Brunch is one of the most wonderful meals of the day, in my opinion. It’s not breakfast anymore, yet not lunch yet; you really don’t need brunch to survive — it exists exclusively as a means of having fun and enjoying yourself, with friends and/or family.
In addition, brunch is one of the only times when you can have alcohol in such early hours without being judged. Mimosas, bellinis, aperol? Hell yeah — all accompanied by delicious brunch foods, too.
While brunch culture has been way more prominent in the US, from what I know at least, that doesn’t mean that here in London brunching hasn’t been on the rise in popularity for the past few years. So without further ado, here are some of the best spots to have brunch in in London!
An iconic location available both in London and in multiple locations in the US (and also in Kuwait!), eggslut is a perfect location for a loaded, savoury brunch or lunch.
Offering a selection of sandwiches, burgers and delicious coffee, this location is, sadly, short on alcoholic cocktails, but don’t let that discourage you — it’s still incredibly good, and a good location to spend your time in.
Just beware: it’s going to be a heavy brunch. Don’t go there if you have things to do afterwards, because all you’ll actually want to do is sit around and/or simply just sleep.
185 Portobello Rd, Notting Hill, London W11 2ED
Located in Shoreditch (I will reiterate for a 100th time — everything in London is either on Brick Lane or nearby), St Leonards offers a whole separate, dedicated brunch menu — with a selection of wonderful cocktails that would cater to any tastes (from specialty beef stock Bloody Mary to peach Daiquiris), a wine list and a variety of dishes, which suit anyone, including vegetarians.
With a cozy interior, beautiful plating and a comfortable atmosphere, this surprisingly spacious, relaxed restaurant will allow you to have a good time while enjoying some flame-grilled oysters — is there much more you need for happiness?
70 Leonard St, Hackney, London EC2A 4QX
A London Bridge gem, this cute and cozy Australian-inspired café with an eclectic menu drawing inspiration from different corners of the world — but specifically differing corners of Asia — Lantana will welcome you with a cheery atmosphere, delicious food and a large variety of choices.
Different cocktails, different coffees, lighter and vegetarian menu options — this location has it all, prettily wrapped into tolerable prices and a cute location, garnished by quite decent prices. It offers a separate weekend brunch menu, too, which is available from nine in the morning, till four in the afternoon.
If you are in the Borough of Southwark and don’t feel like dealing with Borough Market which, while delicious and amazing, can still be a lot with the crowds and all the queueing and pushing through them that you have to accomplish, this place is perfect for you — be careful, though, it can get quite busy.
44-46 Southwark St, London SE1 1UN
An all-day dining restaurant, The Ivy offers a traditionally British yet sophisticated menu, with such classics as Shepherd’s Pie and Eggs Benny, yet also with such sudden choices as marinated tuna; a giant selection of alcohols; a vegan and a weekend brunch menu while still allowing you the liberty of ordering whatever the hell you want at most times.
Located in Soho, the heart of the city, this classic yet casual location is perfect if you want to experience the true spirit of London without busting your ass too much to find the ‘true’ authentic market locations.
It’s fantastically Instagrammable, too.
26-28 Broadwick St, Soho, London W1F 8JB
Kudu‘s modern European menu (with a lot of variety — from babkas to shakshuka) with a creative twist added onto all the seemingly traditional dishes, simple earthy atmosphere and wonderful terrace are all sure to leave a wonderful, lasting impression on you without completely destroying your wallet.
While reservations are advised they are not completely obligatory. The location is quite interesting, too — it’s not central London, which is where most of the cute and famous brunch locations are, so it’s worth a shot if you want to move beyond the main touristy sights and explore the real London most people live in.
119 Queen’s Rd, Peckham, London SE15 2EZ
A minimalistic location that has only just recently opened in South-East London borough of Lewisham, this cozy, small café with a seasonally changing menu is a small gem in the otherwise untouristy borough.
Besides a delicious variety of foods, it has a lot of other perks: you can bring your own wine, and it’s… dog-friendly! Yes, you may come in for lunch and end up meeting several cute doggos — and isn’t that just a wonderful thing to live through in late morning/early afternoon? Good mood guaranteed.
2 Rennell Street, Lewisham, London SE13 7HD
The stylish coffee/bar chain spread all across London, Grind grabs your attention with both the strange yet delicious menu, and the amazing pink-ish interior with neon lights in the otherwise minimalistic design.
You can buy ground coffee to take away and enjoy at home, you can sit at the bar and sip on a gin & tonic, you can enjoy some food or you can order something surprising, like a beetroot-based cup of coffee that honestly tastes like a caffeinated beetroot smoothie (so delicious).
It has multiple locations across London — in Covent Garden, the tourist center of London, but also in the gorgeous borough of Greenwich, in Shoreditch (duh), Clerkenwell and on the iconic Liverpool Street — so feel free to indulge yourself wherever you are.
8 Broadgate, London EC2M 1QS (Liverpool St)
17-19 Nelson Rd, Greenwich Peninsula, London SE10 9JB (Greenwich)
213 Old St, Old Street, London EC1V 9NR (Shoreditch)
42 Maiden Ln, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7LJ (Covent Garden)
Another South-East London that describes itself as being ‘intimate and quirky’, which is a very apt description.
Chinwag, located right next to one of the artsiest colleges of the University of London, offers a selection of absolutely fantastically varied burgers, breakfast dishes, salads and drinks at a very decent price point, allowing you to bask in the sun with a cigarette, a bellini and some delicious eggs royale.
21 Lewisham Way, New Cross, London SE14 6PP
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