The Best Brunch in South London

Brunch has really been going south recently.

And we mean that in a good way – because South London’s now 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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Stockton | Deptford

One third of Gordon McGowan’s triumvirate of Deptford bars and restaurants, Stockton does a fantastic brunch of southern fried chicken chilli crumpets; lavish Full English breakfasts; and ricotta pancakes with honeycomb butter. Which is just well, since if you’ve sampled their cocktails until 3am the night before, you’re going to need it.

Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Weekends from 10am
Address: 2 Deptford High Street, Deptford, SE8 4AF | Visit their website
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The Watergate | Deptford

Another third of Gordon McGowan’s triumvirate of Deptford bars and restaurants, The Watergate lives up to its older sibling with an equally gratifying brunch of bacon & cornbread french toast; chocolate espresso brownie and burrata on toast.

Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Weekends from 10am
Address: 7 Watergate Street, Deptford SE8 3HR | Visit their website
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Nandine | Camberwell

Time to get acquainted with Kurdish brunch: head to Nandine for mexlama (a.k.a. shakshuka) 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: Weekends from 11am
Address: 45 Camberwell Church St, London SE5 8TR | Visit their website
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Mr. 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 served on pillowy soft bao (alongside bottomless cocktails).

Details: Bottomless booze? Yes | All you can eat? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Weekends from 11am
Address: Mr Bao, Peckham, 293-295 Rye Lane, London SE15 4UA | Mr Bao, Tooting, 113 Mitcham Road, London SW17 9PE | Visit their website
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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), 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: 44-46 Southwark Street, London SE1 1UN | Visit their website
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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 and 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, 10am-2.30pm
Address: Level 31, The Shard, 31 St. Thomas Street, SE1 9RY | Visit their website
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Brother Marcus | Borough, Angel & 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? Yes | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Weekdays 8.30am-12pm, Sat 9am-4pm, Sun 9.30am-4pm
Address: Brother Marcus Borough, 1 Dirty Lane, London SE1 9PA | Visit their website
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Louie Louie | Elephant & Castle

Louie Louie takes your scratchy morning toast and raises you bacon muffins with fried egg & aioli; Brick Lane beigels with vegan ‘lox’ (a.k.a carrot); and caramelised onion & cheddar toasties…

Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Only for groups of 4-8
Timings: Saturdays 10am-2pm
Address: 347 Walworth Road, London SE17 2AL | Visit their website
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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 veal merguez sausage and home-made labneh.

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 their website
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Juliet’s Quality Foods | Tooting & Clapham

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 their tempting array of luxury provisions.

Caravan | Bankside, King’s Cross, Exmouth Market, Canary Wharf, Fitzrovia & 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.

Details: Bottomless booze? No | All you can eat? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Weekdays only
Timings (Bankside): Weekday breakfast 8-11.30am, weekend brunch 9am-4pm
Address: 30 Great Guildford Street, London SE1 0HS | Visit their website
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Where the Pancakes Are | Southwark, 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; and sweet stacks loaded with banana, marshmallow and salted caramel – and oh so much more.

Details: Bottomless booze? No, but you can get a litre carafe of Mimosa | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Both branches open daily from 9am
Address: Arch 35a, 85a Southwark Bridge Road, SE1 0NQ | 7 Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 1RG | Visit their website
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Corner Store | Camberwell

South London’s bagel maestro stuffs them with lox & capers; eggs, cheese & bacon; and eggy hash browns. And then also specialises in American cruller doughnuts too, because why not.

Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? No
Timings: Wed-Sun from 10am
Address: 31 Peckham Road, London SE5 8UH| Visit their website
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Brickwood | Balham, Battersea, Clapham, Streatham & Tooting

This Antipodean gem has built a micro-empire across South London thanks to a winning brunch menu spanning from sweet to savoury (via an excellent breakfast burrito) and an insane weekday deal netting you a toastie and side for £2.50.

Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? No
Timings: Daily from 8am/9am weekends until 3pm
Address: 11 Hildreth Street, Balham, SW12 9RQ | Visit their website
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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 | Visit their website
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Wright Bros Battersea | Battersea

Devon crab on toast. Smoked cod’s roe and soft boiled egg on sourdough. Oysters for a pound a pop. The Wright Bros will give you a slap up seafood feast; and what’s more, they’ll give it to you on a festoon-lit riverside terrace right beneath the iconic Battersea Power Station.

Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Weekends, 9-11.15am
Address: 26 Circus West Village, London SW11 8EZ | Visit their website
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Coal Rooms | Peckham

Coal Rooms will fuel you with dishes like tamarind-glazed mushrooms on toast; smoked salmon with kedgeree rice and duck egg; and their famous deep-fried BLT, made with their house-smoked, coffee-cured bacon.

Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? Yes
Timings: Saturdays 10am-3pm
Address: 11a Station Way, Peckham, London, SE15 4RX | Visit their website
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Frank’s | Peckham

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 potato tortillas, merguez & fried egg flatbreads and peaches on toast… on a car park rooftop.

Details: Bottomless booze? No | Set menu? No | Bookable? No
Timings: Weekends from 11am
Address: 10th Floor, Multi Storey Car Park, 95A Rye Lane, SE15 4ST | Visit their website
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Looking for even more brunch inspiration? Check out our full list of recommendations for amazing brunches in London

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Carpe Diem!