Cheap Breakfast in Belgravia - Impossible?
 

Greetings Fodorites:
We will be staying in London in a few weeks in the Belgravia area, near Belgrave Square. Does anyone have any recommendations for **inexpensive** places in the immediate area where one could eat a hearty breakfast? The thought of paying $40 USD for breakfast at a hotel makes us lose our appetite.
Kindly advise -- all input welcome -- as are "greasy spoons" (local places where office workers might grab a bite prior to working).
Thanks!

The sociology of this is important.

Local - or any other - office workers rarely go to greasy spoons before starting work. Greasy spoons, and their wonderful variations on black puddings, bubble and fried slices, depend on people with the kind of jobs that genuinely need lots of calories - before work or as a 9 am break after a couple of hours biking messages or housepainting or whatever. Office workers used to pick up a styrofoam mug of milky tea from them. But Starbucks and their imitators have pretty much killed that.

Greasy spoons attract just the kind of riffraff Belgravia doesn't want parking their white vans outside the embassies. So I can't think of anywhere that meets your brief in the rectangle bounded by Sloane Street, Eaton Sq, Grosvenor Place and Knightsbridge: you really need to go to the badlands round Victoria Station for a plate of properly-cooked, nourishing protein.

If OTOH new-age junk food will do (like cholesterol-packed, inedible croissants or "Danish" pastries), there's millions of the places round Sloane Sq, and a few in the rows of shops in and off Lowndes St. It is possible that, by careful inspection, you'll find one that offers real food as well. But when faced with the problem, I've always concluded the walk to Victoria will let me do justice to the glories of the English breakfast.

With luck, this might provoke someone from the manor to make a more useful suggestion.

How about the 'Food Court' in Victoria Station? And McDonald's is available. Or do it yourself from Tesco or similar.

Belgravia is a mainly residential area whose occupants 9 times out of ten will have breakfast before leaving home. As you've already discovered, hotel breakfasts will cost more.

As others have suggested, you can go to a delicatessen or café and pick up some pastries/patisserie, but I'm quite certain you won't be able to find a "full English". 40USD isn't really that much to pay for breakfast - why not try it once, and if it's unremarkable then don't bother with it again? That's what I usually do if breakfast isn't included in my rate.

However, a far more practical solution would be to have an early lunch, you've a wealth of places in all price ranges offering this.

I'd be interested to see the reaction when MK2 pops into - well anywhere normal, really - and says 40USD isn't a lot to pay for breakfast. I suspect the most moderate response is likely to be 'Yer avin a larf, aincher'.

I can - just - understand how someone might pay £15 for a couple of curled-up cucumber sandwiches, a slice of cinnamon toast and a scone if they've been conned into thinking that paying preposterous prices for tea is part of the Great English Experience.

But paying £25 for bacon and eggs is a serious signal to bring on the men in white coats. And you don't even get a left-over copy of someone else's Sun.

If there were a place in London that actually did do the kedgeree from the sideboard, "care for some devilled grouse, M'Lud?" routine from every novel about Edwardian country houses, it might be worth trying. But that's not what happens in posh London hotels.

You get a Kosovan waiter, baffled by what people eat at breakfast, serving worse scrambled eggs than the men in the paint-stained overalls are getting over the road for a tenth of the price. And then getting the tea and coffee orders wrong, and forgetting to bring the toast. And not offering tips for the 3.30 at Goodwood for free.

Even though most of London's posh hotels have been cunningly located to be as far from real breakfast places as possible, it's always worth the walk to stoke up on the original Atkins diet.

FlannerUK as ever is on top form! You could try Benjy's a no frills sandwich bar and cafe in Victoria Place which is attached to Victoria station

I think the price of breakfasts in Europe are too expensive. $40.00 for eggs, ham, toast, coffee, potatoes; juice, is just stupid. Where we live in Arkansas a good breakfast for two costs
no more then $20.00 with a $3.00 tip!
We will be in Europe Tuesday the 14th
I have budgeted about 80 Euro per day for food thats $95.00 USD, but when I tell people how much we have for food they call me a cheapskate! I know some people will spend a lot more at the fancy restaurants 50-60 euro for dinner,
but to me that is crazy and a waste of money and I am almost rich!

"Where we live in Arkansas"

Arkansas, according to my atlas, isn't in Europe. Wages in Europe, produce in Europe, taxes in Europe, etcetera, are all higher than in Arkansas, hence their increased cost in Europe. Simple really.

Fair enough you don't want to spend a relatively large amount on food, but I am dying to know what "almost rich!" is leading to - what figure is rich?

