One of the best meals of the week, a leisurely brunch can’t be beat – however you like your eggs. Here are the best cafes and restaurants in east London serving up antipodean-style dishes, full English breakfasts, and all the brunch options in between.
The Brunswick East
Stamford Works, 3D, Gillett St, Dalston, London N16 8JH
This Australian-style café brings a taste of antipodean café culture to Hackney. The creative menu and strong coffee ensure it is always busy. Has another bakehouse in Hackney Downs Studios.
Market Cafe
2 Broadway Market, London Fields, E8 4QJ
A great spot for people watching, especially while nursing a bloody Mary and tucking into a croque monsieur. The weekend brunch menu serves up eggs – royale, Benedict, Florentine, shakshuka and poached, as well as hearty sandwiches, burgers and salads.
Ozone Coffee Eatery
Emma street, Bethnal Green, E2 9AP
Ozone’s second eatery and roastery, is another fine example of antipodean café style. The Kiwi café is stylishly simple in design, serves great coffee and the menu features modern takes on familiar favourites, while being mindful of its environmental impact. Also serves booze.
The Dusty Knuckle
Abbot St, Dalston, London E8 3DP
A delightful bakery that is currently only open for takeaway, which can be ordered at the counter or pre-ordered by text, but which can now be eaten in the bakery’s suntrap courtyard. Currently offering a selection of gourmet sandwiches and pastries. Also has a bread delivery service and sells sourdough starter.
The Good Egg
93 Stoke Newington Church St, Stoke Newington, N16 0AS
An Israeli inspired café specialising in Montreal bagels which are denser than the more well-known bagels and are poached in honeyed water before baking. Eat them with salted beef and apple and dill sauerkraut, or harissa egg mayo and crispy bacon.
Hatch
8 Mackintosh Ln, Homerton, E9 6AB
Super-popular on the weekend, Hatch’s weekend brunch menu boasts plenty of choice for the non-meat-eaters out there. And the food is delicious. Currently still only serving takeaway, but the café plans to reopen by the end of July.
The Tram Store café
38 Upper Clapton Rd, Clapton, E5 8BQ
Set in a former tram depot, The Tram Store is a plant-filled food store and café that has kept much of the old beams and brickwork inside. It has outdoor seating and the café is also running out of nearby sister venue, the Clapton Country Club and serves classic brunch and breakfast options all day.
Arepa and Co
58a de Beauvoir Crescent, Haggerston, N1 5SB
Quirky canal side café andbar with hammocks and a terrace offers Venezuelan mains and light bites, with a weekend brunch menu and cocktail list. Also has a Bethnal Green shopfront.
Le Merlin
78 Lower Clapton Road, Lower Clapton, E5 0RN
A sweet little French café and bistro serving savoury galettes (a type of pie like pastry) and sweet crepes. Try the Portobello mushrooms with grated gruyère, garlic butter, fried egg and crushed hazelnuts galette or the crepe with homemade chocolate sauce, orange juice and crushed Speculoos (a type of biscuit)
Trattoria N16
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