Londoners love nothing more than a hearty breakfast. The Brits claim to have invented the word "brunch" for the mid-morning ritual which evolved from the grand "hunt" breakfasts of old; what's undisputed is their dedication to the meal. In the city, weekday meetings no longer involve wine-laden lunches but instead occur much earlier over a feast of poached eggs, avocado on rye, and cold-pressed juice. On weekends, as suggested by the street-side queues, brunch successfully competes with the nation's one-time favorite meal — the Sunday roast.
Breakfast in Britain has been defined by the "full English," a "fry up" of bacon, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, and beans beloved since Victorian times. Riffs on the tradition are still found across every corner of the country. And yes, you can find smashed avocado on sourdough almost everywhere, too. But these days when it comes to breaking the fast, London's melting pot offers so much more; there are few instances of food from all over the world coming together more amicably than in the breakfast pan.
As a (very general) rule, the further west you are, the more traditional the breakfast options. Find yourself as far east as Shoreditch and there's enough variation to satisfy any craving: from old-school bacon and eggs at St. John to Peruvian super-shakes at Andina. Meanwhile, the best of the capital's established chains, Indian-inspired Dishoom and Middle Eastern Nopi, have their flagship cafés in the central West End, while stalwarts like the Wolseley further west in Mayfair will never go out of favor.
From pretty pastries at the Modern Pantry and maple-drenched pancakes at the Breakfast Club to Taiwanese steamed buns at Mr Bao in uber-cool Peckham, you can find it all in the English capital. Without further ado, and in geographical order, Eater's guide on where to start your mornings in London:
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