Breakfast in London

Breakfast in London splits two ways. There's the fry-up crowd, caffs and greasy spoons doing eggs and bacon and strong tea, the kind of place that hasn't changed its menu in decades. Then there's the newer wave, sourdough toast, shakshuka, oat flat whites, the sort of spot that fills up on a Saturday and doesn't take bookings.

Where you go depends on what you're after. Hackney and Peckham carry a lot of the newer cafe scene, small rooms with a queue out the door by ten. Soho and Borough have both worlds side by side, an old-school caff two doors down from somewhere doing matcha. Further out, in Walthamstow or Brixton, you'll find neighbourhood spots that don't bother chasing trend and are better for it.

Weekday breakfast tends to move fast, people eating before work, in and out. Weekends are slower, the queue is part of the ritual, and a lot of places lean into brunch instead, extending the menu into midday. If you're after something quick and cheap, look at the caffs and bakeries rather than the sit-down spots.

Some of what you'll find below overlaps with brunch and pop-up food events, markets doing breakfast stalls, one-off cafe openings, that sort of thing. Worth checking listings close to the date since the calendar shifts week to week.