Bottomless Brunch London: How It Works and Where to Go

Bottomless brunch in London means a fixed price for your food plus free-flowing drinks inside a set window, almost always ninety minutes or two hours from the time you sit down. Soho, Shoreditch, Covent Garden and the South Bank have the most of them, and they range from a loud party with a DJ to a quiet courtyard where you can actually hear each other.

The rules are set by the venue and by licensing, not by how generous the staff feel, so knowing how the window works is the difference between a good afternoon and a rushed one.

How bottomless brunch actually works

• The clock starts when you sit, not when the first drink lands. If your table is late, say so at once rather than at the end.
• Ninety minutes is the usual window, with two hours at the more generous places. Some venues let you extend for a fee if the next booking has not arrived.
• One drink at a time. Licensing rules mean staff will not line up glasses, and most places will not serve another until your glass is nearly empty.
• Everyone at the table usually has to take it. Few venues let half a table go bottomless.
• Check whether food is included. At the cheaper end it often is not, which changes the real price considerably.
• Service is often added at twelve and a half per cent, and it is calculated on the full package price.
• Staff can refuse service. That is the law, not rudeness, and it is the one rule nobody will bend.

What it costs

Service is usually added at twelve and a half per cent on the package price, and many venues take a deposit per head. Some price the drinks and the food separately, so a brunch advertised at £25 can finish nearer £50 once you have eaten.

Choosing the right kind of brunch

For a loud, celebratory afternoon

Shoreditch and Clapham do this best: bottomless menus with a DJ, long tables and a party that runs into the evening. They suit birthdays and groups, and they are the wrong choice if you want to talk.

For a long, unhurried table

The riverside and garden rooms are the ones to look for: Coppa Club’s glass rooms by the Tower, Dalloway Terrace’s flower-covered courtyard in Bloomsbury, the hotel conservatories around Marylebone. Quieter, prettier and far better for company.

For something smarter

Mayfair and St James’s hotels run weekend brunches with live music and a proper kitchen behind them. Expect a dress code worth checking and a bill closer to dinner than to brunch.

Getting it right

1. Book, and book early in the window. The twelve o’clock and half past twelve slots are the relaxed ones; the two o’clock sitting is often rushed to clear the room.
2. Eat properly first. The food is included for a reason, and two hours of fizz on an empty stomach is a short afternoon.
3. Check what “bottomless” covers. Often prosecco, house beer and one or two cocktails; spirits and Champagne usually cost extra.
4. Ask about the deposit. Many venues take one per head and keep it if you do not turn up.
5. Plan where you go next. Brunch ends at three or four, which is the awkward hour. A nearby bar or a booked table saves the afternoon.

Where it leads

Bottomless brunch is daytime, and it ends while the evening is still ahead of you. Our guides to the best bars in London, cocktail bars and rooftop bars cover the next stop, and date night ideas covers the rest of it.

If you would rather not spend the afternoon alone, our London escorts are good company for a long brunch as well as for dinner, and a three-hour booking fits the shape of one neatly.

From the concierge: brunch menus, prices and time limits change constantly, and venues drop or add bottomless offers between seasons. Confirm with the venue when you book.