Breakfast at Nopi, Oxford Circus

The monthly breakfasts are still going strong and, if I'm honest, it's getting a little difficult to find a breakfast that isn't very heavy on the Eggs Benedict vibe, especially if you're a sweet avoider as I am. Happily, though, Nopi near Oxford Circus, provides something a little different. 

From the Ottolenghi stable, I've enjoyed lunches and dinners here, though much like Ottolenghi's recipes themselves I've sometimes found their dishes a little... over-flavoured. As if perhaps they'd taken it one flavour profile too far. 

Not so much the case for breakfast, thankfully. Shakshuka is a traditional Middle Eastern dish of eggs poached in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce. Here, they're served in individual roasting hot cast iron pans with a dollop of smoked labneh - that's a thick, strained yoghurt - on top, that threatened to overwhelm but in fact tempered the spices. Perfectly poached, rich orange-yolked eggs were scooped up with toasted bread that was just the right amount to stave off any morning waddle. 

Do go and have a gaze around the ladies loos when you're there. They're something to behold. 

NOPI

21-22 Warwick Street
London W1B 5NE
Tel: 020 7494 9584

Posh Breakfasting: The Modern Pantry, Clerkenwell

There's no denying that the menu at The Modern Pantry is intriguingly 'fusion'. Classics such as fruit salads are jazzed up with lime and rosewater syrup, and strong Asian flavours, like yuzu, sit side by side with curry leaves and halloumi. On the day we visited for breakfast, something seemed to have thrown things off kilter - staff were rushing around the place, we had to share a menu for a while, and flagging anyone down for a coffee was difficult.  

But no real harm done. Our Vegetarian asked for the sweetcorn and feta waffles to come with an egg and yuzu hollandaise to replace the advertised bacon (above) and was hoovered down quick smart. My own sugar-cured prawn omelette was attractively bronzed and fluffy. The chilli sambal was smoky and rich, just the right amount of heat for a breakfast dish. I loved it - it's something I can tell would blast a particularly gnarly hangover out of the water. 

Service issues aside, I really enjoyed breakfast at The Modern Pantry. The space is bright and light, mostly made up of greys and whites. I did have to sit with my coat on for the duration of the meal as it was a little draughty, though. 

The Modern Pantry

47-48 St John’s Square
London EC1V 4JJ 
020 7553 9210

Chee Cheung Fun - Rice Noodle Rolls

One of my favourite dim sum dishes is 'cheung fun', which is a lasagne-like sheet made of rice noodle and often stuffed with king prawns, char siu (Cantonese barbecued pork), or my favourite - deep fried dough. It's served with a sweetened soy sauce to pour over, and I could eat it every day if I could. 

In Malaysia and Singapore, the same rice noodle sheets are served without stuffing, called 'chee cheung fun' and, happily, you can buy packets of this in Chinatown in the fridge section to steam at home yourself. All you need is a sauce, maybe a topping or two. I ate this and variants of it for breakfast last weekend; the noodles are slippery and comforting, the sauce lurking within the folds. 

Chee Cheung Fun Sauce

Enough for 1 packet of cheung fun

1 tbsp dark sesame paste
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp hoi sin sauce
1 tbsp chilli oil with sediment, or Sriracha
1 tsp Chinkiang vinegar
5 tbsp water 
1 stalk of spring onion, sliced finely
1 tsp sesame seeds

Cut the cheung fun into 3 inch lengths into a bowl, with a tablespoon of water. Place inside a steamer and steam on a high heat for 15 minutes, stirring a couple of times. 

Meanwhile, mix together the sesame paster, the hoi sin sauce, light soy, chilli oil and water. Place in a small saucepan and simmer over a gentle heat, mixing well so that the sesame paste melts and the sauce is smooth. 

Spoon a couple tablespoons of sauce over the cheung fun, then top with the spring onions and sesame seeds. Serve with chopsticks for authenticity. 

I also like this with crushed peanuts, and sometimes I crack an egg into the rice rolls to steam about 10 minutes into the cooking process. A spicy, sweet and vinegar-spiked sauce with plenty of garlic and coriander also makes a great dressing, though perhaps not for breakfast. 

Posh Breakfasting: Claridge's, Mayfair

Posh Breakfast at Claridges was a long time coming. We'd originally planned it for a Christmas treat - treat almost certainly being the operative word - but through one mishap or the other, we forgot to book and then it was full. Instead, we visited on a blustery February morning, only slightly conscious that we'd missed the famous Christmas tree. 

