Hattie Lloyd 11/07/22
Brunch in North London: not just north of the river, but north of expectations too.
Here you can visit a new, nostalgia-laced greasy spoon from former Lyle’s chefs; cosy neighbourhood cafés; swanky restaurants on the 10th floor; outdoor terraces and more… –
Common Ground | Finsbury Park
This little neighbourhood café, with its beautiful, spacious back garden, really will give you common ground. Because if there’s one thing everyone can agree on, it’s that this is one of the best vegetarian brunch spots in the city. And their dishes all go rather nicely with a Garibaldi cocktail and a slice of freshly baked chocolate babka…
Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? No Timings: Weekdays 8.30am-4pm, Saturday 9.30am-4.30pm, Sunday 9.30am-4pm Address: 49 Stroud Green Road, London N4 3EF | Visit their website –
Sunday | Barnsbury, Belsize Park
Barnsbury might seem like a long way to go for brunch (unless you already live there, of course). But trust us, when you’re knee-deep in chilli beef with soft corn grits and fried eggs, that suddenly won’t seem to matter.
Details: Bottomless booze? No | All you can eat? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? No Timings: Tues-Fri 8.30am-5pm, weekends 9am-5pm Address: 169 Hemingford Road, N1 1DA | Rowland Hill St, NW3 2AD | Visit their website –
Ginger & White | Hampstead
A cosy neighbourhood spot tucked down a picturesque Hampstead side street, which specialises in good old-fashioned breakfast dishes like buttered sourdough soldiers and runny eggs, beans on toast and homemade peanut butter.
Details: Bottomless booze? No | All you can eat? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? No Timings: Weekdays 7.30am-5.30pm, weekends 8am-6pm Address: 4a – 5a Perrins Court, NW3 1QS | Visit their website –
Norman’s | Tufnell Park
A newly-opened, old-school greasy spoon, where you can score no-frills ham, eggs & chips; cheese on toast and bacon rolls with change from a fiver.
Details: Bottomless booze? No | All you can eat? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? No Timings: Wed-Sun, 10am-3pm Address: 167 Junction Road, London, N19 5PZ | Visit their website –
Ottolenghi | Islington
Yotam Ottolenghi: political activist, gay rights campaigner, pilates instructor, philosophy and comparative literature major and multi award-winning cook-book writer. He also owns and runs Ottolenghi…and the brunch there is as great as he is.
Details: Bottomless booze? No | All you can eat? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? No Timings: Mon-Sat 8am-12pm, Sun 9am-1pm Address: 287 Upper Street London N1 2TZ |Visit their website –
Granger and Co. | Kings Cross, Clerkenwell, Chelsea, Notting Hill, Marylebone
Bill Granger made his name as a chef thanks to his scrambled eggs. Head to the sleekly designed Granger and Co. for brunch, and you’ll find out why.
Details: Bottomless booze? No | All you can eat? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? No Timings (King’s Cross): Weekdays from 7am-12pm, weekends 8am-12pm Address: Stanley Building, 7 Pancras Square, London N1C 4AG | Visit their website –
Kipferl | Angel
It’s been too long since you had a traditional Bauernfrühstuck. Get along to Kipferl on Camden Passage, and feast on traditional Austrian farmers’ breakfast stir fries; French toast with milk bread; and the legendary Viennese Sachertorte.
Details: Bottomless booze? No | All you can eat? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? No Timings: Daily from 10am Address: 20 Camden Passage, London N1 8ED | Visit their website –
Brother Marcus | Angel, Borough & Spitalfields
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: Daily from 9.30am Address: 37-39 Camden Passage, N1 8EA | Visit their website –
Caravan | King’s Cross (and Exmouth Market, Canary Wharf, Fitzrovia, Bankside & City)
A London brunch classic, Caravan roasts coffee in-house, and dishes out numbers like vanilla pancakes with date molasses; chorizo and potato hash; and fried jalapeño cornbread with avocado and a fried egg. And the King’s Cross branch has a sizeable outdoor terrace overlooking the fountains of Granary Square.
Details: Bottomless booze? No | All you can eat? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Weekdays only Timings (King’s Cross): Weekday breakfast 8-11.30am, weekend brunch 9am-4pm Address: 1 Granary Square, N1C 4AA |Visit their website –
Coal Office | King’s Cross
Coal Office: the best (and only) answer to the question “where can I find buttered scallop and Yemeni pancake with grilled octopus prepared by The Palomar’s Assaf Granit in a sleek, Tom Dixon-designed space?”
Details: Bottomless booze? No | All you can eat? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes Timings: Weekends, 12-4pm Address: 2 Bagley Walk, London N1C 4PQ | Visit their website –
Beam | Crouch End, Highbury, Notting Hill
Run by a mother and son team, Beam is home to London’s most generous brunch dish: the colossal Mediterranean breakfast with grilled halloumi; egg; feta filo pastry parcels; avo; sausage; more feta; olives; feta; and harissa yoghurt cascading off the plate.
Details: Bottomless booze? No | All you can eat? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? No Timings: Daily from 8am, be prepared to queue at weekends Address: 40-41 Topsfield Parade, N8 8PT | 184 Blackstock Road, N5 1EF | Visit their website –
Granary Square Brasserie | King’s Cross
From the same group behind The Ivy, GSB is just as delicious, only with more exposed piping and some very reasonable prices… oh, and eggs benedict. With chips.
Details: Bottomless booze? No | All you can eat? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes Timings: Weekends & bank holidays, 11am-3.45pm, breakfast menu available daily from 8.30am Address: 1 Granary Square, N1C 4AB | Visit their website –
Dishoom | King’s Cross, Kensington, Shoreditch, Carnaby, Covent Garden
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: 5 Stable Street, N1C 4AB | Visit their website –
Decimo | King’s Cross
Decimo not only looks incredible, but it tastes incredible, too. The food, from multi-Michelin Star winner Peter Sanchez-Iglesias, includes meltingly good Iberico pork skewers, fragrant tortillas dotted with plump gambas rojas, and entire jugs of margarita made with Mexican key limes. And that’s just for starters.
Details: Bottomless booze? No, but margaritas are available by the jug | All you can eat? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes Timings: Saturdays 12-2.30pm Address: The Standard London, 10 Argyle Street, WC1H 8EG | Visit their website
Looking for more ideas? Check out our full guide to brunch in London
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