Brunch, breakfast and where to find the best of both in Marylebone.
With a force of posh hotels and even more cafes and restaurants to explore on its charming streets, Marylebone is up there with our favourite areas of London to eat. That is particularly true of the first meal of the day.
Those cafes and restaurants, and for sure those fancy hotels know their way around a plate of eggs benedict. They’re also likely to serve you a mean cocktail on the side, or pair your breakfast with quality coffee, maybe even unlimited prosecco.
However you like to break your fast, here’s a guide to the best places to do it in Marylebone.
Best Breakfasts and Brunches in Marylebone
The Marylebone Corner
The Marylebone Corner offers up a slightly elevated departure from your regular greasy spoon. The environs feel slightly more like a nice hipster cafe, the food leans more in the healthy direction, but most importantly of all they do a solid full English.
It’s a hefty plateful with options of eggs fried, poached or scrambled and choices of white or brown bread. It doesn’t try to be too fancy but does feel a little better than your run-of-the-mill fry-up.
We love this spot for a coffee too, on a brisk Autumn morning on their outdoor seating, watching the sleepy streets of Marylebone come to life.
The Montagu Kitchen and Lounge
Marylebone being the swanky area that it is, there are a couple of up-market hotels you should have on your breakfast and brunch radar. One of those is the Hyatt Regency. It’s ground floor restaurant, The Montagu Kitchen and Lounge, in particular.
In the lounge’s open kitchen, you’ll find a team of chefs busily preparing a brunch menu of small-to-medium-sized plates you’ll want to try a few of. The food comes impeccably presented and delicious to boot and (if you’re that way inclined) should be accompanied by some of the bar’s signature cocktails.
Jikoni
Sitting pride of place in the hearts of London’s restaurant-obsessed, Jikoni is a great option for any meal of the day, not just the first. That said, what they serve in the mornings is one of the best Marylebone brunch choices out there.
The concept at Jikoni is ‘no-borders cooking’ which is basically a punchy way of saying that they’ll cook anything so long as it’s tasty. The chefs look everywhere for inspiration. On one plate you might be experiencing Sichuan heat and another, getting to know what a Kenyan chickpea fritter tastes like.
It’s always an adventure and one you’ll want to keep returning to again and again.
Monocle Café
If you’d like something a little less sit-down-and-dine, you could always head to the Monocle Café. It’s a highly regarded little spot that funnily enough is run by the same folks that run Monocle Magazine – we guess if there’s anyone who’d know about good coffee, it’s an office full of writers.
The space is charming (owner Tyler Brûlé doubles up as a design consultant) and is filled with an equally charming array of pastries. We also recommend the cinnamon buns, but don’t ignore the cookies if you’re that way inclined.
The Ivy Cafe Marylebone
You can find The Ivy in a few locations around London. It’s reliable in those spots and it’s a great option for a Marylebone breakfast too.
The Ivy Cafe in this part of town offers a chic setting to sip mimosas and feel like you’re part of high society. Part of the magic here comes in the service. It’s a cut above your average brunch spot but doesn’t hold any of the stiffness you might find at a ritzy hotel.
As for the food, the menu holds something for everyone – vegetarian and vegan options especially. The smoked salmon crumpets are our personal favourites.
Chiltern Firehouse
The Chiltern Firehouse offers perhaps the best brunch Marylebone can boast, though we shall finish that sentence by pointing out that it’s got stiff competition from the other places in this guide.
The main draw is the setting. A charming hotel lounge with period furniture and plenty of natural light. Splashes of exposed brickwork and a long wrap-around bar complete the space – one people return to again and again.
You’ll get all the usual brunch classics here. Eggs come as benedict, florentine and royale. You can find healthy bowls for those watching what they eat and, of course, avocado on toast. We prefer to opt for dishes that wink at the fancy side: native lobster omelette here we come!
Daylesford Organic
This is a bit of an off-piste shout because it’s as much a farm shop (in fact probably more so) than it is a place to go and eat. Daylesford Organic does however have a small but mighty menu of breakfast hits running from 8am – 12:30pm.
There are only about seven items but they manage to hit all the right notes. Scrambled eggs with bacon, poached eggs and avocado on toast (sourdough of course), and granola are all there.
They’ve also got a good selection of pastries and coffee if you just want to grab something to go.
Fischer’s
If you ask us on certain days of the week we’ll tell you that Fischer’s is our favourite brunch Marylebone offers, hands down, but we feel you’ve got to be in the right mood for it.
That mood? One to be whisked off to the cafes of Vienna for hearty plates of schnitzel and rosti (the latter done here with a blend of black pudding – absolutely sublime). The place oozes old-world charm – cutlery shines like the sun and the walls are gilded to the inch.
You’ll be hard-pressed to resist the urge to order a glass of champagne, let us tell you.
108 Brasserie & Bar
Looking for the best breakfast Marylebone can boast. There’s a good chance you’ll find it at 108 Brasserie and Bar. They also do a very good weekend brunch menu where for £38 per person you get run of a two-course menu, as well as a glass of juice or a buck’s fizz on arrival.
Off the brunch menu you’ll want to make a direct line for that braised short rib benedict if only for the gochujang hollandaise they top it off with – it sends tingles up the spine just writing those words.
The weekday breakfast menu is a little more conventional but doesn’t pack any less of a punch.
Practical Tips for Exploring the Best Breakfasts and Brunches in Marylebone
- If you’re planning for a boozy weekend-type brunch and you’ve got the foresight to plan ahead, try booking a table. If you’re rolling out of bed and tackling the meal on a whim, you might not be able to find a table so call ahead to make sure they can accommodate you first.
- Marylebone can be reached from a few different underground stations. Your best bets are Baker Street or Regent’s Park, but you could also get off at Marble Arch or Bond Street and walk a while if you want to stretch your legs.
- There are loads of great things to do in Marylebone after you’ve eaten. Exploring art at The Wallace Collection is top of our list, but perhaps you’d prefer to explore the Sherlock Holmes Museum or learn a thing or two about surgery at the Anaesthesia Heritage Centre – yes, that’s a real place.
