Brunch in Soho

The best brunch in Soho is a Saturday at Dean Street Townhouse, where brunch runs until five, and the order is the full English. Soho wakes late, which makes it a very good place for a brunch that drifts into the afternoon. Here is where we go before noon, and slightly after, from a Japanese breakfast on Frith Street to pita French toast at the weekend.

Dean Street Townhouse, 69-71 Dean Street

Dean Street Townhouse is the grown-up choice. It opens at seven in the week and at eight at the weekend, and Saturday brunch runs until five, which is the most civilised hour in Soho. Order the full English or the avocado toast, with a pressed juice, and take the table by the window if you can. On Sunday, the roast takes over. And if you miss brunch altogether, afternoon tea runs from two until five, Monday to Saturday, and you can swap the tea for a glass of champagne.

Kettner's, 29 Romilly Street

For the prettiest breakfast room in Soho, Kettner's opens at half seven from Monday to Saturday and at eight on Sunday, with its own breakfast menu. Order eggs and a glass of champagne. It was founded in 1867, and some traditions deserve keeping.

Koya, 50 Frith Street

Koya does breakfast from ten, walk-in only, and it is the most interesting morning meal in Soho. The menu has a Japanese breakfast at £16.90, a full Japanese breakfast set at £21.90, a tamago gohan breakfast, rice with egg, at £12.60, and an English breakfast at £16.20. Order the Japanese breakfast and a pot of green tea, and feel virtuous until lunch.

Kapara, James Court, Manette Street

At the weekend and on bank holidays, from eleven until four, Kapara does a three-course, Tel Aviv-inspired brunch. DesignMyNight picks out the shawarma fries and the pita French toast. Order both, and a second coffee.

Milk Beach Soho, off Greek Street

Down a passage off Greek Street, in Ilona Rose House, Milk Beach is an all-day restaurant with room for groups of up to 30. Order the koji chicken schnitzel and the crispy potatoes with miso butter, and call it brunch.

The Breakfast Club, 33 D'Arblay Street

The Breakfast Club is on D'Arblay Street, and the queue outside is almost always part of the experience. Order the fried chicken and waffles, or the Full Monty if you have a long day ahead. The blueberry pancakes with bacon are the sweet-and-salty way out, and the Nashville fried chicken benedict is the hangover special.

Mildreds, 45 Lexington Street

The vegetarian Soho institution takes no bookings and does a vegan full English with scrambled tofu, buttermilk pancakes and a kimchi grilled cheese. Order the kimchi grilled cheese. Trust us.

Bottomless, if you must

Soho does the bottomless brunch with a straight face, mostly. Three we would send a hen party to:

• Kozzee, Soho. A brunch dish plus an hour of bottomless drinks for £55, every day, with a Levant shakshuka and stacked pancakes on the menu.
• Scarlett Green, 4 Noel Street. Australian, every day, with smashed avo, banana bread, bacon rolls and eggs benedict. Order the banana bread.
• Old Compton Brasserie, Old Compton Street. Breakfast dishes and cocktails with drag performers, for when brunch should be a show.

Something lighter

• Panadera Soho, 3 Hopkins Street. A Filipino bakery open from breakfast through to lunch. Order the ube pan Suisse and a longanisa sausage roll.
• Bar Italia, 22 Frith Street. Pouring since 1949. A cappuccino at the counter is brunch if you are in a hurry.

Brunch in Soho, the rules

• Book the restaurants, queue for the cafés. Dean Street Townhouse and Kapara take bookings. The Breakfast Club and Mildreds work on a first-come basis.
• Go before eleven or after two. Soho's brunch rush is real, and the middle of the day is when the queues are longest.
• Walk it off. Golden Square is five minutes from Lexington Street, and Soho Square is at the top of Frith Street.

Our perfect Soho Saturday: brunch at Dean Street Townhouse at half eleven, a walk round Soho Square, and a coffee at Bar Italia to set you up for the afternoon. Our perfect Soho Sunday is slower: a Japanese breakfast at Koya at ten, a wander down Berwick Street, and pita French toast at Kapara when it opens at eleven. Nobody in Soho has ever regretted a second breakfast.