One of the best ideas ever stolen from the Americans, a Saturday or Sunday brunch in the capital is a weekend treat. Starting with a handful of pioneering brasseries that served swanky takes on eggs and avocado toast, London’s brunch scene has blossomed into a spectrum of midday feasts, from bottomless prosecco sipped in a party atmosphere to Turkish and Levantine feasts and seasonal Aussie and Kiwi dishes accompanied by superlative coffee. Read on to discover the best brunches in London.
Main photo: Duck & Waffle, Bishopsgate (Steven Joyce)
1. Milk Beach, Soho
Australians know their produce, be it eggs, greens, smoothie fruits or lovingly roasted coffee. And nowhere is that clearer than at Milk Beach Soho (there’s also a Queen’s Park branch), where the yolks are golden, the java is strong and the healthy options run the gamut from acai bowls to coconut tapioca pudding. There’s no “brunch” menu — breakfast runs until around 11, before an all-day menu — but both are loaded with brunch classics: avocado toast, a chicken “schnitty” schnitzel, folded eggs and bloody mary oyster shooters. Stylish and sceney. Mains from £10.50.
milkbeach.com
2. Beam, Crouch End
Want something more interesting than the usual eggs benedict and avo toast? This family-run hangout in north London’s foodie enclave of Crouch End does a mean Mediterranean breakfast: a generous platter involving grilled halloumi, olives, feta pastries, spiced sausage and harissa. Turkish eggs laced with chilli oil and shakshuka baked eggs also spice up its classic brunch menu. It’s so successful that three sibling outposts have sprung up around north London. The only catch? No reservations — this one’s walk-ins only. Mains from £10.50.
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cafebeam.co.uk
3. Darcie and May Green, Paddington
And now for something completely different: breakfast on a barge, moored on a London canal. The kaleidoscopic exterior of these twin longboats was designed by Sir Peter Blake — all neon signage, faux foliage and pink velvet chairs, it’s quite the head-turner. A bottomless brunch of one savoury and one sweet dish, plus 90 minutes of fizz top-ups, costs £49.90pp. Another Antipodean brunch hangout, its menu has quality takes on smashed avocado, sourdough French toast and even the Aussie lamington cake.
daisygreenfood.com
4. Jones & Sons, Dalston
This East End dining spot has an enviable menu that goes above and beyond what you’d expect at a bottomless brunch. Truffled wild mushrooms on toast, fried chicken and waffles, steak and eggs and vegan pancakes all make an appearance on the “bottomless food” menu — you order the next course once everyone in your group has finished their dish. This innovative concept is paired with two hours of bottomless buck’s fizz, prosecco, gin and tonics or vodka, lime and sodas for £47pp.
jonesandsonsdalston.com
5. Sunday in Brooklyn, Notting Hill
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One for the true foodies: expect heritage tomato gazpacho, brioche egg buns with gochujang and oyster mushroom omelette with mole sauce on this elevated brunch menu. As the name suggests, it’s a concept lifted from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and with brunch served seven days a week you don’t have to wait for Saturday. Exposed brick walls and shelves of unusual wines add to the gourmet feel, while outdoor tables are a delight in summer. Don’t miss the brunch cocktails — the mezcal take on a bloody mary is a winner. Mains from £13.50.
sundayinbk.co.uk
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6. Milk, Balham
Another offering from down under, Milk is a southwest London institution — so don’t be surprised if you see a queue. Luckily it moves quickly, with simple wooden benches lining the small dining room as well as the pavement. Once in, dig into its unique, ever-changing dishes inspired by the produce available that day: banana bread with halva butter, say, or smoked salmon toast with capers. Several cult classics remain on the menu, such as the Convict breakfast muffin and Sweet Maria sweetcorn fritters with halloumi. Mains from £8.
milklondonshop.uk
7. Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings, Clerkenwell
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This white-walled, plant-filled warren of a building feels like entering the home of an eccentric Londoner, from the armchairs upholstered with tropical flower prints to the hanging baskets and greenhouse-style windows. And its brunch has been famous for years, thanks to its inventive menu and great inclusive deals: bottomless starts at £42.50 for 90 minutes of Bellinis (£48.50 for classic fizz, with other packages available). Mains include salt beef and black pudding hash, chorizo-spiced huevos benedictos and a vegan fry-up.
bandhbuildings.com
8. Side Hustle at NoMad London, Covent Garden
Not everyone wants the classic eggs and avocado brunch: for something more piquant, try the Mexican flavours at Side Hustle. Huge breakfast burritos, dulce de leche pancakes and chicken mole sandos sit alongside sriracha-spiced hollandaise on your mexo benedict. Mimosas are scrapped in favour of punchy margaritas, palomas and batangas (tequila and amaro with cola). Settle into a moody dining room of dark green and dark woods at the trendy NoMad London, with tequila shots on hand if the afternoon goes that way. Mains from £15.