The whole place screams old fashioned posh. Plush carpets, polished silverware, well dressed serving staff and beautifully laid tables, at 8am the room was bustling. We were led to a table beyond the pretty dining room, a darker alcove with one other seating of businessmen eating granola. A shame we weren't able to eat in the main room but I didn't want to cause a fuss. 

The menu is likely to make you raise your eyebrows. Yes, that really is £6.50 for a cup of coffee. An English breakfast will set you back £17.50, and the eggs Royale I ordered was £18.50. It was a decent eggs royale, though I can't say it was the best I've ever had. If you're really pushing the boat out you could go for scrambled eggs with caviar, at a causal £75. 

Omelette Arnold Bennett (£19.50!) was a hefty plate of omelette, topped with smoked haddock. Mornay sauce, which is bechemel with added cheese, covered the lot and was grilled until browned and bubbling. This was the richest dish I could have ever imagined. My friend and I shared the Eggs Royale and this, and still half was leftover. 

My vegetarian friend asked for the Welsh rarebit, advertised with ham, to be served without. It arrived as menu'd, but the serving staff apologised profusely and a replacement arrived. It was nice that they removed it from the bill too. 

Speaking of the bill, we would have paid almost £30 each for our breakfasts with a coffee, had the offending item not been removed. Pretty punchy stuff, but you pay for the room and the experience. 

I am sad I don't have much of a sweet tooth, especially in the morning, as the pastries looked amazing. 

Claridge's - Foyer & Reading Room

Brook Street, Mayfair
London W1K 4HR

Tel: +44 (0)20 7409 6307

Posh Breakfasting: Honey & Co.

For some reason I started this year thinking it would be like the last - a slow burner, with nothing particularly frantic happening until at least March. I was very wrong. We've hit the ground running, and I haven't had much time to do much cooking for the blog (though Instagram followers will notice I have still been cooking - a girl's gotta eat). Indeed, all the exciting new restaurant openings have fallen by the wayside, evening hours being precious to work and sleep.

But it's easier to get up early when there is promise of a hearty breakfast. The advantage is that not everyone is awake to call you to ask for x y z before you've even got the to office, and a leisurely breakfast can be enjoyed in peace. Honey & Co. was certainly peaceful as we were one of the only tables seated, with a few streaming in and out to pick up pastries.

The breakfast menu on the web is actually more substantial than the one we had to peruse - I suspect that might be a weekend brunch - so I was slightly disappointed when I discovered Shakshuka would not be available to me. But, no matter, for my Merguez sausage roll, warm and flaky from the oven with a hard boiled egg and a side dish of pickles was more than an ample start to the day, especially when smothered with the fiery harissa sauce. My friend's pizza-like bread (opening picture) topped with spinach and a soft egg came with a labneh I continually stole for myself. A coffee was strong and smooth, while a fennel and lemon tea to finish with revived my stuffed self. 

Honey & Co. 

25a Warren St. London W1T 5LZ I've been here for lunch too, and it is excellent.

Posh Breakfasting: The Electric Diner

The Electric Diner is a cool place. Owned by Soho House, it is attached to a cinema of the same name where you can enjoy your film on the comfort of a sofa or an armchair. The restaurant looks like it was built in a big archway; a long bar is lined with stools, where chefs grill, fry, deep fry and assemble. Banquettes line the walls, with tables so wide they make dates awkward, though perfect for groups of friends. I've been once for dinner, and we sat at the bar sipping strong cocktails and eating shaved beef sandwiches, with plates of fries covered in cream sauce, topped with fried eggs. Sparkling crystals of salt adorned most of the Americana-style dishes. It was noisy and dark, boisterous and fun. 

We came back on rainy Sunday morning, the only place open at the ungodly hour of 9am. We were jet-lagged and hungry, confused by the hour of the morning that is so often unknown to us. Perched back again at the bar, the scene was quite different; couples feeding unruly children was the order of the morning. 

The breakfast menu reads like many; porridge and granola (why? why would you order that?) with fresh fruit, pastries, danishes. More to my tastes are the eggs benedict, the omelettes, the waffles. It was an easy decision to make. 

My eggs benedict was made using top quality eggs, those with the startlingly, deliciously orange yolks. Muffin halves were toasted and - joy! - the ham was shown some time in the hot plate before being flopped on top, so that they were nice and crisp around the edges. Hollandaise was light and tart, generously covering the eggs. They still do the flakes of salt on top. 

