With its famous restaurants, even more famous hotels and all-round vibe of sophisticated luxury, breakfast in Mayfair is quite possibly the most civilised start to the day you could hope to find in London. It is also a relatively affordable way to eat in some of the capital’s most glamorous restaurants – although as we’re talking about the most expensive square on the Monopoly board here, ‘affordable’ is a fairly flexible term.
A sure-fire bet for the best breakfast in Mayfair is to head to one of the area’s swankiest hotels. In this petite neighbourhood you’ll find all kinds of big players, from the likes of The Connaught through to Claridge’s. Booking a table at one of these hot spots means that even if you’re not an overnight guest you can enjoy kickstarting your day in style. Our favourite treat is going all in on everything there is to offer. Order the coffee, pour the juice, ransack the pastries basket and for the love of all that is good, don’t skip the mains. From perfectly poached eggs covered in rich hollandaise sauce through to pretty smoothie bowls, there’s usually something for everyone on hotel menus.
Aside from the biggest names on the block, Mayfair is also home to a whole host of independent restaurants that offer more intimate service and specialised menus. At these you might be treated to intricately planned and proofed pastries or something a little bit more exotic than eggs on toast. Think Middle Eastern plates or Italian style serves. Each of our suggestions below include a snapshot of what to expect so that you choose your favourite and then book directly by clicking through to each venue’s full review.
Read on to find our pick of Mayfair’s best breakfasts – and we hope you can spend the rest of the day in the style to which you’ve become accustomed, instead of crashing back to reality.
Richoux
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What: Mirrored walls, pleated table lamps and velvet curtained booths help transport guests at Richoux to another era entirely. Bringing things bang up to date though are the restaurant’s cruffuns, which are - you guessed it - a cross between a croissant and a muffin. The demand has been so great that the daily batch of 160 buns regularly sells out long before 3pm. Get in early to grab one to takeaway, and while you’re there make full use of the breakfast menu. Here you’ll find the house special - the ‘oux’ sandwich. Potato bread which has been griddled until golden is sandwiched around softly scrambled eggs, Sriracha mayonnaise, cheese and your choice of bacon, avocado or halloumi. Elsewhere there are mainstays like a full English, pancakes and porridge, as well as breakfast cocktails, herbal teas and hot chocolates.
Where: 172 Piccadilly, W1J 9EJ
Book now: Richoux
Heddon Street Kitchen
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What: A rather more affordable and approachable option than Mayfair’s five-star hotel dining rooms and swanky restaurants, this Gordon Ramsay outpost keeps it simple with porridge with apple compote, a bacon and cheese sandwich, avocado and poached eggs on toast, eggs Benedict and a full English. There’s a fantastic private dining room for breakfast meetings and Bucks Fizz if you’re about to brave Hamley’s with the kids.
Where: 3-9 Heddon Street, W1B 4BN
Book now: Heddon Street Kitchen
The Wolseley
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What: It might, strictly speaking, be over the road in St James’s, but who wouldn’t cross Piccadilly for the most famous breakfast in London? Everyone from hedge funders and gallery grandees to tourists and celebrities gets up early for the Viennoiserie, kedgeree and full English, but our all-time favourite is the haggis with fried duck egg and a whisky sauce. Booking is essential, and unless you’re a regular (or an A-lister), don’t expect to get a table in the coveted inner circle of the grand dining room.
Where: 160 Piccadilly, W1J 9EB
Book now: The Wolseley
Cecconi’s Mayfair
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What: The first restaurant that came along to seriously rival The Wolseley in the breakfast stakes, glamorous Cecconi’s starts the day in true Italian style with pastries and excellent coffee, though from that point on, the influence comes more from owners Soho House than Italy: cold-pressed juices and protein shakes, pancakes and banana bread and, if you’re allergic to the idea of granola and chia seeds, omelettes and eggs Benedict. Watching the calories? Go for the half, not full, English.
Where: 5a Burlington Gardens, W1S 3EP
Book now: Cecconi's
Bagatelle
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Why: Looking for bouji? You’ve found it in Bagatelle. The menu is small but perfectly formed, and lets you soak up the restaurant’s famous atmosphere (the group has popular outposts across the world that attract a party-going crowd of glitzy diners). At £9 for Eggs Benedict, you can’t complain at the prices, and if you don’t fancy something savoury there’s always the pastry basket or the waffles topped with fresh fruit.
Where: 34 Dover Street, W1S 4NG
Book now: Bagatelle
The Colony Grill Room
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What: As it comes from the same Corbin and King stable as The Wolseley, it’s not surprising that the restaurant at The Beaumont hotel is a breakfast star, with an added American twang in a room which has powerful echoes of New York’s old-timer grills with its art-deco murals and framed photographic portraits. Expect pancakes, French toast and house speciality duck egg hashes with a choice of salt beef, smoked haddock, or mushroom and spinach.
Where: The Beaumont, 8 Balderton Street, W1K 6TF
Book now: The Colony Grill Room
CUT at 45 Park Lane
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What: If there’s one thing that Americans know how to do really, really well, it’s breakfast, and this US import from American-based Austrian superchef Wolfgang Puck doesn’t disappoint. So while you might have a continental or healthy breakfast, just remember that you have the rest of the day to burn off the likes of a salt-beef hash cake with poached eggs and béarnaise sauce, or homemade waffles with caramelised banana and peanut ice cream.
Where: 45 Park Lane, W1K 1PN
Book now: CUT at 45 Park Lane
The Foyer at Claridge’s
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What: Once Claridge’s library, this all-day dining room has replaced bookish silence with an appropriately civilised buzz, while marble-cut fireplaces, velvet columns and a gorgeous glass sculpture up the art-deco ante. Most famous for afternoon tea, The Foyer is also a diamond for breakfast, when you can expect luxey omelette Arnold Bennett, lobster brioche rolls and even Japanese and Chinese breakfasts served up with a liberal helping of A-list celebs.
Where: 55 Brook Street, W1K 4HR
Book now: The Foyer & Reading Room at Claridge's
Isabel
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What: If you find the idea of breakfast is just way too much food first thing in the day, then this deeply fashion-conscious restaurant – a contender for London’s most beautiful dining room, filled with its most beautiful people – may be just the ticket. You could have a trout pastrami bagel with crushed avocado and shaved fennel, but the true spirit of the place is to be found in the likes of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs of French toast.
Where: 26 Albemarle Street, W1S 4HY
Book now: Isabel
Jean-Georges at The Connaught
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What: This light-filled room – bounded on one side by a curving wall of windows that extends the entire length of the restaurant – is the perfect place for big-budget breakfasters to greet the day. The menu has something for every mood, from bowls of seeds, berries and bircher muesli, to pancakes that include a gluten-free option, as well as kippers, smoked salmon and eggs every which way – there’s even beans on toast, albeit served on granary with homemade chorizo.
Where: Carlos Place, W1K 2AL
Book now: Jean-Georges at The Connaught
The Parlour at Sketch
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What: The Parlour brings a touch of decadent rock ‘n’ roll to stuffy old Mayfair: the raffishly postmodernist drawing room wouldn’t look out of place in ex-Sex Pistol John Lydon's LA punk château. Poached, fried and scrambled eggs come with no end of options and extras, there are juices, smoothies and salads for the health-conscious, while a diverting list of tea and coffee includes a pair of rare pair from Hawaii and Jamaica.
Where: 9 Conduit Street, W1S 2XG
Book now: sketch: The Parlour
Not such an early bird? You might prefer our round up of the best bars in Mayfair or our pick of London's cheapest Michelin star meals to enjoy for special occasions on a budget.