If breakfast feels like a duty and lunch can seem like an obligation then brunch is the renegade meal of the day, something decadent that exists for no other reason than to occupy a chunk of the morning when in all likelihood one would not be doing anything else. And what could be a more delightful way to pass the time than eating pimped-up breakfast dishes that, because it’s around midday, it is entirely acceptable to wash down with alcohol? That, at least, was the imported American version of brunch which took off stateside in the Thirties, though the word itself was invented by the British, appearing in Punch magazine in 1895 to describe “a Sunday meal for Saturday night carousers”. But while the hair-of-the-dog hangover brunch remains the choice for hedonists, there’s now an impressive array of antipodean-inspired cafes for more wellness-minded diners who, instead of staying in bed with a headache, will likely have swum the length of Bondi Beach before looking for something to eat – or that’s the fantasy peddled by the new-wave of Aussie-style brunches springing up all over the capital.
Middle Eastern brunches, meanwhile, are great for vegetarians, while the brunches at Dishoom and Mr Bao prove that the only international boundary for brunch is the creativity of the kitchen. So from French toast to Taiwanese buns, stacks of pancakes to eggs every which way, here are London’s best brunches worth getting out of bed for. And remember, brunch isn’t just for we.
