Seven Breakfasts You Need to Try in London This WeekBy Angelica Malin
I had breakfast out seven days last week. In fact, haven’t eaten a meal at home in 14 days. My waistline, bank balance and Oyster card really aren’t thanking me, but at least you lovely readers can get some nice restaurant-inspo out of my current aversion to my kitchen. There’s nothing more annoying than guides that don’t tell you what to order where (life’s too short for extreme fomo, my friends), so here at About Time we always try to share all the juicy details of what to order. Here’s 5 things I ate for breakfast in London last week that I think are really, truly, worth your time and precious pounds – get munching:
1. Acai Bowl at Granger and Co
The Dish: Acai bowl, banana, berries & vegan granola (£8.00)
Why Order: At first I was afraid, I was petrified… But turns out Acai is really rather delicious. This is a lovely, light way to start the date – a little bit more hearty than a smoothie, with the perfect addition of crunchy granola and sweet banana.
The Acai bowl is rumoured to the best in London; I’m no expert, but it ticked all the boxes for me. Their red fruit salad with watermelon and berries is my absolute favourite. Life hack: order it with a side of almond butter and coconut yogurt like I do, for the ultimate sweet vegan breakfast.
Where: Unit 1 Stanley Building, 7 Pancras Square, London N1C 4AG
2. Avocado on Toast at Caravan
The Dish: Avocado, chilli, lemon and olive oil on toast (£7)
Why Order: I mean, it’s a classic. It’s probably the best avocado on toast in London, with lots of lemon, seasoning and fresh chilli for a real kick. I always order it on the multi-grain toast, for nice crunchy variety. Don’t skip the coffee while you’re here; Caravan easily does some of the best coffee in London, and their iced lattes are a thing of beauty. For sweet delights, About Time is a huge fan of Caravan’s jumbo oat, fruit and seed granola with coconut yogurt – make sure to try it.
Where: Granary Square, 1 Granary Square, London N1C 4AA
3. Eggs on Toast at Petit Pois
4. Iced Coffee at York and Albany
The Drink: Iced latte (£2.50)
Why Order: Who doesn’t love an iced latte? For us, they are literally life (because we mainline coffee to get so many features up, don’t you know) and we adore the one at York and Albany. It’s served in a fancy tall glass, and makes you feel like a grown-up. We often relocate here to make a temporary office, and it’s got a great vibe for meetings. If you’re coming for breakfast, you’re in for a treat. We love their homemade granola with berries and vanilla yogurt – it’s sweet, fresh and totally delicious. York and Albany has a secret summer terrace round the back, so if the sun’s out, sneak outside to sip an iced latte in the fleeting rays. Glorious.
Where: 127-129 Parkway, London NW1 7PS
5. Build-Your-Own Breakfast Pots at Ripe Kitchen
The Dish: Build-Your-Own breakfast pots (starting from £2.95)
Why Order: Ripe Kitchen is one of my favourite cafes in London. It’s a super vegan-friendly, healthy hangout in Primrose Hill, that’s always packed to rafters with young mums and post-yoga pals on the weekends. They do an absolutely cracking soya latte with Bonsoy (my weekend treat, naturally) and some of the best banana bread I’ve ever tasted. For a quick breakfast, their build-your-own pots are a weekday favourite – simply choose a base, such as Greek yogurt, chia pudding or oat porridge, and add toppings as you please. Greek yogurt with vegan granola, honey and banana is my go-to – add in a dollop of peanut butter if you’re feeling naughty. Heaven.
Where: 136 Regent’s Park Rd, Camden, London NW1 8XL
6. Avocado on Muffin at Farmacy
The Dish: Classic Avocado Toast – avocado with cherry tomatoes, spices & sprouts served on a multigrain vegan muffin (£8)
Why Order: Sorry for the avocado overload, but it’s trendy, what can I say? Farmacy is a new veggan joint (yes, that’s right, vegan with eggs) in Notting Hill. In the mornings, they serve up everything from ‘activated’ porridge with coconut yogurt to Green Breakfast bowls with quinoa and broccoli. This avocado creation seems to be one of the most popular dishes on Instagram at the moment: smashed avocado, served on a wholegrain vegan muffin. Breakfast never looked so good. If you fancy something sweet, their homemade buckwheat granola is pretty damn great, too.
Where: 74 Westbourne Grove, London W2 5SH
7. The Full Italian at ASK Italian
The Dish: The Full Italian – Luganica sausage, smoked prosciutto and poached egg on toasted sourdough bread topped with mushrooms, served with diced potatoes and roasted tomato (£7.95)
Why Order: ASK Italian may not be the first place you think of when it comes to breakfast, but we were really pleasantly surprised by their breakfast offering. ASK is doing a ‘pop-up breakfast kitchen’ – AKA giving it a good old-fashioned trial – and we really enjoyed their Italian-inspired creations. The Full English has been given a makeover with tasty smoked prosciutto and special Italian sausage, and it really works. If that’s a bit of a hefty start for you, their yogurt bowl with berries is really rather delightful. Good on you, ASK.
Where: See here
And one for luck…
8. Almond Croissant at Melrose and Morgan
The Dish: Almond croissant (£3)
Why Order: I’m going to put it out there: Melrose and Morgan does the best soya latte in London. There’s something about it – it’s just so creamy, well-frothed and delicious, I find my feet automatically walking me there in the morning to pick one up. The iced version is equally delicious – if the weather’s good enough, grab one and walk to Primrose Hill for a spot of sunshine all to yourself. If you’re looking for a treaty breakfast, then grab and Melrose coffee and one of their freshly-baked pastries to know what I’m talking about. Sometimes, you just have to give the heart what it wants. My heart wants everything in Melrose and Morgan.
Where: 42 Gloucester Ave, London NW1 8JD
