Best breakfast in Covent Garden: 12 places to start the day in style

If you’re the sort of person that needs fuel at the beginning of the day, you might find that some parts of London lack a good range of breakfast options. That certainly can’t be said of Covent Garden - this busy hub of central London is buzzing with tourists even in the early hours, and the atmosphere continues well into the rest of the day with shops, street entertainers and museums drawing in the crowds.

Covent Garden is also one of London’s most reliable areas for food - perhaps not surprising given the hordes that pass through every day. That means, if you’re here fairly early in the morning, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to breakfast. What Covent Garden really offers is variety - you can head to one of the many hotels in the area for a range of breakfast options seven days a week, or head to the open air piazza for breakfast al fresco in one of London’s most recognisable landmarks. Plus, you always have Seven Dials just a short walk away, with its independent shops and cafes.

Different people breakfast in different ways of course, and Covent Garden covers all bases with a mixture of cafes, bakeries and holes-in-the-wall, right up to famous all-day European Grand Cafes, and even a famous Indian breakfast that has understandably become one of London’s most beloved.

We’ve rounded up what we think are the best breakfasts in Covent Garden. Scroll down and take a look, and fret not - if none of these take your fancy and you’re thinking instead of the best breakfast near Covent Garden, you’re just moments away from Soho, Chinatown, The Strand, and even St James’s and Mayfair aren’t far away.

Baudry Greene

What: Any breakfast menu that starts off with half a pink grapefruit immediately has us gripped in its warm palms. Baudry Greene’s soothing breakfast menu is classic from top-to-bottom with charming Grand Cafe interiors completing the vibe nicely. Bacon baps, salmon bagels, excellent pastries and robust coffees are all on offer too, but the vibe has the romance of lazy breakfasts in Paris or Vienna about it. Baudry Greene also makes its own choc ices - the brandied prune one might just be the best thing you can eat as you walk around Covent Garden in the summer. 
Where: 20 Endell Street, WC2H 9BD
Best for: A Parisian escape from the Piazza
Book now: Baudry Greene

Bill's

What: Tucked away in St Martin's Courtyard, this Bill's location is a source of relaxation amongst the hustle and bustle of Covent Garden. With both cosy indoor seating and al fresco outdoor dining, this is a go-to all year round. With a diverse breakfast menu featuring berry, maple and cinnamon porridge, eggs benedict, and squash, eggs and feta on sourdough, you'll never get tired of starting your day at Bill's. 
Where: St Martin's Courtyard, 12 Upper St Martin's Lane, WC2E 9AB
Best for: Value for money and family dining
Book now: Bill's Covent Garden

The Delaunay

What: Much like iconic sibling The Wolseley, The Delauney specialises in comforting all-day Mittel European fare, and that starts early in the morning with superb viennoiserie, cereals, fruit and eggs cooked in myriad ways. The interiors are beautiful too, making this a great spot if you want to start the day with something a bit special. It's also famously brilliant for slightly more formal occasions, with myriad little nooks and semi-private tables where you can thrash out a deal over some hearty breakfast fare. 
Where: 55 Aldwych, WC2B 4BB
Best for: Business breakfasts and meetings
Book now: The Delaunay

Dishoom

What: Arguably one of London’s most beloved breakfasts, Dishoom’s legendary bacon naan started as a bit of an experiment. Nowadays, devotees search out their nearest Dishoom to start the day with pillowy naan bread stuffed with applewood-smoked bacon and chilli chutney. There’s plenty more of note on the breakfast menu - an excellent Parsi cooked breakfast, and spicy chicken keema with chicken liver and fried eggs, not to mention the unlimited chai refills.
Where: 12 Upper St Martins Lane, WC2H 9FB
Best for: International flavours
Book now: Dishoom

Restaurant 45

What: Restaurant 45 is a sophisticated spot in the rather swish St Martin’s Lane Hotel; it’s set right in the heart of Covent Garden, perfect for a civilised breakfast before meetings or theatre plans. Start with top-notch coffee or a breakfast cocktail, then dive into acai bowls, shakshuka and pastries, or classics like pancakes, eggs Benedict and a full English, all served in a relaxed but luxe hotel setting.
Where: 45 St Martin's Lane, WC2N 4HX
Best for: Pre-theatre breakfasts
Book now: Restaurant 45