Afraid that the avocado on toast with a poached egg would be a little virtuous, we ordered the thickly cut peppered bacon to go with my boyfriend's breakfast. It was sweet and crisp, salty and thick. Not your average bacon. It defeated us.  

Not one to be able to resist hash browns, I wondered what would warrant the £5 they cost. I found out - there was a veritable boat of them. I'm not complaining. 

I didn't eat again until 4pm.

Electric Diner,
191 Portobello Road,
London, W11 2ED

Posh Breakfasting: Aqua Shard

We were nearing Christmas time. The fourth month of Posh Breakfasting needed to be somewhere special, to mark the festivities of the season. An administrative error meant that Claridges was fully booked before we got a chance to put our names down. Panic ensued. Aqua Shard came to the rescue. 

It's certainly a different vibe to the old world charm of Claridges, but you can't go up 31 floors of The Shard at sunrise and not be blown away by it. I mean, LOOK. 

We kicked off with breakfast cocktails because that is a totally fine thing to do on a Wednesday morning at 8am. Between us, we ordered the lobster eggs benedict, the salmon kedgeree and the tattie scones with kippers and black pudding, so we were obviously in a strong stomached sort of mood. The lobster eggs benedict was a beautiful thing, with plenty of sweet lobster meat hidden under a perfectly poached egg. This is no light breakfast, and I was glad I was sharing. 

The salmon of the kedgeree was confit'd so that it was soft and buttery. A fried egg balanced precariously on top of lightly curry-scented rice, and I liked the added touch of the salmon eggs too. 

Tattie scones with black pudding was a belt-buster of a dish - poached eggs came atop a slice of toast, and the smoked Manx kippers were actually within the scones itself, rather than served with it. If I'm honest it was my least favourite; the black pudding a bit too abundant, the tattie scones a touch greasy. I've never been a great lover of black pudding, though. 

Not your cheapest breakfast, at £33 a head but we did order the most expensive things, as well as a cocktail each and coffee. Service was calm and patient, perfect for that hour. I sat down at my desk at 9:30am incredibly well sated. Maybe a little tipsy. 

Aqua Shard

Level 31, The Shard
31 St Thomas Street
London SE1 9RY

Posh Breakfasting: Koya Bar... Again.

This month's episode of Posh Breakfasting is actually a repeat. I know. All those places to go and eat, and I revisit Koya Bar. I couldn't help it. The lure of a curry for breakfast was all too much for me. 

This was a piping hot bowl of vegetable curry udon. The gravy had chunks of carrot and taro in, as well as green onion. On a day as baltic as it was, washed down with a pot of hot Japanese tea, it was just the thing to power up my morning. My friend's kedgeree made with rice, cooked down to a porridge was cleansing and sweet in comparison to my big ballsy bowlful. The curry udon is not for the faint-hearted, I'll grant you that, but if you're the kind of person who could really eat anything for breakfast, it's a pretty great option. 


Koya Bar
50 Frith Street,
London, W1D 4SQ

No Reservations 
Opens 8:30am for breakfast

Posh Breakfasting: Quo Vadis

The payday Posh Breakfasting continues strong into Month 2 and our chosen venue was Quo Vadis on Dean Street. Headed up by Jeremy Lee, I've been only once for dinner, though I've wobbled around their upstairs bar more times than I'd care to admit. 

A deathly hush greeted us when we arrived near opening, at 8am. Comfortable banquettes, plump cushions and white linen table cloths exude an air of luxury, and we were the only diners there for the duration of our visit. The menu isn't an extensive one, and actually looks more suited to those with sweeter tastes than mine. Coffees were strong and smooth, and the 'Kipper' at £7.50 was ordered. 

And that's exactly what turned up. A kipper, warmed on a plate. We were asked if we'd like bread with it - toasted? Fried? - and a few toasted slices of sourdough arrived for 2 of us to share. My friend's fry up arrived with, peculiarly, an enormous bundle of watercress piled on top. 

My kipper was... very nice. Probably the best kipper I've eaten. Plump, smoky, salty. A wedge of lemon wouldn't have gone amiss. 

When we got the bill, the toast offered came up as £4.50. I dunno. It seemed over the top. Does anyone eat kippers without bread? That smarted a bit. 

