Turkish Breakfast and Brunch: New Spots Across London
Turkish brunch in London usually means kahvaltı, the Turkish word for breakfast: cheeses, olives, eggs, honey with kaymak (clotted cream), fresh bread and plenty of tea. The grandest version is serpme kahvaltı, a spread of small plates for the whole table, but you’ll also find menemen (eggs scrambled with tomato and peppers), çılbır (poached eggs on garlic yoghurt) and sucuk, a spicy Turkish sausage, fried with eggs.
This round-up covers newly listed restaurants on Turkish Dish that serve breakfast, all of them places diners rate highly. Hours vary a lot, from all day to Sunday mornings only, so check the times below. Our main guide to Turkish breakfast in London covers more places, and the existing listing TANDIR in Palmers Green also serves a breakfast for two with bottomless tea.
North London
Sumak, Crouch End
Family-run Sumak on Tottenham Lane serves Turkish breakfast and menemen from noon to 4pm, alongside a £15.95 two-course weekday set lunch. Stay on for humus kavurma (hummus topped with pan-fried lamb) or mücver, courgette and feta fritters. The menu describes the food as 100% halal certified, wine is available and there’s a kids’ menu. Book online.
Cilicia, Muswell Hill
Cilicia on Muswell Hill Broadway serves big breakfasts all day, including a vegetarian full English built around grilled halloumi, plus sandwiches and coffee. It opens at 11am on weekdays and 10am at weekends, and there are cocktails and wine if brunch runs long. Halal status isn’t stated.
27 Lahmacun, Tottenham
From 8:30am every day, 27 Lahmacun on The Roundway serves menemen and sucuklu yumurta (eggs fried with sucuk), while sucuklu menemen combines the two. Finish with katmer, flaky pastry filled with pistachio, in keeping with the kitchen’s Gaziantep leanings. Ask about halal; delivery is on Deliveroo.
LahmaCino, Holloway
LahmaCino comes from a family business that opened its first lahmacun restaurant in London in 1992. It opens at 8am daily for kahvaltı with cheeses, olives, eggs and bread, or menemen, with Turkish tea all day; later, order the lahmacun (thin flatbread with spiced minced meat). There’s seating inside and out, vegetarian and vegan options, and halal options are listed.
Skewd Kitchen, Cockfosters
On Sundays from 10am to 2pm, Skewd Kitchen serves an Anatolian Breakfast Feast at £27.90 per person (minimum two). The restaurant was named best fine dining restaurant at the British Kebab Awards 2019, and it’s listed as halal, with cocktails and wine. Book via SevenRooms.
East London and Hackney
Güneş, Walthamstow
Breakfast at Güneş on Hoe Street runs until 4pm and comes with free Turkish or fresh mint tea. The house breakfast plate has eggs, feta, hummus, olives, börek (filled pastry), kaymak, halloumi and sucuk, and sharing platters serve three or six. It opens at 11am on weekdays and 10am at weekends; alcohol is served, and booking is worthwhile.
Pivaz, Clapton
Pivaz on Chatsworth Road opens at 10am daily with menemen, şakşuka (fried vegetables in tomato sauce) and a house breakfast of filo pastry, feta, spicy sucuk, halloumi, honey and clotted cream. Weekend brunch is the busiest time, so arrive early. Wine and beer are served, and there are vegan dishes.
Hanımeli, Dalston
Breakfast is served all day at Hanımeli on Stoke Newington Road, from 7am to 7pm. The serpme kahvaltı for two (£40 with unlimited tea) brings around twenty small plates; smaller options include pişi (fried dough) and simit tava, a sesame bread ring baked in the pan with egg and melted cheese. Dough is rolled by hand each morning and the meat is certified halal. Book online for weekends; our Dalston and Stoke Newington guide has more nearby.
Chef Restaurant, Haggerston
Just north of Regent’s Canal, family-run Chef Restaurant on Kingsland Road opens at 10am daily with a traditional kahvaltı of eggs, cheese, olives and bread, followed later by kebabs, lahmacun and gözleme (hand-rolled flatbread). It’s simple and good value, with vegetarian and vegan options, and walk-ins are the norm.
Leydi, City of London
On Old Bailey, Leydi brings Istanbul’s all-day eating culture to the City, with Turkish breakfast from 7am and weekend brunch, including a bottomless option. The menu is by chef Selin Kiazim, with börek baked daily in the stone oven and wood-fired breads. Cocktails and rakı (aniseed spirit) are served; chicken and wagyu are halal, the lamb is not.
Central London
Istanbul Café & Bistro, Great Portland Street
Inside the Great Portland Street station building, Istanbul Café & Bistro opens at 8am every day with a Turkish breakfast spread of eggs, cheeses, olives and bread, plus menemen. There’s an outdoor terrace and a kids’ menu, and tables can be booked online.