Brother Marcus Covent Garden

What: Brother Marcus has grown into a London breakfast favourite, and the Covent Garden site is arguably its most photogenic thanks to mottled limewash walls and abundant foliage. The breakfast menu features the same easy-going Eastern Mediterranean cooking that has made Brother Marcus a sensation in the capital, with dishes including the likes of feta and spinach pitas, and smoky shakshuka. Weekend brunch ups the indulgence with cardamom-laced brioche and playful brunch cocktails in a stylish, plant-filled space.
Where: 23 Slingsby Place, WC2E 9AB
Best for: Instagrammable breakfasts
Book now: Brother Marcus Covent Garden

Cafe Petiole

What: Headed up by chef Rishim Sachdeva of excellent almost-vegan restaurant Tendril, Cafe Petiole is a plant-first cafe with a pleasant, aesthetic vibe, set inside Somerset House. Breakfast is firmly vegan, with smart grab-and-go options like toasted banana bread with agave, plus seriously good baked goods and desserts. There are also delicious sandwiches available - aimed at lunch but they’re ready for the morning, so if you fancy a lovely roast aubergine and tahini sando for a late breakfast, Cafe Petiole has you covered. This is our favourite hidden gem breakfast in Covent Garden.
Where: Somerset House, WC2R 1LA
Best for: Takeaway breakfasts and coffees
Book now: Cafe Petiole

Mildreds Covent Garden

What: A pioneer of exciting plant-based dining since 1988, Mildreds’ Covent Garden site delivers vibrant all-day eating, including breakfast and brunch. The breakfast menu is packed with delicious vegan cooking, from a kimchi grilled ‘cheez’ sandwich with gochugaru mayo, to waffle stacks and a killer vegan full English. In general, Mildreds is a dependable choice for dietaries, with plenty of gluten- and dairy-free options, but the food is excellent in its own right.
Where: 23 Slingsby Place, WC2E 9AB
Best for: Vegan and plant-based options
Book now: Mildreds Covent Garden

Brasserie Max

What: We’re big fans of Firmdale’s beautiful boutique Covent Garden Hotel, and much of that is thanks to the superb in-house all-day restaurant Brasserie Max. The menu delivers the best of a hotel breakfast - quality pastries, and lots of cooked breakfast options alongside fruit-topped porridge, fresh juices, coffees and more, all in a lovely space just a few minutes walk from theatreland.
Where: Covent Garden Hotel, 10 Monmouth Street, WC2H 9HB
Best for: A classic full English or eggs Benedict
Book now: Brasserie Max

Ladurée

What: Besides boasting one of the best spots on Covent Garden piazza, Laduree is also a good breakfast spot for the more sweet-toothed among us. Come here for fresh croissants, macarons of all colours and flavours, as well as blueberry French toast. Bonus points if you manage to grab a seat on the al fresco terrace - a perfect breakfast spot if you're planning to explore the Piazza afterwards.
Where: Unit 1, Covent Garden Market, WC2E 8RF
Best for: Breakfast al fresco
Book now: Ladurée

26 Grains

What: 26 Grains offers a single all-day menu, but it’s open from 9am (definitively breakfast-time) and offers a nice mixture of health-conscious porridges and birchers, alongside some sweet treats and tasty egg breakfasts (sign us up for fried eggs in chilli butter). There are some outside tables on the Seven Dials cobbles too, but they fill up fast on sunny days so we'd recommend getting there early.
Where: 1 Neal's Yard, WC2H 9DP
Best for: A quick morning bite
Book now: 26 Grains

Arome Bakery

What: One of London’s most beloved bakeries, Arome should be top of the list for pastry fanatics and anyone who stares lovingly at the number of layers in a croissant. Come for the miso bacon swirl, stay for the honey butter French toast, but be warned - the latter often sells out faster than the team can make them! 
Where: 9 Mercer Street, The Yards, WC2H 9QJ
Best for: A grab-and-go pastry
Book now: Arome Bakery

Looking for more great breakfast spots to start your day? We've rounded up the capital's most unmissable early morning meals in our list of London's best breakfasts - click here to check out our picks. Or, if you fancy something a bit lazier and later in the day, we have London's best brunches too.