Fry Up
RIVER CAFE
Not to be confused with the wallet-beating Italian restaurant, this particular River Cafe is an old school caff located right opposite Putney Bridge tube. It’s a stunner inside, with blue and white tiles, creaking plywood wall panels, and formica tables, largely unchanged since the 1960s. There are plenty of nods to the Italian owners too, with walls covered in Italian football flags and posters. The menu is as comforting as the surroundings, with bacon sandwiches and a big Full English for breakfast, and shepherd’s pie, pasta and Italian desserts at lunch. You can eat like a king here and still come with change from a tenner.
E Pellicci has been serving the good people of East London for over a 100 years, so you can bet they know what they’re doing when it comes to feeding the hungry and the hungover. It’s classic caff grub, the portions are big, they serve breakfasts all day long and the fry up will cost you less than a tenner. It’s closed on Sundays though, so don’t caught out.
This popular art deco cafe, which has been going since 1946 (the original tiling is still intact), is probably one of the most famous greasy spoons in town thanks to it appearance in several films and TV shows. It’s excellent value too with the standard brekkie coming in at just over a fiver.
MARIA'S MARKET CAFE
Located in Borough Market, Maria’s Market Cafe is almost as iconic as the market itself. Maria began working there aged seven and has been running the joint ever since. This is the place for a big brekkie – don’t skip the bubble & squeak – a mug of strong tea and a lively atmosphere.
Using ingredients sourced from nearby Smithfield and Borough Markets, Terry’s Cafe serves traditional home cooked meals, including a famous fry-up. Choose between ‘the standard’, ‘the works’ or ‘the blowout’.
The Hoxton Grill restaurant inside The Hoxton, Shoreditch hotel hits the spot with their half, full, or veggie fry-ups. Available as early as 7am, this is one for early risers.
The Ginger Pig Cafe in Hoxton is the place to go if you want a hearty and high quality fry-up. The menu is short and sweet (saves you wasting time trying to choose what to order), all ingredients are sourced locally and it won’t cost an arm and a leg.
The couple behind this modern British diner are committed to using only the freshest organic and free-range ingredients but don’t worry, they still know how to whip up a hangover-busting brekkie. If you can’t fit in a full English, they do a half English although we often get tempted by that pork belly benedict.
The Blues Kitchen offers a wholesome spread of brunch dishes with a southern American tinge. If you’re feeling indulgent, we went for the full works – sausage, bacon, egg’s, tomato, mushroom, barbecue pit beans and toast, a fully satisfying dish that made us smile. A slightly healthier option was the Southwest Avotoast which saw San Fran sourdough as the foundation to house an incredible Hulk-esque portion of smashed avocado, poached eggs and Texmex Dukkah. It’s hearty, homely food washed down with healthy juices (at least for us this time). It’s a great way to start a Sunday, with blues and soul classics providing the soundtrack.