Breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner; our culture is inundated with dining out opportunities that offer endless culinary possibilities. In a generation where eating out on a more than weekly basis is the norm, a large proportion of the average Londoner’s social life (and pay cheque) is spent in restaurants and cafes.
With so many options, it’s hard to know the best way to spend your time and money in this amazing, extortionately priced city. To make things a little clearer, here’s my case for why breakfast is hands down the best meal to splash your cash on.
There’s no doubt food tastes better in the context of an empty stomach, and that nothing can beat tucking into the first meal of the day having worked up an appetite overnight. A sip of invigorating coffee and first bite of those fluffy pancakes you’ve been day-dreaming about en-route is a joy like no other.
There’s also something delightfully optimistic and exciting about eating out at the start of the day – what will the weekend hold?! Rather than lazing around it bed there’s pleasure in being absorbed in the buzz of London’s vibrant streets, celebrating a new day with the unnecessary indulgence of eating breakfast in a restaurant.
What’s more, dinner and lunch are more than likely to be accompanied by one (or four) glasses of wine; an easy distraction from what’s happening on your plate. In contrast, brunch can be enjoyed with perfect clarity by alert taste buds that appreciate every subtle flavour twist and turn. Breakfast menus also offer up plenty of wholesome options that mean a chronic eating out habit doesn’t have to compromise a healthy lifestyle (unless you opt for the plate of pancakes topped with chocolate sauce and ice-cream every time – guilty!)
To top it all off, brunch is by far the cheapest meal of the day, giving you a slice of the London dream without breaking the bank. With a coffee and a brunch main costing around £10 in many establishments across the capital, brunch is an accessible dining out occasion whether you’re a big city banker or a strapped-for-cash student.