Some people love them. Some people almost can’t stand to look at them. Either way, we at New York Habitat think you should at least try them. We’re talking about the full English breakfast, also known as a “fry up”—and with good reason. Stay at a New York Habitat vacation rental in London and we’ll help you find a full English almost right outside your door. Whether or not you clean your plate is entirely up to you.
A full English breakfast is itself an institution—as are many of the places that serve them. Heartier than an afternoon tea, it is said to be the perfect cure for a hangover, is often served all day in cafés throughout the city, and is perhaps one of the best culinary bargains to be found in London. In fact, you may barely need to eat for the rest of the day.
The typical ingredients of a traditional full English breakfast are fried bacon, fried eggs, fried tomatoes, fried bread or toast with butter, fried sausages and baked beans (see? some things aren’t fried!). It’s usually served with a mug of not so strong tea that many places will refill for free. And you can get all that for about £3.75.
There are also vegetarian variations, which cut out the bacon and sausages and sometimes replace them with fried mushrooms. Or you can opt for the “full” full English, which can include black pudding (not a dessert at all—actually, more sausage) and fried mashed potatoes or hash browns.
Benjy’s in Earl’s Court, Kensington, offers a satisfying fry up in traditional “caff” surroundings, plus it has great business cards with a photo of the food that can be used as a souvenir bookmark. Since you’ll want to walk off your breakfast, it’s about twenty minutes on foot from the museums on Cromwell Road. The Ideal Café on Ebury Bridge Road, Pimlico, is also a favorite with locals, and isn’t a far stroll from Buckingham Palace. Poppie’s Diner in Wapping, a borough close to the City, serves a traditional English breakfast among American kitsch and is a nice walk to Tower Bridge.
- A lovely 3-bedroom rental flat in Southwark (LN-694) just off Tower Bridge Road. This accommodation comes with three double beds, a laundry/dryer, and a parking space.
- A spacious 2-bedroom rental accommodation in Kensingston-Chelsea, West Brompton (LN-607) on the ground floor of a private gated development. This flat comes complete with one queen and one double bed, two baths, a laundry/dryer and a parking space.
- A light-filled 1-bedroom vacation accommodation in South Kensington, Kensington-Chelsea (LN-62) on the first floor of a period building overlooking a quiet communal garden. This flat features a queen bed, laundry/dryer, high ceiling, bay windows, parquet floors and balconettes.
Enjoy a full English breakfast and a fully furnished New York Habitat rental flat! Let us know some of your favorite traditional foods in London with a comment below.
Lately, this blog has been writing about my favorite things about London, first the Twinnings tea and now English Breakfasts YUM!
I thought the English breakfast typically came with poached eggs…
But what do I know…
I just found out what black pudding was.
This is my favorite thing about visiting London. I once stayed at a wonderful Bed and Breakfast that served us these huge English Breakfasts to get us ready for the day walking around the city. It really is the perfect way to get all the energy you need for a day of sight seeing.
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day!! And a full breakfast is definitely the way to go if you are in London. Some English muffins and some bacon are the best.
The best part is…no matter where you stay you can get a great full breakfast!
What would be the best apartment for to staying in one of these breakfasts place?
This article was very informative. I am going to get a full breakfast with bacon and eggs and tea next time I visit London!
I like fried food, but this seems a bit much. Fried toast…is that the same as french toast? However bad it is, I am sure I would still eat it.
Oh my God, the old English Breakfast. I remember having this as a child. Oh, the baked beans. I hated the baked beans!
I agree whole heartly with Francis, poached eggs was such a big par of english breakfast and oatmeal that i use to choak in the mornings from this constant diet.