EDIT: Quo Vadis got in touch to make amends, as it turns out we were charged £4.50 in error - sourdough, fruit manchet, a slice of plain, a slice of rye, with homemade jam, honey and butter is £4.50, toast and bread is usually gratis with the kipper.

Quo Vadis

26 - 29 Dean Street
London, W1D 3LL

Posh Breakfasting: Duck & Waffle

"WHAT?" my friend spluttered. "You've never been to The Wolseley?! Dahling." And thus, our posh breakfast club was born. We started a spreadsheet of all the lovely places in London you can go for breakfast for monthly pay day visits. Our theory is this; it's much cheaper than going for lunch or dinner on account of the booze you probably won't drink - I say probably because, really, anything can happen - and when you head into work after a proper slap-up breakfast, you feel like a champion. Until your 6am alarm clock catches up with you. 

Duck and Waffle has one of the more extensive breakfast menus I've seen. Incredibly, they open from 6am to 5am - almost 24 hours. A foggy morning, we were distracted from our total white-out of a view with plates of belgian waffles, fruit, granola and pastries going past our table. My eye zoned in immediately on the 'steak and eggs benedict', which actually was a slice of toasted sourdough, piled with braised ox cheek, topped with a couple of poached eggs and smothered liberally with hollandaise sauce. Poking the eggs so that the yolk burst out drew literal gasps at the table. The meat was slow-cooked and shredded, lightly flavoured enough not to be too full-on for such an hour. The hollandaise was smooth and tangy, one of the better versions I've tried. I was a happy lady. 

As it was my birthday, the kitchen were kind enough to send me the PBJ. Toasted brioche, stuffed with peanut butter, jam and banana, I was relieved to see the 'fat boy' option did not appear. An additional fried egg and maple bacon might have killed me. This was pretty wonderful; crunchy, fluffy brioche, a good amount of filling, and some decadent whipped cream and berries to top off each mouthful. 

After a fresh mint tea, we waddled off to work. I didn't eat again until 5pm (apart from just a little soup at lunch...).

Duck & Waffle

Heron Tower
110 Bishopgate, 
London EC2N 4AY

Breakfast served from 6am - 11am

Koya Bar, Frith Street

It's no secret that I turn into a squealing fan-girl whenever Koya is mentioned. It's probably up there to be one of my favourite restaurants in London. Their udon noodles revolutionised my hangovers; grease and filth sends me over the edge when I'm feeling delicate, so their cleansing broths, simple flavours and comforting slow-cooked eggs (onsen tamago) have helped me out of many a sticky situation. When not hungover - it happens - the Specials board is always an exciting surprise, dishes so lovely that I often sulk when they're only there for a day or two (I'm looking at you, udon fries). Judging by the queues, I'm not their only fan-girl.

So, the news that Mooli's next door had closed down and was then snapped up by Koya for another little place (Koya Bar) brought joy to my udon-craving heart. Scheduled to officially open on Monday 2nd September, I happened to walk past and spy people dining there. They opened a week early on the sly. 

The menu, surprisingly, was exactly the same as Koya. I looked through it once, turned it over, looked again - and then I spied some mackerel grilling above a flame. John, the owner, explained to me that actually Koya Bar will be serving that classic menu, but also breakfast. That grilling fish was part of a breakfast dish, and they kindly let me try it out. It was exactly what you'd want from a grilled piece of fish; smoky, firm, a little sweet, a little salty from the glaze, crisp skin. Lightly pickled pink ribbons and a pile of grated daikon refreshed the palate in between bites. 

A plate of tempura vegetables and a bowl of fried tofu and spring onion udon noodles (kizame on the menu) confirmed that all was well and running smoothly. 

I, of course, went back as soon as I could - their first breakfast service, in fact.

A selection of udon noodles are on offer (bravely, the curry option too) as well as some porridge dishes. It's not the usual with oats though - porridge made with rice, what we know as congee or 'juk' in Cantonese. I ordered the kedgeree; textured, thick rice porridge was flavoursome and generous with silky smoked haddock. On top nestled a slow-poached egg, whites wobbly and yolk runny. 

Decorated with fish skin crisps, a little dish of shaved bonito (used once already for the restaurant's dashi stock) mixed with sesame seeds are for scattering on top. It was, truly, a brilliant bowlful. 