To me, 0ne Million Dollars net worth and above is rich. The prices in Europe are twice as much as America, 1 Pound of bacon or ham in America is about $3.00, eggs per dz are about $1.25 etc,etc

If you walk to Knightsbridge, or to Sloane Square, you will find lots of place like Pret-a-Manger, where you can get coffee.
There's a place just opposite Harrod's called 'Eat' (part of a chain) where we had a good bacon butty for breakfast.
Next to the Sheraton Tower, Knightsbridge (not a long walk) is a restaurant where they serve a good breakfast with eggs, bacon. Can't remember the price, but it was a lot cheaper than the hotel!
I really cannot think of anywhere closer to Belgrave Square.

Skip breakfast and eat an early lunch?

Trying to find a "full" breakfast place often slows us down so we usually just grab coffee and a pastry enroute to our first event for the day.

Hi! I'd head towards Victoria - you'll find loads of little cafes (thanks to the proximity to both the train and coach stations) but they're too small to realistically be listed anywhere on the internet. I would imagine that they're also likely to be cheaper than heading Sloane Square way. Don't go into either station as it will be a) a rip-off and b) rubbish!

": To me, 0ne Million Dollars net worth and above is rich"

Many thanks for the definition of rich.

"To me, 0ne Million Dollars net worth and above is rich."

Well bigBoy - I'm sure that is rich - in Arkansas. However, in other parts of the world - major cities for instance - that really isn;t rich at all. (Where I live, in Manhattan, the average price for an apartment is now in excess of $1 million. And everything else costs accordingly more.)

If you really want a modest breakfast - fine. But you do need to understand that most everyplace else is going to cost more - significantly more in major cities - than Arkansas. After all, Arkansas is very inexpensive - because - you're in Arkansas.

Sorry - one additional note. I just spoke to the beau about this one becuase I doubted my perspesctive - and he agrees:

An income of $1 million per year is certainly comfortably well off. But a net worth of $1 million - at least in this area, and assuming you are not just starting off in life - is really just hanging onto the middle class.

Gosh... I'm not sure that I should be allowed to join in your little gang at all. By your standards I'm clearly near destitute.

If anyone coming to London in the next few months would like to take me out for dinner that would be much appreciated - I have only just been made aware that I actually can't afford to eat here...

Yours EVER so humbly,

Tallulah x

Tallulah, I salute you! Its often not so much what you make, but how you spend it. Living well without money is a rare art!

Degas:

I know! Before we know it there'll be a round of 'My-daddy's-bigger-than-your-daddy' next!!

To the OP, we enjoyed a small restaurant called Greens Cafe, or something with "Green" in the name. It's near Victoria Station.

"..I am almost rich." That's a new one on me. I have never heard anyone describe themselves that way. I am amused, yet I agree that 50-60 euros is too much for a meal, and I am nowhere near rich, at least by your standards. :-)

Before everyone slams bigboy from Arkansas, do keep in mind that salaries are almost always adjusted for cost of living. So while it is very true that the cost of living in NYC and Europe is much higher than in Arkansas (and thus having a net worth of a million isn't much to speak of), the average salary is accordingly much higher in these areas. Amassing a net worth of a million dollars really does mean something in an area with a very low cost of living.

All this talk of money, and comparisons, oh how vulgar it all is. Who cares how much someone has?

m_kingdom1:

Umm...I think that it was in fact you who asked for a definition of 'rich'...? But I must concede that there is something of a 'tongue-in-cheek' tone to your query.

However I do agree that discussing money is terribly vulgar. Hence my response.

TexAggie, It's clear to me the singular reason most of the repeat posters are here is to tout their own perceived financial & travel superiority. That can only be achieved by putting down ikarpiloff and bigboy. It's a sport on this forum with m_kingdom being the clear leader.

And what is this beau business? Ewww.

Absolutely.

Here's my definition of rich: Rich means being happy, healthy, surrounded by people you love, and able to do the things you want to do in life. Based on that, I am very rich. If one does not have these things, then they are very poor indeed, regardless of what their bank statement says.

As I always say, people living in the Mediterranean are always rich because they have the sun.

Pret a Manger was mentioned for coffee, but it is oh so much more. It is a nice place for a cheap and good breakfast. They sometimes have wonderful straight from the oven croissants filled with bacon, cheese, and tomatoe (I became addicted, but then two years ago my Pret didn't have them -- thankfully this year they were back). They also have more healthy food like granola/fruit/yoghurt combinations. And don't be put off by limiting yourself to standard "breakfast" items. There's nothing wrong with one of their smoked salmon sandwiches, or chicken and bacon, or even a container of sushi for breakfast!

Lordy, lordy. It's amazing how a simple request for breakfast turns into a major cause celebre about almost everything except breakfast.

When we stayed in that area we found a place called Vingt Quatre on Fulham Rd. It's a bit of a hike (near the Gloucester Rd tube) but it's open 24/7 and had reasonable eggs at a reasonable (but not cheap) price along with other English breakfast fare like beans on toast.

