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Top 10 London brunch spots
From high-class cafés to sky-high dining rooms, we round up some of London’s top brunch spots, for when a cup of tea and a slice of toast just won’t do.
Ideally served between 11am and 3pm on a weekend, brunch is typically a combination of breakfast and lunch. The term originated in England in the late 1800s spreading to the US by the 1930s and is today more popular than ever with brunch becoming something of an art form.
No longer is brunch simply a means to fill a hole after waking up late and waiting for dinner, but a social occasion befitting of high-quality food, sophisticated serves and spectacular views. Whether its a bottomless brunch in Battersea or a European-chic Schnitzel, the possibilities it seems are endless.
Jazz up your weekend breakfast jaunts by visiting one of these London hot spots…
Duck and Waffle, City
Housed on the 40th floor of the shiny Heron Tower – the tallest building in the City – the entrance to Duck & Waffle comes via a Willy Wonka-esque glass elevator that opens out to a stylish dining room with stunning views across the capital. Happily, the quality of its food more than matches its sky-high setting. Dishes include delectable delight such as duck egg cocotte with wild mushrooms, gruyére and truffles (£11) and the ox cheek benedict with organic hen’s egg and hollandaise (£11).
Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, London, EC2N 4AY
The Wolseley, Piccadilly
Arrive at The Wolseley before 11.30am and indulge in a breakfast fit for a King. On weekends this luxurious hotel boasts a vast menu of well-worn favourites such as smoked salmon bagel (£11.95) and eggs benedict (£14.50), as well as the less-seen haggis with fried duck egg (£10.75) or the devilled lamb kidneys with crispy bacon (£9.25). Add to this its array of continental coffees including the Mozart, comprising espresso with a hazelnut liqueur and chantilly cream, and you have a recipe for a spectacularly sophisticated brunch.
160 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9EB
The Breakfast Club, Soho
The Soho branch of The Breakfast Club is so popular it’s often hard to edge your way inside the door, not that its often heaving-nature should put you off. As its name suggests, breakfast is this eatery’s its forte with hearty plates of waffles, pancakes, bacon and eggs its staple fare. Brunch is served until 5pm everyday with highlights including its breakfast burrito (£9), posh sausage sandwich (£6) and the gut-busting all American – pancakes with eggs, sausage, home-style potatoes, bacon and maple syrup (£10.50). There are also branches in Angel, Spitalfields, Battersea Rise, Hoxton and the recently opened London Bridge.
33 D’Arblay Street, W1F 8EU
Balthazar, Covent Garden
The original Balthazar opened in New York in 1997 under the leadership of Keith McNally. A New York French brasserie, Balthazar’s London branch opened in Covent Garden in 2013. At the weekend it lays on a brunch menu from 10 to 4pm serving up French classics such as steak tartare (£15.25) and moules frites (£15.50) alongside stateside favourites such as New York pancakes with fresh bananas and maple syrup (£8). For those in search of the scent of freshly baked bread, check out its adjacent boulangerie, which opens from 8.30am to 7.30pm Monday through Saturday and from 10am to 6pm on a Sunday.
4-6 Russell St, London WC2B 5HZ
One Canada Square
Nestled in the concrete jungle that is Canary Wharf, One Canada Square offers an array of breakfast options from the express and standard a la carte brunch menu to the impressive sounding “bottomless brunch”. Its classic brunch menu is served every Saturday from 9am to 5pm with dishes dishes including soft shell crab ‘Benedict’ with jalapeno hollandaise (£8.50), and its signature OCS breakfast which comprises a fried duck egg, crisp pancetta, chorizo, morcilla and hash browns with an English muffin (£17). Dine between 1 and 4pm and be serenaded by West End trained pianist tinkling the keys of the restaurant’s white, baby-grand piano.
1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5AB
Bunga Bunga
Every Saturday Bunga Bunga, located south of the river in Battersea, hosts its Bunga Bunga brunch which it says is “something that has to be experienced to truly be believed.” For two hours on a Saturday guests to this Italian Brasserie, dubbed “the Englishman’s Italian”, can indulge in all-you-can-drink prosecco and bellinis while dining on a three-course brunch menu comprising breads, jams, antipasti meat platters and pizzas followed by sweet dessert pizzas topped with fresh fruit and mascarpone. The first sitting is £38 a head, the second £48.
37 Battersea Bridge Road, Battersea, London SW11 3BA
Flesh & Buns, Soho
If you’re looking for an alternative to the traditional eggs and bacon then Flesh and Buns’ Japanese Sunday brunch could be the answer. For £39 you can enjoy a bottomless brunch which includes a cocktail on arrival, chips, dips and edamame beans, unlimited small plates such as beef tataki, seafood ceviche, sushi rolls and sashimi and yakitori, a selection of the restaurant’s signature Flesh & Buns and a dessert for the table. Add to that unlimited prosecco, red or white wine and you have a recipe for a truly splendid Japanese banquet. Sensibly, the restaurant has a two dining limit.
41 Earlham Street, London, WC2H 9LX
Aqua Shard, London Bridge
Housed on the 31st floor of the Shard in London Bridge, Aqua Shard is one of London’s newest restaurants, opening earlier this year, and boasts one of its most spectacular views. On a weekday you can enjoy an “express breakfast” comprising juice, tea and a selection of pastries for a reasonable £9 until 10.30am. Other choices include lobster benedict (£19) and smoked salmon with sourdough and creme fraiche (£14). At the weekend, a three-course £48 per person brunch menu is available from 10.30am to 3.30pm which includes beetroot cured salmon, rock oysters, grilled swordfish, beef rump with welsh eggs and lemon meringue tart to name a few.
Level 31, The Shard, 31 St Thomas St, London, SE1 9RY
Fischers, Marylebone
With its classic Viennese café menu, Fischers offers a sophisticated spot to sip an espresso while tucking into a schnitzel. Its brunch menu runs from from 11.30am to 5pm serving up a tantalising array of cured fish, salads, sausages and strudels. Among the highlights is its sausage menu which come served with potato salad, sauerkraut and caramelised onions. We particularly like the sound of the Berner Würstel – a pork and garlic sausage wrapped in bacon with emmental cheese. Predictably, its wine list is dominated by Austrian, German, French Alsatian and Hungarian, the majority available by the glass.
50 Marylebone High St, Marylebone, London, W1U 5HN
Chiltern Firehouse, Marylebone
The Chiltern Firehouse has become a magnet for superstars since it first opened nine months under the watchful eye of André Balazs’ of LA’s Château Marmont. David Beckham, Kate Moss, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Kylie Minogue and Julianne Moore are just some of the stars to pass through its dining room in recent months, bringing a dash of celebrity sparkle to this 19th century Grade II listed building. If you’re not a superstar, getting a reservation at this hotspot might prove tricky. However it does put on a weekend brunch menu from 11am to 3pm pushing dishes such as lobster and scrambled eggs, celebrity spotting included, for £18. No bookings are taken so it’s worth arriving early.
1 Chiltern St, Marylebone, London W1U 7PA