Lifestyle & Culture

Pauline Lemaire: My Top-5 eggs-istential places to brunch in London

If you don’t want to spend your Sunday morning endlessly scrolling on your phone in search of the perfect spot to go brunching in London, you’re in the right place, my friend. I have put together a list of my five favourite places to go grab a brunch, most of which do not require reservations.

Some also have various locations in London, so it’s more of a Top-11 than a Top-5 brunch place.

Lucky you!

Franzé & Evans

This is a family-run café that doesn’t take any reservations. It’s super affordable, you usually don’t wait more than 10 minutes and the food is delicious – special mention to the fresh pumpkin and ricotta ravioli with truffle oil for 12.5 pounds. Staff members are lovely and quite perceptive as they never fail to offer me a margarita when I’m hungover ….

Franzé & Evans has three locations – either branded or operated – in London, as well as one in Tokyo:

• 101 Redchurch St, Shoreditch, London, E2 7DL
• Bow: 7 Corsican Square, London E3 3YD
• Hoxton: 37 Cremer Street, London, E2 8HD

Franzé & Evans also has a Tokyo location.
Check out their website here to see their opening hours.

Ozone Coffee Roasters

That’s your guilt-free place to go to. This eatery is nearly zero-waste, supports the community, sources its food ethically and is overall conceived with being sustainable in mind. On top of that, the dishes are scrumptious. Whatever you order will leave you fat and happy, there is no going wrong here. The coffee is also delicious, I personally go for the Veggie Brekkie (eggs any style on sourdough w kimchi greens, roast tomatoes, halloumi & potato rosti), for 13.5 pounds and a flat
white.

Locations:
• Shoreditch: 11 Leonard St, London EC2A 4AQ
• London Fields: Emma St, London E2 9AP, United Kingdom

Check out their website here to see their opening hours.

Jolene’s logo was designed by a 6-year-old. No, really ….

Jolene Bakery

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Joleeeeeeene, I’m begging of you please give me a croissant ….

Jolene is a quirky bakery/restaurant where you can taste the passion. The dishes are made with pesticide-free ingredients, and the menu changes every day! No risk of getting bored of always seeing the same dishes. The waiting staff truly does look after their customers, thus making the atmosphere lovely and very welcoming. You can go there with your eyes closed!

• 21 Newington Grn, Mayville Estate, London N16 9PU

Check out their website here to see their opening hours.

The Dusty Knuckle

They have two locations in London; I’ve only been to the one in Dalston, but many of my friends have also been to the one in Harringay, so I can vouch for both locations. The one in Dalston has hundreds of seats outside, and it is such a lovely place to sit down and have a nice time with your friends. The food is delicious, they have a weekday and a weekend menu, and you’ll usually get a meal and a coffee for less than 15 pounds.

They also make amazing pizzas.

It’s a great place to have brunch on a sunny morning, and on top of that, they have a youth reinsertion programme where they help youth at risk of becoming society’s outcasts be financially independent and
members of the community.

What’s not to love.

Locations:
• Dalston: Abbot Street Carpark E8 3DP
• Harringay: 429 Green Lanes N4 1AH

Check out their website here to see their opening hours.

Eggslut

Poached, scrambled, fried, boiled and much more. You can do anything with eggs. At Eggslut, they built their menu completely around eggs. So, if you’re having the Sunday scaries or an eggs-istential crisis, look no further.

Please don’t let my terrible pun deter you from trying this place out, the food is exquisite. They have quite a few restaurants scattered across London, and the waiting staff pays strong attention to detail.

Locations:

• Shoreditch: 94 Leonard St London EC2A 4RH
• Fitzrovia: 19 Percy Street London W1T 1DY
• Notting Hill:185 Portobello Road, London W11 2ED

Eggslut also has locations in Japan, the United States, South Korea, Singapore and Kuwait.

Check out their website here to see their opening hours.

See more of Pauline’s tips here.

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After completing her Digital Anthropology Masters at University College London (UCL) Pauline Lemaire currently is based in Geneva, Switzerland. Pauline grew up in Singapore and Morocco, but her family has now relocated to Paris.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in French Literature and Philosophy from the University of Oxford.

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