A local’s guide to the best breakfast in Covent Garden, London: all the must-visit coffee shops and bakeries to find delicious cakes, pastries and coffee!
There’s literally no shortage of restaurants, bakeries and coffee shops to have breakfast in Covent Garden and, believe me, you’re going to need it.
If I’ve already written several guides about the area, with most recently my Covent Garden Itinerary and other hidden gems and shops I love there, I hadn’t talked that much about food spots yet.
Well, if you don’t count the foodie itinerary of Covent Garden I shared with you some time ago, in which I tell you about some of my favorite snack spots and other cheap eats.
Covent Garden’s 7 Best Breakfast Spots – London Food Guide
Today’s all about coffee shops and bakeries in Covent Garden I personally love, a couple of which you’ve already been able to see here.
Bageriet and Buns from Home, for instance, are two beautiful bakeries in which you’ll find the city’s best cinnamon buns.
Well, some of the best.
Anyway – if you’re planning to visit London, chances that you’ll be walking around Covent Garden’s gorgeous streets are high.
So, in between all the shopping and the discovery of hidden gems like St Paul’s Church, these breakfast and brunch spots are some I definitely, utterly recommend you visit at some point.
Best Breakfast in Covent Garden London: Violas
Located steps away from the Covent Garden Piazza, Violas is a floral cafe slash restaurant you’ll love to visit if you’re into really aesthetic food spots.
Violas is most famous for its instagrammable brunches and afternoon teas, and oscillates between picture-ready and ultra-elegant: for a chat between friends or a solo moment bathing in luxury, it’s a must-visit.
On the menu? Tiramisu French toasts, New York-style creamy cheesecakes, fresh donuts, taco pancakes and other decadent carrot cakes.
Violas is open from breakfast to dinner – if you’re ever on the hunt for must-visit places in London in the evening, it’s a must-have on your bucket list!
Read: The Best Cafes for Colorful Lattes in London
Best Breakfast in Covent Garden London: Bageriet
Bageriet, a Swedish bakery with the tiniest terrace you’ll find in London (there are only two tables outside), is one of my go-to’s when it comes to having breakfast in Covent Garden.
I’ll usually start my day out at Bageriet with a cinnamon bun and a chai latte (always, of course, a chai latte!) and make my way down Long Acre.
I’ll wander in the pretty neighborhood in search of new nail polish, makeup, stationery or home decor at TK Maxx on Long Acre, then check out whether the instagrammable spots around Covent Garden are still picture-worthy.
Or, I’ll just have my breakfast walking around Henrietta Street, King Street and the Apple Market.
It’s easy and undoubtedly one of the best spots you could visit to start your day out in London.
Read: Italy in London: An Unusual Itinerary to Italian Places in London
Best Breakfast in Covent Garden London: 26 Grains
Nestled in tiny colorful Neal’s Yard, 26 Grains is the kind of secret coffee shop you only really notice when you’re nearby because it’s just so small.
For a twisty menu filled with decadent fried eggs drenched in chili butter, elderflower and gooseberry brioche and other garlic omelettes, this hipster little cafe is the way to go.
A good breakfast or even just coffee or a hot chocolate at 26 Grains feels utterly perfect before exploring the colorful spots around Covent Garden, like Broad Street’s phone booths, St Martin’s Courtyard and Neal Street.
Read: The Most Instagrammable Places in London
Best Breakfast in Covent Garden London: Seven Dials Market
Of course, Seven Dials Market is another spot you should visit while walking around Covent Garden.
Not only because it’s located so close to some unique shops like DrmLnd, where you can make tags to decorate items like backpacks, but also because it’s but one of London’s best markets.
This one’s more of a brunch-on-the-go type of situation, as Seven Dials Market opens at 11 am at weekends, and at 12 noon during the week.
Once you’re done eating, do visit Neal’s Yard as it’s such a pretty colorful place, shop around Covent Garden Piazza, or make your way towards Leicester Square and Oxford Street.
Read: The Prettiest Streets in Covent Garden
Best Breakfast in Covent Garden London: Buns From Home
Is it breakie or a snack?
Who ever knows at Buns from Home!
Located along Long Acre, less than 5 minutes away from Charing Cross Road, Buns From Home is one of the latest additions to London’s cinnamon bun scene.
The classic cinnamon roll dresses itself in pistachio, almond and tangy rhubarb in some of Buns From Home’s most appetizing selections.
Take your pastry to go (there’s no seating space in this bakery, anyway) and walk down Long Acre in search of new makeup, clothes, vintage and jewelry shops.
Don’t miss out on Les Néréides, a French jewelry brand established close to Covent Garden Station, nor on Kryolan for colorful, pigmented, and never-quits makeup!
Best Breakfast near Covent Garden London: Fabrique, Holborn
Fabrique has several branches across town, one of them being a perfect Notting Hill breakfast spot.
Still, the Holborn branch is one I’ve always loved since the time I used to live in Mile End and the bus route to Central London would pass by Fabrique.
This Swedish bakery is filled with fresh bread, socials and other Scandinavian specialties in a rather soothing background; perfect to read or write!
Read: 25+ London Guides to Historical Sites, Ruins & Retro Treasures
Best Breakfast in Covent Garden London: The Breakfast Club
One just doesn’t introduce The Breakfast Club anymore and whether you’re looking for breakfast in Covent Garden, London Bridge, Soho or Spitalfields, the quality of the food and service is consistent.
The only downside to The Breakfast Club, really, is how popular it is.
You can literally see queues of people waiting at weekends, and sometimes during the week, to enter and have fluffy pancakes, eggs on buttered sourdough, toasts and waffles.
A blend between British and American, The Breakfast Club is a great spot to visit in London with kids, friends, or family, for a lively, satisfying moment.
Read: The Best Hidden Gems in Covent Garden
Covent Garden’s 7 Best Breakfast Spots – London Food Guide
This guide will hopefully have enlightened you as to what places really are must-visits to get a good, hearty, delicious breakfast in Covent Garden.
There’s so much to do in this bustling area that having breakfast there seems like a great idea before roaming around Holborn, Leicester Square and Oxford Street.
Should you want to discover something a little bit different for your trip/day out in London, here are a few of my favorite suggestions:
- Donutelier Charing Cross Road for the most mind blowing doughnuts of your life
- The Leicester Square Art Trail
- Mayfair’s hidden gems, from art to shops and food!