The Best Brunch in East London

East London is brunch’s spiritual home.

It started out with the Aussie coffee houses, and now you can score a good breakfast at dozens of different cafés and restaurants, from Middle Eastern mezze to Singaporean toast, Sri Lankan spreads, and the good ol’ Full English.

Behold, The Nudge’s pick of the best brunches in East London:
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Morito Hackney Road | Haggerston

Seamlessly weaving influences from Crete, Spain and Northern Africa, Morito is where to head next time you get a hankering for chickpea pancakes drizzled with Cretan honey; Menemen eggs with sujuk sausage; and flatbread toasties filled with piping hot graviera and feta cheese.

Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Weekends 10am-12pm
Address: 195 Hackney Road, London E2 8JL | Visit their website
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Pavilion Café | Victoria Park

Avid Hills/Flickr

The Pav has been feeding Victoria Park‘s strollers for over a decade, and its Sri Lankan breakfast (with string hoppers, dahl and coconut sambol) has earned its place as an East London brunch mainstay.

Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? No
Timings: Open weekdays from 7am, weekends from 8am
Address: Victoria Park, Old Ford Road, London E9 7DE | Visit their website
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Llama Inn | Shoreditch

The phrase ‘Peruvian rooftop brunch’ ought to be enough to pique anyone’s curiosity about Llama Inn’s new Sunday offering… and that curiosity will be richly rewarded, thanks to refreshingly citrusy mixto ceviche with grilled octopus & avocado; some gorgeously fluffy pancakes draped in sweet chancaca, muña brown butter & cream; and half a grilled chicken with a wonderfully seasoned skin, some moreish aji crema, and crisp cups of baby gem lettuce to scoop it all up in.

Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Sunday, 11am-4pm
Address: The Hoxton Shoreditch, 1 Willow St, EC2A 4BH | Visit their website
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Bistrotheque | Bethnal Green

Bistrotheque’s brunch (accompanied by Xavior on piano) has a menu of almost a dozen brunch-only cocktails, and a slightly more condensed menu of dishes (Full English, French Toast, etc.). So at least they have their priorities straight.

Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? Yes | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Weekends 11am-4pm (live piano 12-3pm)
Address: 23-27 Wadeson Street, E2 9DR | Visit their website
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The Breakfast Club | Spitalfields, Hoxton & Across London

The Breakfast Club started out as an ode to 80s pop culture, and inadvertently kick-started London’s brunch obsession. Nowadays their upbeat, retro caffs are all over the city, lavishing punters with giant stacks of pancakes; eggs every which way; and their famous hangover-busting smoothies.

Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes, but weekends mostly walk-in
Timings: All day, every day
Address: See restaurants & book here
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Ozone | Old Street, Bethnal Green

An all day Antipodean brunch joint that takes its coffee seriously (they roast the stuff in-house, and supply literally hundreds of other coffee shops and restaurants around the world). And to go with it? How does eggs benny on bubble & squeak cakes; kimchi fritters with wild garlic; or banana bread with cultured butter sound…

Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Weekdays only
Timings: Weekdays 7.30am-3pm, weekends 8.30am-4pm
Address: 11 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4AQ | Visit their website
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Brunswick East | Dalston & Hackney Downs

An East London stalwart that keeps going from strength to strength. They’ve just opened a second branch that serves all the hits – chilli poached eggs with garlic yoghurt; Japanese savoury pancakes; fermented cherries on sourdough – you name it.

Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? No
Timings: Weekdays (reduced brunch menu) 8.30am-5pm, weekends 9am-5pm
Address: Unit 3D Stamford Works, Gillett Street, N16 8JH | 47-317 Amhurst Terrace, Hackney Downs, E8 2BT | Visit their website
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Snackbar | Dalston

Sam Harris

Snackbar’s globetrotting morning menu brings together hash brown & chorizo breakfast burritos; kimcheese croissants and the SnackMuffin – a gourmand’s take on that breakfast muffin – in pared-back, relaxed surroundings.

Details: Bottomless booze? Yes | All you can eat? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Wed-Fri from 8am, weekends from 10am
Address: 20 Dalston Lane, E8 3AZ | Visit their website
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Brother Marcus | Spitalfields, Borough & Angel

BM will ply you with dishes like fried chicken & potato rosti; brioche French toast with bacon floss; and stacks of courgette and feta fritters with a poached egg. Just like a good brother should.

Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Weekdays from 8.30am, weekends from 10am
Address: 2 Crispin Place, E1 6DW | Visit their website
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Lantana | Old Street, Fitzrovia, London Bridge

Modelled after the Australian cafes that the owners used to frequent in Sydney, Lantana does delicious cocktails (everything from espresso martinis to a Chai Old Fashioned), solid brunch dishes (rhubarb & custard French toast, corn fritters, bubble & squeak with black pudding, etc.), and stellar coffee.

Details: Bottomless booze? Yes | All you can eat? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Weekdays 8am-12pm, weekends 9am-4pm
Address: 2 Oliver’s Yard, 55 City Road, London EC1Y 1HQ | Visit their website
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Dishoom | Shoreditch, Carnaby, Covent Garden, King’s Cross, Kensington

A selection of traditional Parsi appetisers and modern South Bombay street-grills in tantalising sharing plates. And that bacon naan. Wow.

Details: Bottomless booze? No | All you can eat? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: 8-11.45am weekdays, 9-11.45am weekends
Address: 7 Boundary Street, E2 7JE | Visit their website
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E5 Bakehouse | Hackney

Made entirely with exclusively organic, UK-grown wheat ground by the on-site stone mill each day at sunrise, this railway arch’s baking sustains the planet… and their breakfast will sustain you.

Details: Bottomless booze? No | All you can eat? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? No
Timings: Daily, from 7.30am weekdays/8am weekends
Address: Arch 396, Mentmore Terrace, E8 3PH | Visit their website
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The Marksman | Hackney

Anton Rodriguez

London’s home of the roast just became home of the brunch, too. Dine on sophisticated brunch classics like treacle sourdough or Dorset crab kedgeree, or just cave and go for the wing rib with onion rings and fried eggs for two.

Details: Bottomless booze? No | All you can eat? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Saturdays, 11am-3pm
Address: 254 Hackney Road, London, E2 7SJ | Visit their website
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Duck and Waffle | Liverpool Street

Saving you any painful decision-making by naming the restaurant after their best brunch dish, D&W seal the deal by serving it to you on the 40th floor, with one of the best views in the city.

Details: Bottomless booze? No | All you can eat? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Breakfast weekdays 6-11am, brunch on weekends & bank holidays 6am-4.30pm
Address: 110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY | Visit their website
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Crispin | Spitalfields

Start the weekend right with Crispin’s brunch deal, landing you a glass of wine or fizz alongside a small plate (pork & sage croquettes, burrata with plum & hazelnuts, etc); a main (eggs royale with coppa ham; pork schnitzel Holstein); and a dessert for £30.

Details: Bottomless booze? No | All you can eat? No | Set menu? Available | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Weekends 10am-3pm
Address: Pavilion on The Corner, White’s Row, E1 7NF | Visit their website
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Jones & Sons | Dalston

A legendary London brunch. Not only are the drinks bottomless, but the food is too. Enjoy infinite smoked salmon & scrambled eggs, waffles, pancakes, French toast, Benedicts, Full Englishes, and more.

Details: Bottomless booze? Yes | All you can eat? Yes | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Saturday 11am-5pm
Address: Stamford Works, 3 Gillett Street, N16 8JH | Visit their website
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