Grand Bazaar, Marylebone
Under hanging lanterns on James Street, Grand Bazaar serves breakfast from 10am until 4pm daily. The serpme kahvaltı brings eggs, cheeses, sucuk, simit, börek and honey with kaymak, or order çılbır with caramelised butter and sumac. With 75 seats outside on the pedestrianised street, it’s an easy brunch stop near Bond Street. Book online or via WhatsApp.
Levent Börek, Fitzrovia
On Goodge Street, Levent Börek bakes Adana-style börek in squares through the day. Breakfast is the main draw: a classic plate, a full sharing spread with menemen, honey and kaymak, tahini and pekmez (grape molasses), or çılbır, all with simit and Turkish tea. It’s open 8am to 7pm daily, with coffee from Union Coffee Roasters.
West London
Gökyüzü Park Royal, Park Royal
The west London branch of Gökyüzü, the Green Lanes group, Gökyüzü Park Royal serves breakfast and brunch until 4pm in the Royale Leisure Park. The house kahvaltı plate has eggs, sucuk, halloumi, muska böreği (cheese filo triangles) and olives, alongside menemen and sucuklu yumurta. It opens at 10am at weekends, with a full bar and plenty of room for groups.
South London
Lokma, Bermondsey
Weekend breakfast runs from 9am to 3pm at Lokma on Bermondsey Square, where the remains of Bermondsey Abbey can be seen below the floor. There’s also a bottomless brunch, a full bar and outdoor seating, and it’s family and dog friendly, with a kids’ menu.
Midpoint Restaurant, Greenwich
Beside the Thames on Ballast Quay, Midpoint Restaurant opens at 10am at weekends for menemen, çılbır with sourdough and a serpme kahvaltı for two with eggs, cheeses, sucuk, pastries, honey, jam and tea. River views make it a good stop on a Greenwich walk. Book via Hostme on sunny weekends.
Sefa Restaurant, Greenwich
On Trafalgar Road in East Greenwich, Sefa Restaurant opens at 10am daily. Its Karadeniz (Black Sea) breakfast brings mıhlama (cornmeal melted with butter and cheese), kavurma (pan-fried meat), Trabzon butter, honey and kaymak; there’s also a serpme spread and menemen. Book online for weekend breakfast; halal and drinks policies aren’t stated.
Efes Premium, Wimbledon
Near Wimbledon station on Hartfield Road, Efes Premium serves Türk kahvaltısı (Turkish breakfast) on Sundays only, from 10am to noon. It’s a polished restaurant and cocktail bar with a patio, and it’s listed as dog friendly with vegan and gluten-free options.
Mithras, Croydon
On George Street, a few minutes from East Croydon station, Mithras opens at 10am at weekends for its breakfast and brunch menu, and also runs a bottomless brunch. It’s a spacious place with a full drinks list, including traditional Turkish drinks. Book via ResDiary at weekends.
Tips for planning a Turkish brunch in London
- Check the day. Skewd Kitchen and Efes Premium serve breakfast on Sundays only, while Lokma, Midpoint and Mithras focus on weekends.
- Go all day. Hanımeli and Cilicia serve breakfast all day, and Grand Bazaar, Güneş and Gökyüzü Park Royal until 4pm.
- Share a serpme. These spreads are usually for two or more, so bring an appetite and book at weekends.
- Bottomless brunch. Leydi, Lokma and Mithras offer it.
Frequently asked questions about Turkish brunch in London
What is in a Turkish breakfast?
A typical kahvaltı includes white cheese, olives, tomatoes and cucumber, eggs, honey with kaymak (clotted cream), jam and plenty of bread, with Turkish tea throughout. Many places add hot dishes such as menemen, çılbır or sucuk with eggs, and pastries such as börek or simit. Portions are generous, so it often doubles as brunch.
What is serpme kahvaltı?
Serpme means ‘spread out’, and serpme kahvaltı is a breakfast of many small plates laid across the table to share, usually for two or more. At Hanımeli it’s around twenty plates with unlimited tea, and Grand Bazaar, Midpoint Restaurant and Sefa Restaurant also serve one.
Where can I get a Turkish breakfast on a weekday?
Hanımeli in Dalston opens at 7am every day, Leydi in the City starts breakfast at 7am, and Istanbul Café & Bistro, LahmaCino and Levent Börek open at 8am. 27 Lahmacun in Tottenham serves menemen from 8:30am, seven days a week.
From a twenty-plate spread in Dalston to Sunday breakfast in Wimbledon, Turkish brunch in London now reaches every corner of the city. Find more of London’s best Turkish places in the Turkish Dish directory, see the best Turkish restaurants in London, or read our guide to popular Turkish dishes before you order.
