Starting the day right

Just a few steps from London’s new tech hub around Old Street, Ozone is a coffee and brunch hotspot for the startup crowd. Consistently a cut above London’s already sky-high standards, this Kiwi import brings New Zealand coffee culture with an impressive range of taste bud ticklers: think impeccable eggs Benny, a to-die-for halloumi with hollandaise – and possibly the best full-English in town, homemade baked beans included. Speaking of beans: Ozone’s inhouse roastery keeps us fuelled all day long. You can taste the love that goes into every single drop - choose from one of 6 single-source beans and blends, prepped to order as batch filter, V60 or Aeropress brews.

Prepare to get stuffed in style. On weekends, Barge House staff takes our favourite breakfast options (think salmon, full English or veggie fry-up) and crams everything into hollowed-out loaves of their signature sourdough. The result: well-rounded, Instagram-ready treats that taste as good as they look – especially their sharp Bloody Marys (brunch is not brunch without a Bloody Mary). Once you’ve put the menu down, it’s breakfast with one of the nicest views in London, right on idyllic Regents Canal. For extra karma points, all bread is sourced from the Better Health Bakery, a charity making sure that some of your cash stays in the community.

Another southern hemisphere breakfast transplant, the infectiously sunny Granger & Co. empire, is dotted all across Central and West London. The Aussie institution blends a very British tradition – queuing – with easy-going and generous Sydney sensibilities. Locals know Granger is well worth the wait: eggs any style, cooked to perfection; swoon-worthy, melt-in-your-mouth ricotta pancakes; or healthy buckwheat bowls. Oh, and the clean, minimalist interior is pretty easy on the eyes, too, netting Granger & Co. a Condé Nast Traveller Design & Innovation Award.

If you’ve ever wanted to look down on Norman Foster’s iconic “gherkin”, Duck and Waffle is your chance. A cut(and 40 floors) above the rest, Duck and Waffle doesn’t do anything by halves: with views stretching out over London, it’s become one of the most sought-after tables in town. But while most people book for the incredible view of the Thames, City and beyond, it’s the spot-on breakfast and service that brings them back time and time again. This is brunch 2.0: breakfast favourites updated with the likes of duck congee, BBQ-spiced crispy pig ears, and of course the eponymous waffles: sweet (toffee apple, “winter Elvis”) or savoury (smoked salmon, duck, hojicha stem green tea).

Looking to start the day with a one-of-a-kind experience? Sketch’s trippy, fantastical Wes Anderson-style décor is eclipsed only by its equally inspired breakfast menu, served in the venue’s “Glade” for extra style points. Bizarre in the best possible way, this surreal setting is the perfect backdrop for chef Pierre Gagnaire’s jaw-droppingly delicious red fruit and red chocolate rice cakes, French Toast Suzettes, blinis, and eggs in all shapes, sizes and serving options. It doesn’t really get any more eclectic – the website and facilities are as much of a trip as the dining experience – so don’t forget to charge your phone!

Just in case you were wondering – all of the above cater for a wide range of preferences and also offer solid vegan and vegetarian fare.

Thanks to Ozone Coffee UK, sketch and Granger & Co. for the imagery.