Best Full English Breakfast in London
First stop: Bacon. Proper back bacon, not that streaky American-style cardboard. At The Regent’s Café in Marylebone, they serve rashers so crisp they sing when you bite them. Chef’s kiss. Pair that with their sausages—herby, meaty, and defiantly un-posh—and you’re halfway to heaven. The eggs? They scramble them soft, like yellow clouds, not the dry rubble you get at chain spots.
But here’s the side note: if you see a place offering “free-range” eggs with a surcharge, run. A real fry-up shouldn’t cost you a mortgage. Stick to family-run cafés where the owner calls you “love” and the butter comes in a pat, not a packet.
The Beans Dilemma (Yes, We’re Talking Beans)
Ah, the great debate. Beans: to heap or not to heap? I say always heap, but keep them separate from the fried bread. Nothing ruins a good crunch like a bean tsunami. At E. Pellicci in Bethnal Green—a time capsule of a café with Art Deco tiles—they serve beans in a tiny pot on the side. Genius. You control the floodgates. Plus, their black pudding is so rich it ought to be taxed. If you haven’t had good black pudding (think: spiced, savoury blood sausage), you’re missing the soul of the breakfast.
8 of The Best Places to Get a Full English Breakfast in London