Where to Have Breakfast in Shoreditch: Ozone Coffee and Beigel Bake

I am finally writing about two of my favourite places for breakfast in Shoreditch: Ozone Coffee and Beigel Bake.

One thing to know about London is that mornings start EARLY. The cafés are already full, the kitchens are busy and nobody thinks twice about ordering a huge plate before nine.

Honestly, I love it.

I nearly always try somewhere new when I come to London. There are far too many good places to repeat exactly the same itinerary on every trip.

This time I went to Ozone Coffee in Shoreditch. It immediately made me think of Café Berry in the Marais, even though the two places do not really look alike.

A few streets away is Beigel Bake, which is a completely different experience. You can stop for a warm beigel at breakfast, in the afternoon or after a night out. Basically whenever you fancy one.

Breakfast at Ozone Coffee in Shoreditch

Ozone Coffee sits on Leonard Street, one of the quieter streets in Shoreditch.

From outside, you would never guess how much is hidden behind the façade. Inside, there is a large dining room, an open kitchen and a counter directly in front of it.

Naturally, that counter is the best place to sit if you enjoy watching every plate leave the kitchen.

It feels lively without becoming unpleasantly loud. You hear coffee being made, plates leaving the kitchen and conversations carrying around the counter.

Everything I like, basically.

What we ordered: the breakfast bun and eggs Benedict on bubble and squeak cakes

I ordered the breakfast bun and it was exactly what I wanted that morning: a very soft brioche bun, a fried egg and properly melted cheese. Nothing complicated, just very well done.

Greg chose the eggs Benedict served on bubble and squeak cakes.

The name may sound slightly strange if you are not British, but bubble and squeak cakes are simply made with potatoes and vegetables.

Both plates were generous and looked genuinely delicious.

Why Ozone reminded me of Café Berry

Ozone reminded me of Café Berry in Paris as soon as I arrived.

Not because of the interiors, as each place has a completely different identity. It was more about the pleasure of seeing proper, generous plates arrive at the table.

Everything looks beautiful and, more importantly, delicious.

At Café Berry in Paris, I can spend far too long choosing between the Turkish eggs, the bacon and egg muffin and the granola. I had exactly the same problem at Ozone while watching order after order pass along the counter.

The coffee at Ozone

Ozone is a New Zealand-founded coffee roastery, so naturally coffee is a big part of the experience.

I am not a huge coffee expert. I mainly need it to wake me up, so I am not going to pretend I can talk about woody notes and roasting methods for ten minutes. That is definitely not me.

Mine was very good though, and it went perfectly with breakfast.

That was all I needed from it.

Ozone Coffee
11 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4AQ
Nearest station: Shoreditch High Street

Beigel Bake on Brick Lane

And then there is Beigel Bake.

This Brick Lane bakery is open 24 hours a day, so you can come for breakfast, lunch, an afternoon snack or something warm after a night out.

There is never really a bad time for a warm beigel.

It could not be more different from Ozone. At Beigel Bake, you order at the counter, collect your food and head straight back out onto Brick Lane.

There is often a queue outside, but it moves quickly. The beigels are made on site and the prices remain surprisingly reasonable for London.

You arrive, choose and eat. Simple, quick and very good.

What should you order at Beigel Bake?

The hot salt beef beigel is the classic order.

It arrives warm and very generously filled. You will probably end up with mustard on your fingers, but that is part of the experience.

You can stop by in the morning for a quick breakfast or pick up something sweet while walking around Brick Lane later in the day.

That is exactly how I think of it: an easy stop at almost any hour.

You walk past, decide you want a beigel, a raspberry doughnut or a cinnamon roll — possibly all three — and then carry on with your day.

Beigel Bake
159 Brick Lane, London E1 6SB
Nearest station: Shoreditch High Street
Open 24 hours a day

What to do in Shoreditch after breakfast

After Ozone, the best thing to do is simply walk around Shoreditch. The neighbourhood is full of tattoo studios, independent shops and places connected to art and design.

When I travel, I love starting the day this way: breakfast followed by plenty of walking. In Paris, I do a gym version of the same routine with my brisk walking on a slope early morning.

Of course, that speaks to me. Between tattooing and web design, I always notice the shop signs, posters and really good visual identities.

From there, continue towards Brick Lane, browse the vintage shops and record stores, then stop at Beigel Bake later in the day.

Ozone or Beigel Bake?

They are far too different to compare properly.

Choose Ozone when you want a proper sit-down breakfast or brunch and time to enjoy it.

Beigel Bake is much more spontaneous. Go whenever you like, pick up a beigel and carry on exploring.

So no, you do not really need to choose.

Have brunch at Ozone one morning and save Beigel Bake for another afternoon. London gives you more than enough opportunities to eat well without fitting everything into a single morning.

Although nobody is stopping you if you want to do both.

My honest review of Ozone Coffee and Beigel Bake

I genuinely loved Ozone Coffee: the atmosphere, the open kitchen, the coffee and, most of all, that breakfast bun.

It reminded me of Café Berry because of its energy and the attention given to every plate. The food is good, you want to stay for a while and the place has a real personality.

Beigel Bake answers a completely different craving. It is simple, convenient and unmistakably London, whether you visit for breakfast, an afternoon snack or in the middle of the night.

It is very different from places such as the restaurant at Hôtel Amour in Paris, where I enjoyed the setting more than the dinner itself.