26 Grains

26 Grains may not sound like much…

…but it’s actually one of the loveliest restaurants in London.

Tucked away in the crook of Neal’s Yard in Covent Garden, it should be your first go-to when you’re wandering around the area and find yourself hit with a fierce and specific pang of hunger for one thing: porridge.

Your destination: an elegant, Scandinavian-styled eatery; windows thrown open and tables spilling onto the courtyard out front, topped with colourful, flower-sprinkled bowls of steaming hot grains.

And what grains they are: with hot and cold bowls on offer, you can top your almond milk oats with roasted peach, orange blossom cream and mint; banana, tahini, honey and cacao nibs; and gooseberry compote, rye granola, tarragon and yoghurt – from Neal’s Yard Dairy just across the way. At this point, you may be thinking – sure, but isn’t it just porridge? And you’d be right. But it’s undoubtedly going to be the best porridge you’ve ever had.

Should you head down to 26 Grains later in the day, of course, you’ll find a couple of more lunch-leaning dishes on offer, from aubergine stew with flatbread to chard and spicy whipped ricotta on sourdough, washed down with a strong shot of Climpson & Sons coffee overlooking the courtyard.

You can’t book ahead, so you may find yourself in a queue at weekends…

NOTE: 26 Grains is open daily, and doesn’t take reservations. You can find out more HERE.

26 Grains | 1 Neal’s Yard, WC2H 9DP

Like breakfast? Then you may appreciate this Ultimate London Brunch Guide…