We couldn't rightly go and miss out on the English breakfast udon - which was bacon and egg. This was also delicious; the bacon was cooked until floppy, not crisp, but the dashi broth took on its flavour well. It was a little hard to break the bacon slices up without being entirely covered in soup, but it was the cleanest, healthiest-feeling 'fry-up' I'd come across. 

I can't wait to go back to try the udon with raw egg and soy. Or the curry udon. Or the porridge with pickles. I'm even coming round to natto, those sticky fermented soy beans, which we were given just because I wanted to see my boyfriend squirm while trying it. 

So, while Koya Bar retains the classic menu with breakfast opening hours and a focus on sake and beer, I'm told that the original Koya will move in a different, more Specials-led direction. I can't wait to see what they come up with. 

Koya Bar
50 Frith Street,
London, W1D 4SQ

No Reservations 
Opens 8:30am for breakfast

Preserved Vegetable Omelette & Congee

One of my favourite breakfasts that I never have time to make is congee with preserved vegetable omelette. Congee gets a bad rep - oft compared to wallpaper paste, the whole point of it is to be a soft, bland foil against punchy flavours. It's an ideal meal for me, as no one bite is the same; instead, you can tailor each mouthful with your condiments.

The key to a successful congee breakfast is flavour and texture contrasts. A bit of crunch here and there is essential so that you don't feel like a geriatric gumming down your meal. The crunch of spring onions is perfect, and salted roasted peanuts or fried dough stick are ideal too. Then comes the condiments - short, sharp bursts to flavour each mouthful. This omelette encompasses both texture and flavour; a little creamy, a little crunchy, slightly crispy. Bits are ripped off with chopsticks, dipped in the congee and eaten with a sprinkling of spring onion. 

For alternating mouthfuls, I favour fermented white tofu in chilli oil. You can buy this at your local Chinese supermarket - greyish squares float in the chilli oil, not to be confused with red fermented tofu which is used for cooking with. This stuff packs some serious umami - I only needed half a square for my whole bowl. It's hard to describe the flavour - deeply savoury, quite spicy, a bit of fermenty-ness. (That's a word, ok?) 

You may have a favourite way of cooking congee - some prefer it creamy and thick, others thin and broth-like. I'm in between; semi-thick, but with the rice grains still intact. This is how I made mine.

Preserved Vegetable Omelette

Serves 2

1 heaped tbsp Tianjin preserved vegetable (or chai poh, preserved turnip)
4 eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 fat clove of garlic, minced
A pinch of white pepper 
1 tbsp cooking oil

Rinse the preserved vegetable in plenty of water, 3 times. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs together with the rice wine and the white pepper and milk.

Drain the preserved veg and cook on a high heat without the oil so that the moisture evaporates. Add the oil, turn the heat down to medium and add the garlic, cooking until fragrant. Turn the heat up and add the eggs immediately - they should bubble and fluff upon hitting the wok. Cook for a couple of minutes, then flip into half and turn over, cooking until slightly crisp on the outside and set within. 

To make the congee: 

90gr jasmine rice (basmati also works) 
850ml water 

Rinse the rice a couple of times, swirling the grains with your hands and discarding the water. Place rice in a large saucepan with water, and bring to the boil. Turn down to a medium heat and simmer until the water turns starchy and the rice is swollen and cooked, roughly around 15 mins. For a smoother, creamier congee, cook for a little longer on a lower heat and stir it often so that the rice grains break down. 

Serve with bowls of condiments - fermented tofu, chopped spring onions, chopped coriander, chilli oil, chopped up chillis in fish sauce, pickled vegetables, roasted peanuts, chopped century egg, fish balls... the list is pretty endless. 

That Doughnut

It's hard not to think of vulgar or obscene things when you see these plum jam and custard doughnuts - look! They look like they're spewing! But they are one of the very best things I've eaten this year.

I never much liked doughnuts; they remind me of a brief teenage time I spent in Ipswich, biting into grease sponges fried in whiffy old fat from carts that lined the high street. Krispy Kremes make me feel sick and give me a toothache. But these, at Hawksmoor's new Guildhall branch, are light and fluffy, the cold custard and jam a welcome smooth contrast.

Oh, and my 250gr ribeye with an egg and hash browns was pretty damn sexy, even at 8am. What a breakfast to start the week. I only wish I didn't have to go to work that day, or I'd have gotten right stuck into the Bloody Mary buffet, or some breakfast cocktails, or a cornflake hardshake; nothing like a slug of bourbon to wake you up.

