heavy Scottish restaurant, go for the Dirty Scottish breakfast bap – a monstrous sandwich that’s apparently been precision engineered to wipe out hangovers, packing in three versions of pig (bacon, black pudding and a square of ‘lorne’ sausage), plus a fried egg, caramelised onions and a ‘tattie scone’ (like a hash brown). It’s a dense, heavy beast, but there are lighter options too, including smoked salmon with creamy scrambled eggs and the obligatory avo on toast.

Don’t miss: Three types of Bloody Mary – including one with whisky.

Brunch for two with service: Around £30 with coffees, or £40 with cocktails.

A slice of California in the City, Malibu Kitchen promotes guilt-free ‘clean eating‘ within the swanky surrounds of The Ned hotel/club complex. Their Saturday brunch offer (11am-4pm) takes the best of the rise-and-shine breakfast menu and adds some zesty world-cuisine tempters ranging from sea bass ceviche, ahi tuna poké and sea bream tacos to ‘brick’ chicken with grapes and spicy yoghurt or cod in dashi broth. There’s even a cheeseburger in a potato bun. To drink, think wellness shots rather than lethal Bloody Marys.

Don’t miss: The ‘forbidden rice bowl’ with kale, fermented vegetables, almond and basil.

Brunch for two with service: Around £35.