London’s best restaurants for breakfast

What is it? Head chef Max Rocha’s immaculate canalside Hackney restaurant, with a vibe that’s at once chic neighbourhood bistro and heartfelt tribute to his Dublin roots.  

Why we love it: There’s something of St John’s minimal approach in Cecilia’s laidback interiors, wooden tables and white washed walls, and the breakfast here is just as winningly simple. Their house Guinness bread comes toasted with jam, or you can have it with boiled eggs and Gouda-like Coolea cheese from Cork. There are bacon and sausage sarnies, marinated tomatoes on toast with goat curd, or the star of the show; kippers with parsley and capers. Hearty, but still chic, stuff. 

Time Out tip: Sit by the huge windows to watch the most stylish folk in London Fields strolling by the canal.

Address: 32 Andrews Road, Cambridge Heath, E8 4RL.

Breakfast served: Sat-Sun from 9-10.45am.

Expect to pay: Dishes £5-17.

What is it? Piccadilly’s always-fun and always-busy art deco-styled grand café - and still a celeb-spotting paradise.

Why we love it: If you like to start your day with a sense of occasion, it doesn’t get much better than The Wolseley. From a just-baked pastry or an omelette Arnold Bennett, to a decadent kedgeree or the creamed porridge with fruit compote. Prices are not low, but at a place of this exceptional quality you wouldn’t expect them to be. During the week, things kick off bright and early at 7am. 

Time Out tip: There’s another branch of the Wolseley in City, which also opens at 7am during the week.

Address: 160 Piccadilly, Mayfair, W1J 9EB.

Opening hours: Breakfast is served Mon-Fri 7am-11.30am and Sat-Sun 8am-11.30am.

Expect to pay: Hot breakfasts £7.50-24.50. Full English £24.50.

What is it? A swanky and sustainably-minded West End resto with plenty of clout.

Why we love it: Every weekday, this swanky St James’s spot serves up next-level takes on your favourite brekkie items. The royales are a must, wedged between two croissant rolls with black pepper hollandaise, while the black pudding benedict is served on a honey waffle. There’s also not a single avocado on the menu, if that means anything. Try and get a spot by the window.

Time Out tip: Definitely order the hash browns, served with Fallow’s intensely umami mushroom ketchup.

Address: 2 St James’s Market, SW1Y 4RP.

Opening hours: Breakfast is served Mon-Fri from 7.30-10.30am. 

Expect to pay: Croissant royale £16, full breakfast £24. 

What is it? Burritos in a graveyard.

Why we love it: After a sucessful stint at St John at Hackney Churchyard, Bad Manners are now in residence outside of Shoreditch Church. And what a holy blessing they are. Their Mexican-inspired menu features the greatest hangover cure in town; a whopping great big breakfast burrito, stuffed with sausage, cheese, eggs and salsa - or beans for the vegetarian dirty stop-outs. Breakfast is served until close.

Time Out tip: If you’re feeling particularly terrible, cure yourself with totchos - a tater tot/nacho combo that’s as intense as it sounds. 

Address: Shoreditch Church, 119 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JN.

Opening hours: Wed-Fri 9am-3pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm. 

Expect to pay: Burritos £10.50-12.50.

What is it: A superlative Soho udon noodle joint.

Why we love it: Koya has gone well beyond its remit, opening for morning meals from 10am. As well as the classic Japanese breakfast combo of grilled fish, miso soup, pickles and rice, Koya Soho serves up morning udon dishes such as hot noodles with raw egg and soy sauce (kama tama udon), and a full-English-breakfast-inspired egg, bacon and shiitake mushroom udon.

Time Out tip: Koya has an offshoot on Broadway Market in east London. It doesn’t open until midday during the week, but 10am on Sat and Sun when you can score breakfast udon until 11.45am.

Address: 50 Frith Street, Soho, W1D 4SQ.

Opening hours: Breakfast served from 10am.

Expect to pay: Breakfast udon £9.80-15.30.

What is it? If ever proof were needed that not all caffs are created equal, this grade II-listed greasy spoon on Bethnal Green Road is it.

Why we love it: People come here as much for the atmosphere and decor as for the grub. Inside, it has an almost opulent feel, harking back to a time when caff culture was king in the capital. Chrome-lined vitrolite panels cover the outside, and the wood-panelled interior is full of formica tables and original art deco touches. 

Time Out tip: Breakfast is served all day (mind you, they are only open until 3pm, and closed on Sundays).

Address: 332 Bethnal Green Road, E2 0AG.

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 8am-3pm.

Expect to pay: Full English £8.40. Veggie breakfast £8. 