thenomadhotel.com
9. The Good Egg, Stoke Newington
East Enders flock to “Stokey” for this simple indie brunch spot, with a menu inspired by Middle Eastern and Levantine cuisine. Shakshuka with preserved lemon yoghurt, boureka pastries and salt beef bagels call to mind a Tel Aviv market here, a Jewish deli there. Stellar coffees and brunch cocktails, from espresso martinis to mimosas, will pep you up, and lots of small plates alongside the main dishes mean you can mix and match. Its flashier Soho sibling has a bottomless brunch too. Mains from £7.
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thegoodegg.co
10. Sea Containers, South Bank
The South Bank is ideal for a special occasion, with its sweeping views across the river — and the swish Sea Containers restaurant hosts a particularly elegant Saturday and Sunday brunch. Brightly coloured banquets and booths are set against steel blues and metallics, trimmed by a long, ceiling-high window; a well-heeled crowd comes to indulge in crab toast, mac and cheese, posh cheeseburgers and more. Bottomless drinks are available at an add-on price: prosecco (£25), bloody marys (£25) and champagne (£65).
seacontainerslondon.com
11. Whispering Angel at The Rooftop, Trafalgar St James
Few places have this good a view over Trafalgar Square and Westminster — and fewer still have a partnership with the world’s most talked-about rosé for brunch. There are small plates (Korean fried cauliflower, halloumi fries, crispy prawns) while bigger dishes including crab brioche, minute steak and tiramisu, all paired with glasses of the pink stuff (or Whispering Angel cocktails). If the panoramas don’t make it onto your Instagram feed, the pink neon sign spelling out Whispering Angel will. Given its rooftop location, the brunch runs until September 29. Small plates from £14.
trafalgarstjames.com
12. Nobu Hotel London Shoreditch
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London’s freshest sushi — bottomless! — is on the agenda at Nobu Hotel London Shoreditch, one of the capital’s classiest brunches. It’s all very authentic: staff shout “irasshaimase” (welcome) when you walk in, and the decor is all breezy blonde wood, washi lanterns and fabric partitions — which makes you feel like you’re in Tokyo. Both boozy and alcohol-free packages are available, but all involve non-stop access to the sushi buffet, with tuna sashimi, yellowtail nigiri, tuna tacos and vegetarian options as well as bigger plates including chicken teriyaki and signature black cod. Save room for the dessert table, and make sure to gawp at the Hokusai-style visual art in the bar area. From £80.
• Read our full review of Nobu Shoreditch
noburestaurants.com
13. Willows, Clapham
Brunches can be a challenge for the indecisive. Sweet or savoury? Sausage or bacon? Pancakes or waffles? Thankfully there’s a deli-to-restaurant spot in Clapham that’s perfect for those of us who want a bit of everything. Just off the common, Willows serves diners a Scandi-inspired “build-your-board” menu. Mini portions of brunch classics — as well as some twists — are delivered smorgasbord style, along with breakfast cocktails (the marshmallow espresso martini is a winner) and artisan produce sold in the deli. The banana bread with vanilla mascarpone and white chocolate crumb is delicious, as is the scrambled eggs with crème fraîche. For something a bit different try the shredded crab served with sourdough. Mains from £12.
willowsclapham.com
14. Duck & Waffle, Bishopsgate
There’s only one thing better than brunch, and that’s brunch with a view. Open 24 hours, seven days a week, Duck & Waffle can be found among the clouds on the 40th floor of 110 Bishopsgate and is the perfect spot for special occasions. If the panoramic view of the City isn’t enough, the restaurant’s namesake dish is a tasty twist on a breakfast classic, ideally paired with a mimosa, or two (or three). Duck not your thing? Go for the decadent lobster roll or, if you have a sweet tooth, the caramelised banana waffle. Mains from £15.
duckandwaffle.com
15. Dishoom, King’s Cross
Pull up a seat at Dishoom to transport yourself to the bustle of Mumbai without leaving London. These all-day restaurants give a nod to India’s collection of old Irani cafés through the decor — marble tables, bentwood chairs, a monochromatic palette — as well as the dishes. Its bacon and egg naan rolls, hand baked in a tandoor oven, are an absolute must-try along with the bottomless chai. Those wanting something more filling should go for Kejriwal — two fried eggs on chilli cheese toast — or the Big Bombay, which pairs British classics such as bacon and sausages with masala beans and field mushrooms. Mains from £7.45.
dishoom.com
Additional reporting by Cathy Adams, Lucy Perrin and Hannah Gravett
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