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 sit the likes of sweet-potato pancakes topped with spiced honey, fruit and whipped coconut cream, or soft baps 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: The corn soufflé with smoked bacon, poached eggs and coriander-flecked hollandaise. It's the second-best way to start the weekend off with a rosy glow.

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. There's brilliant variety here for brunch: all manner of eggs (poached, folded, soft boiled with Marmite soldiers), treacle-cured bacon sarnies, Turkish pides loaded with toppings, sweetcorn fritters, fish cakes, burgers or flat-iron steak with fries. See? Spoilt for choice.

Don't miss: The lobster brioche roll topped with poached egg and caviar.

Brunch for two with service: around £55.

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.

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 sultry croque madame to plates of homemade sausage, home-cured bacon, homemade beans, crispy mushroom kiev and buttered kale.

Don't miss:  The toasted bread with ‘herby’ butter or the French fries with ‘herby’ salt.

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 deliciously meaty, US-style menu featuring everything from pulled pork to pancakes topped with fried chicken. 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 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 or shellfish linguine. 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.

Weekend brunch runs all day at this Aussie café in Broadgate Circus, where the killer menu spans everything from broccoli and corn fritters with egg and bacon to banana bread sarnies. 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.

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

Brunch for two with service: around £30.

Occupying a quiet sweet spot on Islington Green, this Alsatian-themed high-end Paris-style brasserie from the folk behind The Wolseley does weekend brunch in unhurried style. The menu takes a no-holds-barred approach to things. Want to kick off with oysters? Feel like ordering tarte flambée or waffles loaded with Alsatian cheeses? Fancy finishing off with ice cream? No one will judge.

Don’t miss: Their sweet tarte flambée with strawberries, crème fraiche and marshmallows.

Brunch for two with service: around £40.

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 comforting Turkish eggs or a mezze-style Israeli 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, 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 cucumber-infused tap water. Piles of arty magazines and a super-soulful soundtrack make it far too easy to spend all day here.

Don’t miss: The signature hashes – perhaps wild mushroom and crispy polenta or salt beef with 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, a posh bacon and egg sarnie, and the ‘everything’ breakfast with, well, everything. 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 a place for elegant yet laid back brunching. The food is very good: their huevos benedictos are a perfect balance of spicy chorizo and creamy béarnaise sauce, while the drop scones with clotted cream, berries and honey are an indulgent treat that veer close to pudding territory.

Don't miss: These guys were among the first to bring the New York trend of bottomless brunching to our fair shores. Grab a prosecco – or the stunning cocktail list.

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 – unlike at the jam-packed Milk Café nearby. Branches in Clapham, Tooting and Streatham.

Don’t miss: Wild mushrooms on brioche with a poached egg 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 hefty kati roll stuffed with lobster or some mixed paos (street food).

Don’t miss: The chaat pork scratchings with cod’s roe and green chilli raita.

Brunch for two with service: £50 (£80 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; signature serves include smoked salmon with asparagus and scrambled eggs, and cinnamon French toast with maple syrup and mascarpone.

Don’t miss: A slice of the house banana bread to end your feast on a sweet note.

Brunch for two with service: around £25.

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 all-day 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 brunch is a colourful, inventive mix of ceviche and superfoods. Take yours out to Casita's 'secret' outdoor terrace – all bright blue walls, pot plants and three tiny tables in the sunshine, it's a slice of Lima in London. Plus there's a retractable awning to keep you dry in winter.

Don't miss: Casita’s take on eggs benedict, made of bacon and egg on a sweetcorn soufflé with coriander hollandaise. Brunch has never felt this exotic.

Brunch for two with service: around £45.

Colourful Ceru's good-value menu roams the Eastern Med, running through the greatest hits of the Levant. Think merguez chicken, Persian kofta, fragrant dips and spicy salads. At weekends the small hangover-busting brunch menu also features 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.

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.

The fashionable London restaurant is virtually impossible to get a dinner reservation at, unless you're an A-list celeb. However, it does brunch from 11am-3pm at weekends, when it’s slightly easier to get a table. Be warned: prices are very high. Lobster and crab omelette costs £26, eggs benedict £15, pancakes £12 – 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: Nuno Mendes' famous crab-stuffed donuts (with ‘coral dusting’!) feature on the brunch menu. It would be a shame not to try them.

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-4pm) 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 ‘pretzel on a stick’ 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 offering runs from Old Spike coffee and Blood Caesar cocktails to chickpea tacos with black beans and chimichurri – plus Peckham Fatboy potatoes on the side, and apple and cheddar pie to finish.

Don’t miss: Sharing a mighty full English – a right royal plateful involving goat sausages, smoked pig’s head blood pudding, fried duck eggs, smoked duck baked beans 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 pick ‘n’ mix (cinnamon French toast, Cornish crab rarebit etc) or go for the ‘sharer’ (sugar pit bacon chop, sausages, black pudding, roasted tomatoes, garlic mushrooms, fried eggs, beef hash, dripping toast). Phew! You can also get 90 minutes of bottomless drinks (Prosecco or Bloody Marys).

Don’t miss: the smoked haddock Scotch egg with lemon aioli.

Brunch for two with service: £30 (from £60 with bottomless booze).

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 healthy ingredients. From hangover-slaying baked eggs with chorizo and tangy tomato ragu, to a virtuous and hefty ‘super bowl’ of quinoa, almonds, and citrus wedges, Coppa covers all bases.

Don't miss: The kale toast, layered with avocado and two oozing fried eggs, garlanded with trails of sriracha.

