Brunch in London has moved on. The avo-on-sourdough era has given way to a city where you can eat Taiwanese bao buns before noon, beignets fresh from the fryer, and buttermilk pancakes so thick they could double for cake. Condé Nast Traveller UK has pulled together a list of 30 editor-approved brunch spots across the capital, and it reads like a tour of the city's best neighbourhoods.
The picks are organised by area, which makes them genuinely useful for planning a weekend. In Central London, the standouts include Fallow on Mount Street, Aram and plant-forward Bubala. East London gets One Club Row and Brunswick East; the south is represented by Archie's Herne Hill and Mr Bao; the west by Sunday in Brooklyn and Akub; and the north by Clementine and the Double Standard.
A few dishes get called out specifically, and they're worth chasing. Sunday in Brooklyn's signature is a stack of thick, fluffy buttermilk pancakes dressed with hazelnut maple praline and brown butter — the writer admits they'd still queue in Notting Hill for it, even on a Sunday. Elsewhere on the list: New Orleans-style beignets, Brooklyn-style pancakes, bottomless bao, giant freshly baked French pastries, and a claim to the city's best sausage sandwich. Shakshuka, once a novelty, is now apparently standard-issue at neighbourhood cafés everywhere.
The practical advice in the piece matters as much as the food. Several of these spots require booking well ahead, while others take no reservations at all — turn up early or risk a long wait. Menus also shift with the seasons, and some places lean light and healthy. If your brunch brief is a proper hangover-busting fry-up rather than an artful bowl of porridge, check the menu before you commit.
For visitors, this list doubles as a neighbourhood guide. A brunch reservation in Herne Hill or Peckham gets you south of the river into leafy, local London most tourists skip; One Club Row puts you in the heart of Shoreditch; Mount Street lands you amid Mayfair's galleries and boutiques. Pair the meal with the area and you've got a morning planned. The editors say they favour a mix of high-end and affordable places with warm service and serious sustainability credentials, and they update the list regularly as restaurants open and evolve — so it's worth rechecking before a trip.
Who's this for? Anyone planning a weekend in London who'd rather eat like a local than fall into a hotel breakfast. Book ahead where you can, arrive early where you can't, and build your day around whichever neighbourhood takes your fancy.
Story via Condé Nast Traveller UK.
