The Best Breakfast and Brunch Spots in Finsbury Park, London

Serving French-style cuisine, Boulangerie Bon Matin is a bakery and coffee shop that offers a great weekend brunch. It’s the perfect place for someone with a sweet tooth, as pastries, bread, croissants, muffins and a selection of beautifully presented cakes line the counter. Delicious savoury options are also available, including the eggs royale, which features two poached eggs, smoked salmon and home-made hollandaise on a breakfast muffin. Pair your meal with a cappuccino.

Just round the corner from Finsbury Park tube station is this cute neighbourhood café and tearoom. It’s named after its owner and resident chef Lara, who serves up huge, Italian-style breakfasts at very affordable prices – think scrambled eggs and toast blanketed in prosciutto, and plenty of paninis, cakes and coffee. On warmer days, take your brunch out into the lovely back garden.

On the corner of a leafy, residential street between Finsbury Park and Stoke Newington is Fink’s Salt and Sweet – a deli and café open late for wine and dinner on the weekends. It’s a gorgeously decorated space, with large windows allowing sunlight to stream in and a spacious mezzanine-style dining area. On sunny days, the tables out front are popular weekend real estate, particularly with families on their way to nearby Clissold Park or the Sylvanian Families store next door. From the menu, order the thick-cut smoked salmon, the fondue toastie or the brunch board. You won’t regret it.

Celebrating all things British and the Commonwealth, Blighty Cafe features wartime nostalgia and retro decor. In addition to a full English breakfast, it offers various spins on the classic dish, including the Indian with curried scrambled tofu, the Canadian with pancakes and lots of maple syrup, and the vegetarian Aussie with avocado and halloumi. While the food is delicious, Blighty’s real draw is its community-driven feel. Friendly baristas greet you the moment you walk in, while the upstairs lounge feels like a mate’s living room. The café also has a relaxing outdoor seating space, cakes and sourdough bread baked fresh every morning.

From The Mountgrove Bothy to the Sylvanian Families store, Mountgrove Road is full of places to eat, drink and shop, and Sage Kitchen is no exception. This quirky café isn’t quite as well known as its neighbour, Fink’s Salt and Sweet, but that means you’ll be able to get a table on the weekend. Serving up good coffee, healthy breakfasts (get the Mediterranean) and refreshing juices and smoothies, this warmly lit space, complete with hanging plants and mismatched furniture, is the perfect spot to while away an afternoon. However, if you’re looking to get some work done, this isn’t the place – Sage Kitchen enforces a no-laptop policy.

An affordable option for breakfast on the go, The Happening Bagel Bakery is North London’s answer to Brick Lane’s Beigel Bake. Whether you have late-night carb cravings or you fancy a classic smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel to start the day, the store – on the corner of Seven Sisters Road and Blackstock Road – is open for almost 24 hours, only shutting between 2am and 5am.

If you’re looking for good coffee and unpretentious food, look no further than this shabby-chic coffee shop on Tollington Park. Living up to its name, The Front Room Cafe offers a spacious, homely dining area, with shelves of old books and knick-knacks. The breakfast menu is full of straightforward classics – think fry-ups, eggs any way you like and smoked salmon. There are also some good options for lunch, including sandwiches, burgers and salads.