Hawksmoor Guildhall

10 Basinghall St.
London.
EC2V 5BQ

Tel: 020 7397 8120

I dined as a guest of Hawksmoor. But I've also eaten at other Hawksmoors several times on my own dollar.

Blueberry Pancakes with Bacon & Maple Syrup

If you'd said to me 5 years ago that I'd be tucking into blueberry pancakes with maple syrup and bacon, I'd have gone "bleeeuuuughhh!", but nowadays I'm really getting into my sweet & savoury. I think it was candied bacon that changed me. In a fit of madness we used it as a spoon for this curry once. Edible spoons! Genius.

When I was in New York I didn't make it to a single breakfast, a shame (though not really - bed is important) because the Americans are known for great big massive breakfasts. These pancakes are popular with them. They differ in the sort that us Brits are more used to as they have a rising agent in them, whereas the ones we're more used to are flat as a... er, pancake.

These were light and fluffy, bursts of tartness and sweetness coming through from the oozing blueberries. They soaked up the maple syrup well, and the contrast with the smoky, salty bacon was a delight. For 5 girls with fuzzy heads, this sorted us out a treat.

Blueberry Pancakes with Bacon & Maple Syrup

Serves 5

400gr self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 tsp sugar
A pinch of salt
600mls milk
150gr blueberries
10 rashers of smoked back bacon
Maple syrup to serve

Preheat your oven to around 70 degrees, to keep the waiting pancakes warm. The pancakes take patience but I found it quite therapeutic. Mix all the dry ingredients together, then make a well and add the eggs and mix well. Add the milk bit by bit, whisking as you go to make the batter. Mine was a bit lumpy and it didn't seem to matter. Leave the blueberries out at this stage - I add them after the batter has gone into the pan, as adding them and then mixing can make them pop, resulting in blueish grey pancakes.

Add a scant ladleful of batter to a well oiled pan on medium and then scatter a few blueberries onto the raw batter on top. Cook until the bubbles on the surface pop and then flip carefully, cooking the other side for another couple of minutes. Keep warm in the oven.

While you're making the pancakes, cook the bacon till well browned and also keep warm in the oven on kitchen paper-lined plates.

Serve with maple syrup.

Breakfast at The Riding House Cafe

I've worked in the Great Titchfield Street area for the past 3.5 years and I've seen the transformation of this place. When I first made the move from Soho to Fitzrovia, it was a generic Slug & Lettuce, as bland as they come. Later, I laughed heartily at the name and endured many pints when it became Chutney n' Lager, a tacky restaurant / bar that would serve poppadums with your beer, with various sports on big screens. I usually stood outside.

In its new guise as The Riding House Cafe, the sleek teal and wood interiors and all day brasserie-style menu shows it means business and is here to stay. We clattered in at 8:30am on their official day of opening for a spot of breakfast. Workmen still flitted about, screwing in various bits and bobs.

Service was somewhat sketchy and we waited a while for menus, and then were given more menus even after we'd ordered. No matter, they were sweet and it was opening day after all. My companions were alarmed when our waitress suggested the bircher muesli. "Christ, do we look like muesli people?!" We shunned her suggestion and I ordered the Eggs Hussard, with an extra order of buttermilk pancakes with berries and clotted cream for a sweet note.

I wasn't sure what Bordelaise sauce was that came as part of my dish, but after one bite I was sure. Red wine sauce. With Hollandaise. At 9am. Oooof. A toasted slice, slowly soaking up the sauce was topped with good quality ham, a slice of tomato and wilted spinach, before being topped by two poached eggs and a generous helping of the aforementioned Hollandaise. While one egg was perfectly poached with a runny yolk, the other was over done and the yolk had set. The serious sleeps were starting to set in, but I soldiered on gamely.

Buttermilk pancakes has slightly crispy edges and fluffy innards. Drizzled with maple syrup and then smeared with some excellent clotted cream, the berries balanced out the sugar with a hearty tang. With coffee and service, the final bill came to £14 per person. Again, not an every day breakfast, but for a spot of indulgence.

I have no doubt that The Riding House Cafe will have more staying power than its predecessors. Having had a brief glimpse of their lunch menu, I know I'd be torn with indecision as everything sounded tasty. I hear they do good cocktails too...

The Riding House Cafe

43 - 51 Great Titchfield Street,
London W1W

Tel: 020 7927 0840