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).

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 sloppy, sesame-slathered aubergine from the regular menu.

Brunch for two with service: £20 (plus £38 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. The smooth service eases things along nicely, too. It’s largely classics on the brunch menu: eggs all ways, porridge, kedgeree, full English. There are fruit smoothies and Scots will be heartened to see tattie scones and lorne (flat) sausage.

Don't miss: Go trad with the kedgeree, but slosh it down with an Heirloom Mary of voddy, 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 proper puds, patisserie, and yes, even avocado on toast. 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 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 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) as well as the likes of ox-cheek benedict, 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.

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 – crumpets topped with Marmite butter and cheddar, say, or bacon sarnies in challah bread 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 £65. 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 ratte potatoes with smoked pancetta and charred artichoke, or bacon and sausage sarnies with mango chutney and a fried egg – 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 turmeric poached eggs with root veg bhaji, fried curry leaves, chilli chutney, cucumber and mint raita … and parathas. 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).

Bill Granger has built a TV cooking career out of selling the Aussie dream: lots of sunlight, casual vibes, 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 include a ginger prawn egg-white omelette. Booking is essential – the place fills up quickly with affluent-looking folk.

Don't miss: The signature dish of ricotta hotcakes with banana and honeycomb butter; cloud-like lightness.

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.

Herman ze German may do the best wurst in London, but the weekend-only brunch here is so much more than a sausage fest. A tad posher than their grab-and-go breakfast offering, this menu features sourdough topped with chopped ginger and honey, butterbean stew and an excellent strammer max – two fried eggs served with sharp mature cheddar and black-forest ham. The bright, airy space in Fitzrovia is a lovely spot to while away a morning, so you can kick back and really dig in.

Don't miss: The bloody mary. Made according to a secret family recipe, this is a superlative hangover-basher.

Brunch for two with service: around £35.

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 brunch menu – think green peppercorn squid, devilled chicken sausage, 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, eight-hour smoked pork ribs and a truffled chicken waffle with maple syrup. That said, the veggie options don’t feel like an afterthought – don’t miss the smoky baked eggs. Oh, and portions are huge – a bonus if you’re planning to make the most of their bottomless cocktails.

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 (£80 with unlimited cocktails).

This bustling Sicilian café ups the ante on Sundays, when well-heeled locals descend for its all-day Italian-inflected brunches: think baskets of oven-warm breads to slather in Sicilian jam, silky caponata with a side of poached eggs, and Continental-style charcuterie and cheeses, all washed down with hand-pressed juices and superior coffee. It’s a slice of la bella vita in London.

Don’t miss: Dolci that include fresh cannoli, served with nuts for dipping.

Brunch for for two with service: around £35.

Weekend brunch might look like a humble afterthought on The Ivy Soho Brasserie’s all-day menu, but despite the limited options, you’re guaranteed to get impeccable food for a lazy but classy afternoon. Keep it light with wild mushrooms on toasted brioche, a truffled chicken sandwich and chips or hot buttermilk pancakes; otherwise, play havoc with your calorie intake by ordering a chocolate bombe or cherry ice-cream sundae to finish. Also try the Ivy Kensington Brasserie.

Don’t miss: The ‘French dip’ – a steak sandwich with a mouth-watering combo of caramelised onions, horseradish mustard mayonnaise with burgundy sauce and chips that ought to put any hangover to rights.

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 a wild mushroom and chopped kale omelette or a sausage-patty muffin with fried egg and American cheese, plus a non-alcoholic brew. Hair of the dog? Shots, cocktails, indie beers and cider 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 crumpets topped with smoked ham hock, slow-cooked egg and mushroom ketchup. There are cocktails by the glass or jug, too.   

Don’t miss: The French toast with chocolate babka, candied kumquats and miso caramel.

Brunch for two with service: around £25 (£50 with a jug of Bloody Mary).

The upbeat Peckham sibling of Brixton’s celebrated Salon, Levan is a local delight with a modernist menu that ticks all our boxes. During the week they serve breakfast, but at the weekends (from 10am) they up the ante with brunch: earthy duck rillettes, mushroom tempura with sesame vinaigrette, house-cured sardines, croques for sharing, boudin noir with caramelised endive and cured egg yolk … you get the picture. Staff are ace and the whole place is fun, fun, fun.  

Don’t miss: The Comté fries (chickpea flour, cheese and lashings of butter) with saffron aïoli.

Brunch for two with service: around £25.

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 load up on calories via the all-day brunch menu. Expect the likes of eggs Benedict with sweet, juicy Gloucester Old Spot ham and tangy hollandaise sauce, or stacks of thick buttermilk and blueberry pancakes with maple syrup. If you don’t want to undo all the good work from your morning plunge, plump for one of the slimmer options such as organic porridge or avo on toast.

Don't miss: Prosecco and Bloody Marys will make your poolside brunch feel even more like a spontaneous mini-break.

Brunch for two with service: around £35.

This small but perfectly formed café gets its name from the unhealthy smog that choked the capital back in the 1950s, but its vibe is, thankfully, more wholesome. Satisfying brunches focus on dishes that use seasonal produce, such as garlicky mushrooms piled onto toast with spinach and goats’ cheese, or a brunch bowl that takes the full English far away from greasy spoon fare. Even the bacon sandwich comes with salad.

Don’t miss: A seat outside, if it’s sunny and you’re early enough (there’s not much space inside anyway).

Brunch for two with service: around £25.

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 own-made granola or pancakes, eggs on sourdough toast and other goodies, piled onto 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 bread 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.