A Full English Breakfast

Regency Cafe

17-19 Regency Street, , SW1P London , United Kingdom

I’ll start with the Regency Café. It’s located in Westminster and word has it the best ever full English breakfast in town is served here. I am not the best judge of that, I am a more French breakfast type of person so let’s just go with the rumours, shall we?

The Regency Café is an art deco style type of café and didn’t have a refurbishment since it was opened, in 1946. And that was my favourite bit, as I am into all things old that actually look old. It’s a classic breakfast place, with the menu written on a table, with fixed prices, somewhere around £6, with short days on Saturdays (they close at 12) and closed on Sundays. Also this place is so cool and famous it doesn’t even need a website. I love this!

I recommend you the Full English Breakfast, obviously, a delicious combo of bacon, beans, eggs, sausages, roasted tomatoes and mushrooms. You can add some hash browns in the mix, the fluffiest and most crisp I have ever had, honestly. If you fancy, you can go for some black pudding as well.

There is no way you could start a day in London in a more British way, trust me on that.

Hawksmoor Guildhall

10 Basinghall Street, , EC2V London , United Kingdom

If you are a meat lover and you think that maybe a full English breakfast might not be so fulfilling for your taste, then Hawksmoor Guildhall is the place for you. You need to be an early riser though, breakfast is only served between 7 and 10 am.

As Hawksmoor is known as one of the masters of meat in London, their full English breakfast is not surprising at all. But if you don’t know that and you get a short rib, smoked bacon and grilled bone marrow along with your beans/sausages/eggs/mushrooms/roasted tomatoes, you might feel a little bit overwhelmed. Sausages are made from beef, pork and mutton and together with the breakfast earlier described, you also get black pudding and unlimited toast. Oh, and the beans is nicely mixed with salty bits of pork. I am not the biggest fan of beans, but this combination is too good to pass it.

Located in the heart of The City, Hawksmoor Guildhall is perfect for meetings and entertaining clients, it has a cocktail bar and some of the best bartenders London has to offer and a wine room that is big enough to conduct tastings of the extensive list of wines and ports that are available by the glass.

Since this is literally a power breakfast make sure you go there starving. Chances are you might not need a meal till the next day.

The Riding House Cafe

43-51 Great Titchfield Street, , W1W 7 London , United Kingdom

Next on my list is the Riding House Café in Fitzrovia. It is a very modern all day brasserie with a beautiful touch of retro/rustic. Here and there, it reminds me of my grandmother’s kitchen since when I was a child.

In terms of breakfast, it’s a classic. You can have breakfast every day, 7.30 till noon from Monday to Friday and from 9 to 11.30 on weekends. If you like to sleep in or have other arrangements in the morning, you can always come by later, for brunch.

The full English breakfast is called a Full and Proper English Breakfast and it has all the classic ingredients, no twist of new whatsoever. They keep it classic and classy. Oh wait. They do have chorizo hash brown and black pudding. Beware of the hash brown chorizo, might be a bit spicy. Talk to the waiter when ordering to check how spicy is too spicy. You know how it is with spices, to each their own.

Their Full & Proper is really just that, full and proper. The sausages are from Lincolnshire, the tomato is slow-roasted, the mushrooms are field mushrooms and they are coming together to make a breakfast that’s genuinely British.

The decor and ambience here are great, but most definitely this is not the place to come if you feel like having a quiet breakfast. The open plan kitchen and high ceilings, really exemplify the noise, giving you the feeling you are in a train station.

The lighting is great though and I like the sitting arrangement. You can go for separate tables or you can eat at the gorgeous bar or maybe you want to try the communal table. I, for one, totally love the idea of communal table. Changing a few words and smiles with a stranger is always interesting.

Bonus, you will likely see a celebrity or two. Or not. Either way, this is the perfect place for people watching, if you fancy this. What else? Well, the staff are pretty cheerful and the place is pretty well known and highly appreciated. Therefore, booking in advance is highly recommended.

Whichever one you will choose, The Regency Café, the Hawksmoor Guildhall or the Riding House Café, one thing is certain: you will make a great choice. You will have a British, nutritious breakfast and I can only hope you will enjoy your experience.