Your guide to the best places for quiet cafe breakfasts, noisy bottomless brunches, and everything in between in the uber-cool neighbourhood of Brixton.
Brixton is one of London’s most happening neighbourhoods. Whether you’re talking about great street art, the buzzing music and nightlife scene or the killer array of restaurant options in this part of town, the conversation is never a dull one.
Never missing a trick, Brixton is also a great spot to dine out for the first meal of the day. We love coming to Bricky for breaky because of the choice.
There are, needless to say, some solid options for lively bottomless brunches, but you’ve also got the sophisticated in The Laundry and a couple of excellent community cafes in Kata Kata and Cafe van Gogh. Oh yeah, and then there are all the great coffee shops.
But enough talk, let’s get stuck in…
The Best Breakfast and Brunch in Brixton
Cafe van Gogh
An absolute favourite of ours in the neighbourhood whether it’s for breakfast brunch, or any of the other meals of the day is Cafe van Gogh. A large part of that comes from the truly heart-warming business model these folks work by.
They employ people with learning disabilities to work the tables and kitchen in order to get them the experience they need to live a little more independently. On top of that they recycle all their waste and are not-for-profit, and everything they earn goes back into the community.
On top of that the food is excellent. You can find breakfast-y items like shakshuka and avocado on toast, as well as pastries on the all-day menu, but we particularly like the Brunch Pancakes topped with Ratatouille and Avocado Cream.
Sarava Creperie Bar & Cafe
Head to Brixton Village and you’ll be spoilt for food options, one that opens with enough time in the morning to serve you up breakfast is Sarava – you may know it from its previous name, Senzala.
They are essentially an homage to the mighty crepe. You’ll find them in all varieties of sweet and savoury, inflected with a Brazilian influence you may have picked up on from the restaurant’s name.
One reason to keep this spot in mind is that they cater really well for food intolerances and dietary requirements as well as offering a lengthy amount of choice for vegans and vegetarians.
The Laundry
The Laundry is your location for breakfast with a touch of sophistication. In some ways, it turns a classic London tradition of looking to Down Under for brunch tips on its head. At the Laundry, it’s antipodean founders Melanie Brown and Sami Harvey who instead look to Europe for inspiration.
That inspiration being the continent’s bistros and the touch of class they can bring to a brunch menu. Expect to be eating elevated takes on everything from the humble sausage bap (that comes here with a lathering of Bloody Mary ketchup) to a luxurious bacon and maple syrup French toast.
Canova Hall
Canova Hall is your spot for big brunches, fueled by never-ending booze and good ol’ party vibes. It’s easily in the running for the most popular bottomless brunch Brixton does though, so you’ll need to book ahead to secure that table.
Once you’re in you’ll have a menu that spans brunch classics and tarted-up versions thereof, as well as popular Italian dishes and hearty breakfast options. Take our advice and go straight in for the Chilli Hash Browns, though you might not want to miss out on the Truffle Mushroom Toast…
F Mondays
Open from 8am throughout the week and 9am on weekends, F Mondays is a reliable spot for coffee and a bite to eat whenever you’re up and about early in Brixton looking for a feed.
The place is a simple neighbourhood cafe so you won’t find options for wild bottomless brunches (they’ll come below) or slap-up plates of bacon and eggs. What you will find though, are some charming vibes, great coffee and a nice selection of pastries for a lighter breakfast option.
We happen to think it’s one of the nicest spots for breakfast Brixton has to offer.
Kata Kata
Cafe van Gogh isn’t alone in being Brixton’s community restaurant. There’s also a place called Kata Kata that you should have on your radar. Their restaurant is an offshoot of a community program run under the same name to help pretty much anyone who needs it.
A large part of what they do is running a food bank and a community garden, the food from which ends up on the menu of their small restaurant. The main draw on their menu are the Galettes, buckwheat pancakes that they pimp out in a playful range of flavours.
Nothing they sell will leave you scrimping and saving at the end of the month, and the money they do make from the restaurant goes right back into supporting vulnerable people in the community.
The Blues Kitchen
The Blues Kitchen is a solid brunch option you’ll find in several of London’s coolest neighbourhoods, so guess what: they’ve also got one in Brixton.
Their brunch menu offers some hearty, American-inspired dishes of stick-to-your-ribs cooking which is what you’ll need to line your stomach if you’re the type to be easily enticed by a cocktail menu.
Watermelon cosmo – yes, we’ll have one of those, please. Or should we get the 90-minute free-flow mimosas with our St Louis Pork Rib? Tough choice…
The Joint
If you’re looking for a no-frills option for brunch, just good simple food and some great vibes, you’ll find it at The Joint. They turn up the music for brunch and get the place kicking by offering a spread of cocktails it’s basically impossible to say no to.
You’ll be dining out on burgers, wings that have won awards, more burgers, sides like deep-fried mac and cheese bites and probably making a right mess in the process, but that’s all part of the fun, and in this place, actively encouraged.
Practical Tips for Exploring the Best Brunch and Breakfast in Brixton
- If you want a broader option for something to eat and time is inching its way towards lunch, you could head towards Pop Brixton or Brixton Village. You’ll find heaps of options at both, but probably not much open around the early hours of the morning.
- For the bottomless brunch places, and The Laundry, we highly suggest you book ahead, especially if you plan to go at the weekend. The spots are really popular and seats will fill up quickly.
- Brixton is full of great restaurants that are worth having on your radar. Check out our guide to the best of them here and get dreaming up what you’ll be eating for dinner.
