You may have heard but Londoners love brunch. It’s the highlight of the social calendar when it comes to the weekend. Locals’ Instagram stories are peppered with dukkah-topped poached eggs and avocado on sourdough, watered down with mimosas – or sultry brunchers donning big sunglasses and a Bloody Mary, accompanied by spicy Turkish eggs.
Brunch is more than just food for locals, it’s a lifestyle choice. And it’s a difficult choice to make when it comes to location. Whether you want brunch with a view on the canalside, or in a Middle Eastern-inspired gem hidden amongst railway arches – London has it all, and it can be pretty overwhelming.
Writer (and North East London local) Emmie Harrison-West, reveals the hottest brunch spots you need to make room for in your social calendar right now.
To get more hundreds of recommendations for the coolest places in London, check out Like a Local London:
Brunch is more than just food for locals, it’s a lifestyle choice. And it’s a difficult choice to make when it comes to location. Whether you want brunch with a view on the canalside, or in a Middle Eastern-inspired gem hidden amongst railway arches – London has it all, and it can be pretty overwhelming.
Writer (and North East London local) Emmie Harrison-West, reveals the hottest brunch spots you need to make room for in your social calendar right now.
To get more hundreds of recommendations for the coolest places in London, check out Like a Local London:
London Like a Local
View BookYou're a Good Egg
Not an early riser? Fear not—one of the best brunch spots in East London, The Good Egg, offers breakfast all-day long. Join the queue of effortlessly trendy Stoke Newington locals waiting to pile into this surprisingly serene nook of wooden tables, stripped floorboards and whitewashed walls peppered with jars of pickled lemons.
Opt for locally-sourced coffee from Volcano, Jerusalem-inspired sharing plates with breakfast cocktails to cure that hangover, or share cult-favourite chocolate babka. You can even take the braided delight home with you to bake for yourself in a DIY kit sold in store.
https://www.thegoodegg.co/stoke-newington/
93 Stoke Newington Church St, London N16 0AS
Opt for locally-sourced coffee from Volcano, Jerusalem-inspired sharing plates with breakfast cocktails to cure that hangover, or share cult-favourite chocolate babka. You can even take the braided delight home with you to bake for yourself in a DIY kit sold in store.
https://www.thegoodegg.co/stoke-newington/
93 Stoke Newington Church St, London N16 0AS
Meet me at Millfields Coffee
Pastel pink walls and an airy dining space that spills onto the park-lined street makes Millfields Coffee a perfect spot for Clapton locals. It’s smaller and more low-key than most spots in East London, but you’ll find a range of loyal clientele – including girlfriends gossiping over a brew, young couples getting close over croissants, and mothers with gurgling babies.
You cannot say you’ve done brunch at Millfields Coffee without ordering the Turkish eggs. Steeped in oil and lashings of rich yoghurt, they’re silky, rich and delicious. As an added bonus, book your brunch on a Sunday to swing by the proper East End market outside the café.
https://www.millfieldscoffee.co.uk/
145 Chatsworth Rd, Lower Clapton, London E5 0LA
You cannot say you’ve done brunch at Millfields Coffee without ordering the Turkish eggs. Steeped in oil and lashings of rich yoghurt, they’re silky, rich and delicious. As an added bonus, book your brunch on a Sunday to swing by the proper East End market outside the café.
https://www.millfieldscoffee.co.uk/
145 Chatsworth Rd, Lower Clapton, London E5 0LA
I’ll find you up the Towpath
Towpath Café is the canalside caff run by a trio of foodies that has attracted a cult following over the years. Their cheese toasties have garnered them a spot in the brunch hall of fame (apparently Keira Knightley is a fan), but it’s the ever-changing menu made from locally-sourced ingredients that keeps Haggerston's hipsters returning again and again.
Nurse a steaming mug of coffee on shabby chic furniture, all the while watching lazy dog walkers dodge Boris bikes on the waterfront.
https://www.towpathlondon.com/
42 De Beauvoir Cres, London N1 5SB
Nurse a steaming mug of coffee on shabby chic furniture, all the while watching lazy dog walkers dodge Boris bikes on the waterfront.
https://www.towpathlondon.com/
42 De Beauvoir Cres, London N1 5SB
Hop into the Caravan
For a small, London-based chain, Caravan doesn’t disappoint when it comes to its self-billed “well-travelled” food. Drool over their globally-inspired sharing-styles plates like deep-fried duck egg, baba ganoush, chorizo oil and crispy shallots – paired with a delicious flat white, or espresso martini (who are we to judge) direct from their in-house roastery.
Caravans are usually in fantastic locations for foodies and London-strollers alike, too. Explore Exmouth Market after brunch if you opt for Farringdon, and Borough Market or Southbank scenes if you choose the Bankside branch.
Caravans are usually in fantastic locations for foodies and London-strollers alike, too. Explore Exmouth Market after brunch if you opt for Farringdon, and Borough Market or Southbank scenes if you choose the Bankside branch.
Work it at The Coal Office
The seriously stylish open-air shopping hotspot, Coals Drop Yard, a stone's throw from King Cross St Pancras tube station, has been attracting in-the-know Londoners since its transformation in 2018. Hidden amongst the sweeping Victorian railway arches is The Coal Office, where the industrial style of designer Tom Dixon meets the innovative cuisine of chef Assaf Granit.
Join on-trend foodies on the terrace, overlooking spectacular views of the Yard, opting for steaming coffee and a selection of Middle Eastern-inspired small plates. Expect delicious soft, brioche-style breads, with silky-smooth eggs, seasonal vegetables and gloopy tahini.
Join on-trend foodies on the terrace, overlooking spectacular views of the Yard, opting for steaming coffee and a selection of Middle Eastern-inspired small plates. Expect delicious soft, brioche-style breads, with silky-smooth eggs, seasonal vegetables and gloopy tahini.
https://coaloffice.com/
2 Bagley Walk, London N1C 4PQ