Tulips suggestions are good. There's also a Richoux (part of a chain) right across from Harrods that serves breakfast all day.

Tallulah's point about some of these places being too small to be listed in guides is true. On my last stay at a "posh" hotel (the Landmark hotel in Marylebone)where they did offer some exorbitantly priced breakfast, we found a small "local" place directly across from the back of the hotel and across from the Marleybone train station serving a well made hot breakfast.

Despite that, you should look at www.hardens.co.uk/ an excellent restaurant guide. Doing a search there a number of places already mentioned (Eat, Pret a Manger, Richoux) are mentioned with reviews and links to maps. While you'll probably find some places even closer to your digs by just walking around, it will be a good starting point.

A few more places I saw listed...
Patisserie Valerie
http://www.patisserie-valerie.co.uk/
17 Motcomb St SW1 phone 7245 6161   
"The best croissants in London", "fantastic" cakes and "the definitive non-greasy cooked breakfast" (some branches) are among the attractions of this "bustling" café/pâtisserie chain; service, though, can be "disappointing".
Not sure whether the branch nearest you serves breakfast.

A bit further afield...

Giraffe is a chain of pancake places. I think the closest to you would be
7 Kensington High St W8 7938 1221
It was rated the No 1 place for breakfast and weekend brunches in Hardens.

Also, Amatos is a pastry place that has great coffee and serves breakfast all day
14 Old Compton St W1
here's the menu
http://www.amato.co.uk/frmMenu.aspx

Searcy's Cafe inside the General Trading Co store (a great home furnishings place) serves breakfast but doesn't open until 10am
2 Symons St, Brompton sw3

Rockhopper -

Sorry if the beau bothers you. But I don;t really think boyfriend is appropriate for anyone over 25 - it just sounds too silly. And when you say lover it gets a lot of people nervous. Do you prefer significant other (pretentious), partner (then they think you're gay - not a shot - just incorrect), or finace (but we're not planning a wedding - and what's with this 6 year finace thing?).

Didn't know that there's a Patisserie Valerie in Motcomb Street; check that out! Its a very nice street too. There's also a Patisserie Valerie on Brompton Road, not far from Harrods, towards the Brompton Oratory.
And where did Baker & Spice go? Used to be in Walton Street, with the best pastry and bread. I'm sure they moved somewhere in Knightsbridge.

The Chelsea Kitchen is on the King's Road. A bit of a walk for you- but probably what you're looking for. Also try near Ebury St. Starbuck's is not bad for a quick breeakfast- think juice, muffin and coffee. Cafe Richoux is a good bet for eggs and pastries.
Don't both with Giraffe- over priced and small portions.

Tulips, I didn't mention Baker & Spice because Harden's said it was overpriced but they have a few locations, one at 54-56 Elizabeth St., Belgravia

http://www.bakerandspice.com/

To the person who said, "the cost of living in arkansas is lower then manhattan" I have this to say, we paid
yesterday $1.82 per gal. of gas, $3.19
for a 12 pack of pepis, $2.67 for a loaf of wonder bread, $3.95 for a pack of Camel lights, we saw CATWOMAN at the Malco $8.50 each plus $3.75 for pop corn
$3.75 for a large coke, we ate at APPLEBY'S last night (borboun steet steak) 2 drinks each $64.87 with tip,
we both drive 2004 tahoes $39,500 each,
the newspaper cost $11.50 per month, I don't know what part of Arkansas you have been in but here in Bentonville, the Media price of homes are at about
$180,000.00 and higher! Please tell me,
is the cost of living in New York more
then here?

Bigboy, you must be joking.

$1.82 per gal. of gas.....$3.95 for a pack of Camel lights"

In London it's well over 4GBP per gallon of petrol, and 5GBP for top high street cigarettes, and 16GBP for treasurer ones!

I said NEW YORK not ENGLAND

What must I be joking about, willTravel?

Bigboy

Yes - everything here is much, much higher.

Gas is at least $2.50 per gallon. A movie is $11. And cigarettes last I looked (don;t smoke) were $8 plus per pack.

Can;t comment on food - frankly I don;t really look at prices in the supermarket - since you can;t do anything about them.

Don;t eat at Applebee's so can't comment. but a pleasant neighborhood restaurant dinner for 2 - with drinks - would be in exess of $100.

Obviously car prices don't differ by part of the country - but by negotiating skill.

As for housing - in Manhattan the AVERAGE apartment (2 - or if you're lucky 3 bedrooms) costs in exess of $1 million (this latter figure is not mine - but is culled from actual sales figures filed with the city.)

For $180,000 you might be able to buy a small studio.

Can;t compare directly with houses - since Manhattan doesn;t really have any - but for a modest townhouse the cost would be $2 million plus.

Hope this gives you a little dose of reality.

Bigboy, consider real estate and parking expenses in Manhattan for starters.