Brunch has really been going south recently.
And we mean that in a good way – because South London’s loaded with excellent places to get brunch, from low-key cafés to Antipodean-styled cult classics and Michelin Bib Gourmand winners.
Here they be:
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Kudu | Peckham
Treat your friends to honey roasted ham crumpet with black pudding; French toast babka with kumquats and miso caramel; and Boerewors sausage rolls with egg and crispy shallots at South African joint Kudu… and you’re guaranteed to get kudos.
Details: Bottomless booze? No but you can get a jug of BM | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Weekends, 11am-2.30pm
Address: 119 Queens Road, SE15 2EZ | Book brunch at Kudu
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Mr. Bao & Daddy Bao | Peckham, Tooting
Sourdough leaving a sour taste? Time to get down to Mr. Bao and its, er, younger sibling, Daddy Bao, where breakfast classics are given an inventive spin with flavours from across Asia. Baked beans? Pff. Try their richly spice mapo beans. Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs? Try that atop a toasted bao. Pancakes? Swap them for the kimchi pancakes here, lavished with sweetcorn salsa. It’s one of the more unusual brunch menus you can find in London, and the great-value bottomless offering could see this brunch turning into a brinner…
Details: Bottomless booze? Yes | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Mr Bao: 11am-4.30pm. Daddy Bao: 11.30am-3.45pm
Address: 293-295 Rye Lane, SE15 4UA | 113 Mitcham Road, SW17 9PE | Book brunch at Mr Bao | Daddy Bao
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The Laundry | Brixton
This place really hangs other brunch spots out to dry. Take a seat on their parasol-shaded terrace outside the beautiful terracotta building (once an Edwardian steam laundry), sip a bellini or two, and feel thoroughly refreshed by their Antipodean-styled menu of toasted banana bread with honeycomb butter; comforting courgette & cheddar cornbread with a perky tomato salsa; and some magnificent Turkish eggs with hot chilli butter & whipped yoghurt.
Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Weekdays 8.30am-12pm, Saturday 10am-3pm, Sunday 10am-12pm
Address: 374 Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8PL | Book brunch at The Laundry
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Nandine | Camberwell
Time to get acquainted with Kurdish brunch: head to either of Camberwell’s cosy branches of Nandine for specialities like mexlama (a.k.a. shakshuka with beef mince) and samoun ba chai (flatbread with yoghurt, cheese, honeycomb, walnuts & chai) in a warm, welcoming nook seating just a dozen punters at a time.
Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Church St: weekends from 11am. Vestry Rd: Fri-Sat from 10am (temporarily closed for refurb)
Address: 45 Camberwell Church St, London SE5 8TR | 82 Vestry Rd, London SE5 8PQ | Book brunch at Nandine
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Lolo | Bermondsey
José Pizarro’s latest restaurant is his first to open for breakfast – and it’s a responsibility he’s taking very seriously. Treat your tongue to rare Spanish delights like tortilla vaga (that’s ‘lazy omelette’) with crisps, caramelised onion & Ibérico ham; devilled eggs & sobrasada; ‘Bikini’ Ibérico ham & cheese sandwiches with black truffle; and red wine torrija (the Spanish answer to French toast) with caramelised sourdough & cheese ice cream…
Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Daily, 8am-10pm (yes really)
Address: 102 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3UB | Book brunch at Lolo
Where the Pancakes Are | Southwark, Battersea, Fitzrovia
Pancakes are what brunches are made of, and this brunch is made of pancakes. Available all day, they come as classic American numbers with streaky bacon; savoury pancakes topped with the likes of pulled beef pastrami; sweet stacks loaded with banana, marshmallow and salted caramel; and Dutch babies (a kind of baked, loaded Yorkshire Pudding) that will feel weird to order, but great to eat.
Details: Bottomless booze? No, but you can get a half-litre carafe of mimosa | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Daily, 8am-5pm (9pm some days)
Address: Arch 35a, 85a Southwark Bridge Road, SE1 0NQ | Ground Floor, Battersea Power Station, SW11 8BZ | 7 Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia, W1T 1RG | Book brunch at Where The Pancakes Are
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Milk | Balham
Trust us, the queue outside only serves to sharpen your appetite for what is truly the best brunch of all time. Expect the likes of buckwheat pancakes with chinotto caramel and coffee parfait; parmesan-dusted breakfast burgers; and baked eggs with merguez sausage and home-made labneh.
PS: If the wait’s too long, pop along to their bakery Milk Run on Ritherdon Road for a quick bite.
Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? No
Timings: Weekdays 8am-3.30pm, Saturday 8am-4pm, Sunday 9am-4pm
Address: 18-20 Bedford Hill, SW12 9RG | Visit Milk’s website
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Brickwood | Clapham, Battersea, Balham, Streatham, Tooting, Elephant & Castle
Brunch at this South London-exclusive empire of Aussie cafes isn’t one to take lightly; instead go heavy on the likes of a breakfast burrito (stuffed with scrambled egg, sausage, melted cheese, mushrooms and potatoes), four-cheese sourdough toasties (stuffed with aged cheddar, red Leicester, mozzarella, cream cheese and a healthy dose of Franks hot sauce) and a stack of blueberry buttermilk pancakes, that yes, you should order extra bacon with…
Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? No
Timings: Daily 7.30am-4pm (8am weekends)
Address: 16 Clapham Common South Side, London SW4 7AB | Visit Brickwood’s website
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The Watergate | Deptford
There’s nothing scandalous about The Watergate’s gratifying brunch of seven-hour slow-cooked salt beef with garlic bubble & squeak; coconut bread with lemon curd cream cheese; and burrata with chilli beans on toast.
Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Weekends from 10am
Address: 7 Watergate Street, Deptford SE8 3HR | Book brunch at The Watergate
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Murger Han | Elephant & Castle
Sometimes, it’s good to think inside the box. Like at Murger Han, the fantastic Xi’an restaurant known for its authentically prepared murger (often described as the world’s first hamburger… invented a mere 2000 years before the hamburger). Their South London restaurant now serves brunch on weekends, and represents one of the few places to enjoy a traditional Chinese breakfast in London. Their tasting tray features dishes like black tea spiced egg, scallion pancakes and a deep fried bun with condensed milk. You’ll never go off-grid again…
Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? Available | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Weekends from 9am-3pm
Address: 4 Castle Square, London SE17 1EN | Book brunch at Murger Han
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Aqua Shard | London Bridge
Nothing beats watching a panorama of London waking up hundreds of feet below you. Except, maybe, doing that with a three course brunch feast including a full English (meaty or veggie); eggs Benedict; waffles with treacle-cured streaky bacon… and wine.
Details: Bottomless booze? No, but wine pairings available | Set menu? Yes | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Weekends and bank holidays, 10.30am-3pm
Address: Level 31, The Shard, 31 St. Thomas Street, SE1 9RY | Book brunch at Aqua Shard
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Caravan | London Bridge & across London
A London brunch classic, Caravan roasts coffee in-house, and dishes up numbers like vanilla pancakes with date molasses; chorizo and potato hash; and fried jalapeño cornbread with avocado and fried egg.
Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings (LB): Weekday breakfast 8-11.30am, weekend brunch 9am-4pm
Address: 30 Great Guildford Street, London SE1 0HS | Book brunch at Caravan
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Lina Stores | Clapham
Sure, a typical Italian breakfast equates to a single shot of espresso, necked in a matter of minutes while standing at a counter. But brunch at Lina Stores Clapham is a far more leisurely affair with Tuscan sausage & fried egg focaccia sandwiches, truffled eggs & rosemary fried potatoes… and espresso.
Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Weekends 9-11.30am
Address: 22 The Pavement, London, SW4 0HY | Book brunch at Lina Stores
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Lantana | London Bridge, Fitzrovia, Old Street
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), excellent brunch dishes (rhubarb & custard French toast, corn fritters, bubble & squeak with black pudding, etc.), and stellar coffee.
Details: Bottomless booze? Yes | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Weekdays 7.30am-12pm, weekends 9am-4pm
Address: 44-46 Southwark Street, London SE1 1UN | Book brunch at Lantana
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Santo Remedio Café | Shoreditch & London Bridge
Santo Remedio – or ‘Holy Remedy’ – is, by definition, your cure after a long week. It’s pretty easy to bag a good avo on toast or full English in East London, but black pudding tacos, chorizo quesadillas and free flowing margaritas & Mexican beers? Now that’s the stuff that will light up your weekend.
Details: Bottomless booze? Yes | Set menu? Yes | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Weekends 12-4pm
Address: 152 Tooley Street, London SE1 2TU | Book brunch at Santo Remedio
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Brother Marcus | Borough, Angel, South Ken & Spitalfields
BM will ply you with hearty brunch 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, but 2 cocktails for £20 | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Weekdays 8.30am-12pm, Sat 9am-4pm, Sun 9.30am-4pm
Address: 1 Dirty Lane, London SE1 9PA | Book brunch at Brother Marcus
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Juliet’s Quality Foods | Tooting
Mad, bad and dangerous to know: Juliet’s will fill your belly with breakfast bagels; whipped ricotta & kumquat doughnut bread; and sourdough waffles with lime curd & meringue – then empty your wallet with a tempting array of luxury provisions to take home.
Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? No
Timings: Daily 9am-3pm (4pm weekends)
Address: 110 Mitcham Road, SW17 9NG | Visit Juliet’s website
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Frank’s
Frank’s made its name doling out Campari spritzes to the denizens of South East London from its car park rooftop. But now it’s just as famed for its brunch, comprising grilled cheese sandwiches; pastrami brisket hash with a fried egg; and creamed leeks with house smoked salmon on toast… on a car park rooftop.
Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? No
Timings: Weekends 11am-4pm until 14th September
Address: 10th Floor, Multi Storey Car Park, 95A Rye Lane, SE15 4ST | Visit Frank’s website
Willing to travel on a Sunday morning? Then check out our Top 25 brunches in London