Christopher’s serves the best french toast in London. Thick brioche with a soft gooey centre, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and melted chocolate—this is the reason you come here. But that’s not all this two-floor American restaurant has to offer. It’s got high ceilings, round tables with white tablecloths, and a menu filled with things like lobster mac and cheese, wagyu burgers (which is definitely an acceptable brunch), and a Texas grill complete with sausages and hash browns.

The theme at this charming Victoria bakery is ‘international baking’, which means you’ll find a selection of bagels, monkey bread, focaccia, ka’ak, and more. There are also inventive pastries like a za’atar and gruyère croissant. But the most important thing about this place is the excellent clay oven-baked flatbreads. Topped with delicious combinations like merguez and garlic aioli, or burrata and honey, these breads are what make this spot worth going out of your way for.

Starting your day with peanut butter and banana-heavy french toast just because you can is what life is all about. That decision will lead you to places like Popina. This little Mayfair spot has scrambled eggs and all the other usual culprits on the menu, but there are some exciting alternatives that you should get involved in, like their house special ranchos with lime guacamole, green shakshuka, and raclette cheese melt.

Breakfast at The Wolseley is an occasion. Between the soaring ceilings (the St James’s spot used to be an old classic car showroom) and shiny tableware, it might all be a bit much to take in if you’re still feeling a bit bleary. But the food is excellent and everything from the pastries to the classic omelette Arnold Bennett (eggs with smoked haddock) is worth the price. Save it for a celebration, a big-time breakfast with a potential client, or when your mum’s visiting.

If you can’t deal with sunlight just yet, Corrochio’s is the spot for you. The basement of this moodily lit cocina in Stoke Newington has the smoky feel of a saloon, with enough crucifixes for you to become concerned that you’ve stepped inside the headquarters of a cult. The dish to get is the chilaquiles. The corn tortilla chips soak up moreish salsa verde and come topped with tender shredded chicken, gooey cheese, rings of crunchy red onion, and a perfectly fried egg.

When you commit to brunch at Dobar, you commit to waiting in a queue. Whether that’s 10 minutes or half an hour really depends on how early you get there, but just know that there is always a wait at this walk-in only cafe. But it’s absolutely worth it for the XXL brunches at this Green Lanes spot. Whether it’s the hearty full English that arrives in a skillet pan, or the fluffy french toast covered in Nutella and fruit, this is the right way to start a Saturday. Or any day for that matter.

When you have a hangover or just want a nice breakfast near Angel, you go to Kipferl. It’s a cosy Austrian coffeehouse that predictably gets jammed at the weekend, so the earlier you can get there, the better. They’ll do you a comforting breakfast to soothe your pounding head, and they also have some excellent cakes if you just want a snack. One of the best things on the menu is the bauernfrühstück (a traditional stir-fry of potatoes, onion, and eggs), so order with confidence.

With Sunday, an all-day cafe in Islington, the clue is in the name. It’s the place to go for excellent, fluffy brioche french toast when you can’t be bothered to cook, wash away any apprehension about the impending week with smooth, frothy lattes, and have one last sleepy hurrah—courtesy a courgette fritter—before Monday hits. We’ve been solo and nursed a plate of scrambled eggs and with a friend—just choose someone you can trust to share the half portion of pancakes you ordered for the table.

If you’re a Stokey resident and you haven’t been to Esters then we’re about to change your life. If you’re from anywhere else, the same applies. Esters is a little cafe with a menu that changes daily, but is always very creative and very good. Think french toast with whipped ricotta and cranberries, or poached eggs with charred cabbage, chorizo, and pistachios on toast. It’s a no-booking, no-way-to-avoid-the-queue thing, but get there bright and early and you’ll be fine.

Bake Street makes brunch for people who wake up craving dinner. From the moment they open on Tuesday morning to their final crème brûlée cookie sold on Sunday afternoon, you’ll overhear Birkenstock-clad regulars deciding between which special to get, and change your mind five times as you get closer to the till. Let us help you out. Firstly come for the weekend-only specials. Secondly, do not, under any circumstances, leave without getting the smashburger or the Nashville hot chicken bun.