The Best Restaurants For Breakfast Meetings

If your early morning appointments take you in the direction of St James’s, seek out 45 Jermyn St. The restaurant is buzzing before 8am and still full at 11am on account of the stylish surroundings and handy location. The breakfast menu strikes the right note with a choice of traditional and contemporary dishes: think Orkney kipper with lemon; crumpets with marmite and fried duck eggs (an SLMan favourite); or buckwheat pancakes, caramelised pineapple and coconut yoghurt. Stay focused with a superfood juice or celebrate with one of the five different bloody marys on offer.

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Bill Granger is often credited with bringing the Aussie brunch concept to London. With outposts in Chelsea, Clerkenwell, King’s Cross and Notting Hill, Granger & Co’s relaxed fare makes it the perfect place to meet for an informal breakfast. As well as toasted sandwiches, cooked breakfasts and a selection of nutritious bakes – the muffins and toasted coconut bread are excellent – there are Bill’s signature dishes: pecorino fritters with quinoa and raw courgette; and toasted Dusty Knuckle sourdough with avocado and lime.

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The Colony Grill Room at Mayfair’s Beaumont hotel underwent a refurb last summer. It also brought in head chef Ben Boeynaems, previously at Claridge’s and the Goring. Exuding strong old-school New York vibes, this relaxed restaurant serves a classic menu of transatlantic favourites, salads, crustacea and steaks, and is open for breakfast Monday to Saturday. For a morning health kick, there’s almond milk porridge with goji berry, banana and bee pollen. Otherwise we’d go for the crowd-pleasing crispy bacon roll.

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You’ll find Jason Atherton’s Fitzrovia establishment in the locale of the London Edition hotel – a louche place to take a client or business partner if ever there was one. The breakfast menu is all about classic British dishes done right, using ingredients sourced from within these isles. Star attraction is the Berners Tavern Full English, which comes with all the trimmings including oak-smoked Scottish salmon and scrambled eggs.

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Newly relaunched Langan’s Brasserie now serves breakfast. Guests can choose from an extensive menu, starting with health shots (like lemon, ginger and cayenne pepper), smoothies and juices before graduating to eggs florentine and a full English. Add on a mimosa, bloody mary or a bellini if there’s something to celebrate.

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Balthazar London mimics the New York original perfectly, with its red-leather booths, giant antique mirrored walls and mosaic floors. Service is excellent and their weekend brunch is as hearty as you’d expect from this American take on a French brasserie. Menus span from eggs benedict with fries to banana and blueberry pancakes.

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Inspired by the grand cafés of Mittel-Europe, The Delaunay is an all-day cafe and restaurant. Sit in the elegant dining room where wooden panelling, brass fittings and green leather banquettes ooze class; or hit the café for something quicker. Staff are friendly and attentive, the prices aren't astronomical and it offers very upmarket comfort food – perfect for fuelling a morning's meeting. 

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Amid pressed papers and silver teapots, the Wolseley’s breakfast and brunch menu ranges from a sausage sandwich up to fried haggis with whisky. Its Scottish smoked salmon is first rate; its eggs are bright and buttery. You could have half a grapefruit here and still leave feeling it is London’s ultimate breakfast spot. Book well in advance because it’s always packed.

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Dim lighting and low leather armchairs set the members-club atmosphere at eternal hotspot Dean Street Townhouse. The menu plays it simple with comfort options like the classic English fry-up, Manx kippers, kedgeree and a ham hock hash with fried duck egg. Everything comes in under the £10 mark, making this not only a hearty breakfast destination but a great value choice.

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If a cracking full English is your preferred way to start a working day, this Guildhall restaurant is hard to beat. Meat is firmly on the menu and the cooked breakfast for two is as protein heavy as they come. Think smoked bacon chops, sausages, black pudding, bubble and squeak, grilled bone marrow, baked beans, fried eggs, grilled mushrooms, roast tomatoes, HP gravy and unlimited rounds of toast. Don’t miss the luxe touches – the bubble and squeak is enriched with beef short rib, the baked beans with pig’s trotter.

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This celeb magnet specialises in haute cuisine, even at breakfast. Hero dishes include poached eggs with spiced avocado on toast; black truffle scrambled eggs; and lobster and crab omelette. Originally a fire station in the 19th century, the building has huge charm that extends throughout the brasserie-style restaurant. Service from waiters chosen for their personality is seriously slick.

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Way up on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower, Duck & Waffle has the skyline views and tempting menus to help you make a great first impression. The signature dish is, well, you guessed it: duck and waffle, with crispy leg confit, fried duck egg and mustard maple syrup. The breakfast menu also features smoked salmon royale and a selection of intriguing waffles, plus contemporary takes on breakfast classics like duck egg en cocotte and Colombian eggs. Looking out to the City, St Paul’s and the Thames, it’ll be a breakfast meeting to remember (hopefully for the right reasons).

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At Ollie Dabbous’s Michelin-starred Hide, truffles are the star of the show. For breakfast, diners can enjoy Hide’s scrambled eggs on toasted brioche with white truffle or a classic croque monsieur with black truffles on top. Dishes are served alongside premium roast single-origin Union coffees and Mariage Frères teas, while its bakery offers signature breads and viennoiseries, made each morning.

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A buzzy atmosphere and chic décor make Cecconi’s a popular place for all-day business entertaining. For breakfast it offers simple, delicious Anglo-Italian fare at prices that are competitive for its Mayfair postcode. The clientele spans sharp-suited City types to well-heeled locals and the international crowd. Those in the know like a window seat, and the complimentary juice on arrival is a nice touch.

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