The Best Breakfast & Brunch in Kensington: 2026 Edition

Kensington has quietly become one of London's strongest neighbourhoods for breakfast — the kind of area where you can have a Bombay-style bacon naan, an Australian ricotta hotcake or a proper Full English all inside the same square mile. Below are seven spots we send guests to most often, with verified 2026 addresses, signature dishes and walking times from the Holiday Inn London – Kensington Forum on Cromwell Road.

Last verified: 27 May 2026.

1. Farm Girl — South Kensington

Best for: Wellness brunch, the closest of the seven to the hotel Address: 8 Exhibition Road, London SW7 2HF Walk from the hotel: ~6 minutes Source: thefarmgirl.co.uk/south-kensington-location · SquareMeal review

The Australian-owned Farm Girl opened on Exhibition Road right between the V&A and the Natural History Museum, putting it on the same walking-line as the museum quarter. The menu leans health-forward without losing the indulgence: rose latte, blue spirulina latte, acai bowls, banana-bread French toast, and the gluten-free pancakes the brand is known for. Open daily for breakfast through late afternoon.

If you're heading to the museums, this is the breakfast to book — you'll come out of the door at 8 Exhibition Road and be at the V&A entrance in under three minutes.

2. Dishoom Kensington

Best for: The bacon naan, and the room Address: 4 Derry Street, London W8 5SE Walk from the hotel: ~10 minutes Source: dishoom.com/kensington · Breakfast menu · OpenTable booking

Dishoom's Kensington branch occupies part of the old Art Deco Barkers department store building — a cathedral of a room with booth seating, tile-work and brass. Breakfast runs from 8am weekdays and 9am at weekends. The signature Bacon Naan Roll uses Ramsay of Carluke's Ayrshire bacon smoked over applewood and beechwood; the Akuri (Parsi-style spiced scrambled eggs on toast) and House Chai are the two other classics worth ordering. Vegan and vegetarian alternatives sit on the same menu.

3. Megan's on the High Street

Best for: Mediterranean brunch, a dog-friendly Sunday Address: 204 Kensington High Street, London W8 7RG Walk from the hotel: ~10 minutes Source: megans.co.uk/locations/megans-high-street-kensington · Hardens review

A small chain done well. The Kensington High Street site is one of Megan's more atmospheric branches — fairy lights, pastel walls, dog beds at the door. Headline plates are the Shakshuka Baked Eggs, the Turkish Brunch Feast (eggs, halloumi, sucuk, dips, breads), and a properly done Eggs Benedict. Popular for weekend brunch — book ahead.

4. The Ivy Kensington Brasserie

Best for: A special-occasion breakfast or business meeting Address: 96 Kensington High Street, London W8 4SG Walk from the hotel: ~12 minutes Source: ivycollection.com/restaurants/the-ivy-kensington-brasserie · OpenTable

The Ivy Collection's Kensington site is open from 8am Monday–Saturday and 9am Sundays. Polished brasserie style — green marble floor, white linen, leather booths. The breakfast menu runs from light/healthy plates and pastries through to the Ivy Full English and Eggs Benedict, plus a serious tea and coffee list. Reservations recommended at the weekend; the Kensington Courtyard private dining room is available for groups.

5. Ffiona's

Best for: The classic, homely British weekend brunch Address: 51 Kensington Church Street, London W8 4BA Walk from the hotel: ~15 minutes Source: ffionas.com/brunch · OpenTable

Ffiona's is the antithesis of a chain — a small, independent restaurant where the owner, Ffiona Reid-Owen, is still very much present in the room. Brunch runs weekends only (Saturday and Sunday) with an Anglo-American menu: properly cooked Full English, American Pancakes, French Toast with fruit, Eggs Benedict, and a Bloody Mary list. The dining room feels more like a friend's kitchen than a restaurant — a deliberate antidote to the polished brasseries down the road.

6. Balans Kensington

Best for: A long, indulgent late brunch Address: 187 Kensington High Street, London W8 6SH Walk from the hotel: ~11 minutes Source: balans.co.uk/locations/kensington · Brunch menu

Balans' all-day, all-night format means the breakfast menu sits next to the cocktail list — by design. Open from 8am every day. The signatures are Eggs Benedict (also offered as a Lobster Benedict version), Steak & Eggs, and a properly built Bloody Mary. Worth knowing about for guests who land late and want a 11am brunch that rolls into lunch.

7. Granger & Co. — Notting Hill

Best for: Australian ricotta hotcakes, if you don't mind the walk Address: 175 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2SB Walk from the hotel: ~25 minutes (or 1 stop on the Circle line from Gloucester Road to Notting Hill Gate, then 8 min) Source: grangerandco.com/locations/notting-hill · Hardens review

This is the original London restaurant of the late Bill Granger, the Australian chef widely credited with inventing the modern brunch as we know it. The Ricotta Hotcakes with Banana and Honeycomb Butter are the famous order — light, fluffy, the dish that defined a generation of cafes. The Fresh Aussie breakfast with tea-smoked salmon is the worthwhile savoury alternative. Bookings open from 5pm for dinner; mornings are walk-in only and queues are normal — get there before 9:30am at weekends.

Quick Tips for Booking Breakfast in Kensington in 2026

• The 8am-on-a-weekend rule: Dishoom, The Ivy, Balans and Granger & Co. all open at 8am or earlier; Megan's, Farm Girl and Ffiona's open later. Earlier doors = no queue.
• Booking horizon: for weekend slots at Dishoom, The Ivy or Megan's, 1–2 weeks ahead is realistic; walk-in for Farm Girl, Balans and Granger.
• Dog-friendly: Megan's and Ffiona's are the most welcoming for dogs.
• Closest to the museums: Farm Girl South Kensington at 8 Exhibition Road — three minutes from the V&A door.
• For a quick coffee-and-pastry: GAIL's Bakery on Kensington High Street is the no-reservation default; the cinnamon buns are the order.

Breakfast at the Hotel

You don't have to leave Cromwell Road to start the day well. Holiday Inn London – Kensington Forum runs an Award-Winning Breakfast in-house — a full English alongside Continental options, fresh fruit and a hot bar — open daily to in-house guests and walk-ins.

See the breakfast menu and times · Book a room · Contact the concierge for reservation help