What is it? London’s first Michelin-starred tasting menu breakfast. 

Why we love it? This five-course meal features luxurious takes on early morning classics. It kicks off with a bespoke ‘amuse-juice’ followed by a seasonal ‘bakery creation’ by the restaurant’s executive pastry chef Francesco Mannino. Then, diners have the choice between a chia pudding with mango or granola with berries, and after that eggs royale (with an extra caviar option) or a weekly chef's special such as Turkish eggs or tiramisu pancakes. The final course is a round of French toast with caramelised hazelnuts and whipped cream and, to top it all off, guests will be treated with a parting gift of ‘Les Chocolats de Yannick Alléno’, which the restaurant describes as ‘a gastronomic delight made with birch bark extract’. 

Time Out tip: Veggies and vegans are catered for. 

Opening hours: Sat from 6.30am (Sun from 7am)-10.30am.

Expect to pay: £70 per person. You can add a drinks pairing (teas, juices and mocktails, no booze) for £20 more.

What is it? A desi pub with a special South Indian brekkie.

Why we love it: If you’re sick of poached eggs and avo toast, the south Indian breakfast at the Tamil Prince is a great place to try something different every Saturday and Sunday. Kick things off with a gloriously indulgent South Indian filter coffee that’s nutty and wonderfully creamy. Then you can treat yourself to selection of curries and chutneys with various breads and pancakes for dipping. We rated the uttapam, a big crispy pancake topped with tangy beetroot and carrot and lots of coriander.

Time Out tip: There's only one dessert dish, but it's worth ordering - kuzhi paniyaram are pan fried dough balls made from lentil, rice, jaggery and cardamon batter and are served with a super sweet syrup.

Address: 115 Hemingford Road, Islington, N1 1BZ.

Opening hours: Breakfast is served Sat-Sun 8.30am-10.30am.

Expect to pay: Breakfast dishes £7-10.50.

What is it? A weekend-only brekkie offering that gives you an authentic taste of Hong Kong.

Why we love it: Known for their addictive Hong Kong-style french toast made with deep-fried milk bread, Brick Lane’s HOKO Café is the real deal. With three separate breakfast set menus, go for either ham soup macaroni with a toasted bun and fried egg; satay beef soup noodles with a toasted bun, fried egg and ham; or the veggie offering of tomato soup macaroni with scrambled egg, a toasted bun and buttered sweetcorn. Utterly unique. 

Time Out tip: The set breakfasts are a weekend only deal, but you can get the french toast all throughout the week. 

Address: 224 Brick Lane, Shoreditch, E1 6SA.

Opening hours: Breakfast served Sat and Sun from 9am-11.45am. 

Expect to pay: Set breakfast menus £10.80-14.80.

What is it? Affordable all-day Japanese breakfast at this cosy Kings Cross cafe.

Why we love it: There are two breakfast options; the vegan takana with sesame oil (steamed rice topped with pickled mustard green, or onsen tamago with dashi (steamed rice topped with egg yolk). Both come with miso soup, kobachi stewed veg, pickles and fruit, and both are simple and delicious enough to transport you halfway across the world. 

Time Out tip: Still hungry? Score a tamago egg sando for the road.

Address: 102 Caledonian Road, Kings Cross, N1 9DN.

Opening hours: Breakfast is served all day, Tue-Fri 9am-4pm, Sat 11am-4pm. Closed Sun-Mon. 

Expect to pay: Breakfast £6.90 or £9.80.

What is it? A Wes Anderson film set-worthy Italian diner. 

Why we love it: It makes sense that Leo’s was once a greasy spoon. Now an Italian all-dining spot, it still retains shades of classic caff-ery. Come from 9am from Wednesday through to Sunday for a breakfast that would make Sophia Loren proud. Sip a morning cappucino then eat boiled eggs with anchovy butter and soldiers, as you read the morning papers in this very La Dolce Vita-styled space.

Time Out tip: On the weekends-only, you can order a sweet cornetto alla crema to go with your coffee.

Address: 59 Chatsworth Road, Lower Clapton, E5 0LH.

Opening hours: Breakfast is served Wed-Sun from 9am.

Expect to pay: Breakfast dishes £6.80-12.50.

What is it? An intensely sophisticated yet slyly fun French cafe overlooking Sloane Square.

Why we love it: A well-judged combination of shiny Gallic class and typically rambunctious Wolseley Group charm, this is somewhere you go to read the paper, sip black coffee and live in hope that one day the staff will call you by your first name and treat you like un habitué. Colbert has a world-class omelette and a banging kedgeree, but it’s about so much more than the (excellent) food. This buzzy breakfast spot boasts stunning art deco (and Victorian) features wherever you look (including, in one room, a lovely mosaic floor), so you’re guaranteed a nice view to go with your crispy bacon roll.

Time Out tip: The Arnold Bennett omelette is right up there with Mount St Restaurant’s in the ‘best in London’ conversation.

Address: 50-52 Sloane Square, Chelsea, SW1W 8AX.

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 8am-10.30pm, Sun 8am-10pm. 

Expect to pay: About £15-20 for an omelette. The full English is £23. Welcome to west London!

What is it? Brekkies don’t come much more bougie than at the modern art-filled Mount St Restaurant in Mayfair. 

Why we love it: It’s the fine dining London spot from Artfarm – the food and drink wing of fancy, world-famous gallerists Hauser & Wirth – and a seriously stunning space. Open from 7.30am on weekdays, you can feast on super trad British breakfasts, such as kippers, devilled kidneys on toast or a bacon chop with bubble and squeak and a fried duck egg. 

Time Out tip: For something lighter but just as old school, there’s porridge with honey direct from Durslade, Artfarm’s very own Somerset farm. 

Address: First Floor, 41-43 Mount Street, Mayfair, W1K 2RX.

Opening hours: Breakfast is served Mon-Fri 7.30-10am and Sat and Sun 9am-midday.

Expect to pay: Bacon sandwich £10.50. Full English £26.50. Kedgeree £22.50.

What is it? London’s favourite Indian resto chain. 

Why we love it: The Covent Garden branch of this Bombay-styled café is ideally placed for morning meetings but has enough knick-knacks to make you feel a million miles away from London. The Parsi power breakfasts, bacon naan roll and gently spiced chai are hits among the masses. Green-chilli-flecked scrambled eggs are just as popular – a warming plate with traditional (and fluffy) pau buns served on the side. 

Time Out tip: Try the (even) more casual Permit Room offshoot on Portobello Road for breakfast if you're mooching about Notting Hill. 

Address: 12 Upper St Martin’s Lane, Covent Garden, WC2H 9FB.

Opening hours: Breakfast is served Mon-Fri from 8am-11.45am and Sat-Sun 9am-11.45am.

Expect to pay: Cooked breakfasts £11.90-17.20. Naan rolls £10.40-13.50.

What is it? A word-of-mouth favourite of Southwark Street’s many jobbing architects, journos and early-rising tourists.

Why we love it: The Table is an ace little spot for grab-and-go coffees, pastries and superlative sandwiches. It’s also a fine place to dine in, with a wider brekkie menu heavy on eggs, avocado and pancakes, as well as a vaunted vegan riff on a full english. You can also ask for some off-the-menu granola. More ‘old-school’ morning meetings could – should! – be incentivised with a breakfast cocktail.

Time Out tip: Check out Table 2:0 on Battersea Rise.

Address: 83 Southwark Street, SE1 0HX.

Opening hours: Breakfast served from 8am Mon-Fri and 9am on weekends.

Expect to pay: Toasts £10-15, pancakes £13-15.50.

What is it? A sweet Scandi-style cafe. 

Why we love it: Inspired by the year she spent in Copenhagen, Alex Hely-Hutchinson’s Covent Garden café serves a range of wholesome porridges for breakfast, resulting in maximum hygge. The Turkish fried eggs with labneh, apricot harissa, chickpeas and herbs make for an indulgent start to the day, plus there are some creative comfort dishes worth a try, such as the banana, tahini, honey, cinnamon, sesame seeds and cacao nibs porridge.

Time Out tip: Clumsies should slurp their coffee with caution: the mugs are so Nordic-chic that they don’t have handles.

Address: 1 Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden, WC2H 9DP.

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8am-4pm, Sat-Sun 9am-4pm.

Expect to pay: Dishes £10.50-16.

What is it? Sausage sarnies and bacon butties on-the-go.

Why we love it: Bangers breakfast bar does trad caff brekkies but with high end produce. Think Clarence Court eggs, meat from Lidgates, muffins and bread from The Spence Bakery. There are sausage sarnies (with a veggie option), bacon baps and sides of beans, hash browns, and on-the-go pots. 

Time Out tip: If you’re on a health kick, hold the bacon and go for a banana and date shake. 

Address: 5 Leonard Circus, Shoreditch, EC2A 4DQ.

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 7.30am–2.30pm, Sat-Sun 8.30am- 3.30pm.

Expect to pay: Butties £6-8.50, sarnies £8.50-9.50.