Britain's 50 best breakfasts revealed. Travel expert ROB CROSSAN has eaten thousands nationwide - this is the ultimate guide wherever you live to the spots you MUST eat at - and how much it'll cost you

‘To eat well in England you should have breakfast three times a day,’ wrote W. Somerset Maugham. The quip was intended to be a swipe at the mediocrity of English cuisine. But we prefer to interpret it as a compliment to the fulsome joys of a Full English.

Or should that be a Full British? The regional variations to the fry-up breakfast are myriad; from the addition of laverbread in Wales to white pudding and haggis in Scotland to soda farls in Ulster.

Over the last 20 years as a travel writer specialising in the UK, I’ve eaten breakfast in every corner of the UK, from the Isles of Scilly to the Shetlands and from Fermanagh to Folkstone, I’ve long believed that a good Full English is more than just a filling meal; to poke the yolk on a perfectly fried egg, to feel the winsome crunch of good toast and to smell the aroma of thick, grilled, back bacon is to inhale the flavours of optimism.

Eat a bad breakfast and the entire day can seem like a guilt-ridden, grease churned slog. A good breakfast can make you feel you’re ready to take on anything with the need for nothing but a mug of tea until the evening.

It’s no longer necessary to wake up with a ravenous appetite to sample the finest cooked breakfasts in the UK; many of our 50 finest are available all day. And, although you’ll find a smattering of old-school greasy spoon establishments, we’ve also included European style grand cafes, Michelin-star winning restaurants, hotels and pubs in our guide. In short, if the breakfast is good enough, then we’ve included it here.

Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms, Harrogate

You haven’t truly experienced Yorkshire if you haven’t eaten at the original branch of Betty’s, a wonderfully atavistic cafe that’s been around since 1919 and is best known for its gargantuan high teas.

Its English breakfast (served all day) deserves more praise, in our opinion, for its sublime quality. Expect dry-cured bacon, Yorkshire sausage, scrambled eggs, tomato and mushroom, with toast and enough tea to sink a battleship... this is Yorkshire after all.

Cost: £17.50, bettys.co.uk

Tebay Services, Cumbria

Banish memories of the long queues and larcenously priced, mediocre grub that most British motorway service stations with a stop-off at Tebay. Family-run and located just off the M6, this is how all motorway services should look; something between a farm shop and a chic restaurant.

Nine items from its ‘build your own’ breakfast menu comes in at under a tenner and could include bubble and squeak, haggis and utterly sensational Cumberland bangers.

Cost: £9.25, tebayservices.com

The Lazy Trout, Calder Vale, Lancashire

This riverside coaching inn, hewn from two 16th-century cottages, is a superb example of how an independent pub should be run, with a fierce commitment to local beers (there are usually five on tap) and a Full English (served every morning until 11am) entitled the ‘Proper Job’.

They’re not kidding; you’ll get two pork sausages from nearby Dunwood Farm, smoked back bacon, fried eggs, cornflake coated hash browns, Stornoway black pudding, confit tomato and field mushroom slow-roasted with thyme, baked beans and toast - and may need to cancel your plans for the rest of the day.

Cost: £12.95, thelazytrout.co.uk

Mooch Cafe, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire

Chandeliers, candles and a conservatory make this a far from typical interior in which to eat a good old Yorkshire fry-up. Located near the canal in the centre of Hebden Bridge, retro-accented Mooch does an outstanding Full English featuring all the usual classics alongside its more demanding Black Pudding Stack which features rocket and poached egg as well as the porky savoury disc itself, piled on top of a waffle.

Cost: £15, moochcafebar.co.uk

The Black Swan, Oldstead, Yorkshire

You’ll need to book a room for the night at Michelin-starred Yorkshire super-chef Tommy Banks’ farmstead pub if you want to sample his Full English. It’s worth the outlay for his confit potato hash brown, soda bread and single plantation coffee from El Salvador. There’s also the off-piste cooked option of smoked eel with scrambled egg.

Cost: N/A (must book overnight stay), blackswanoldstead.co.uk

Browns Cafe, Manchester

This handsome Edwardian former banking hall, a few minutes’ walk from Piccadilly Gardens in the centre of the city, was once a notorious boozer called the Athenaeum. It’s now more famous for its breakfasts than its bar brawls with a traditional fry-up (served until midday) featuring the usual porky assemblage as well as cherry vine tomatoes and toasted sourdough with butter from Netherend Farm in Gloucestershire.

Cost: £13.95, browns-restaurant.co.uk

Blakes, Newcastle

Open bright and early from 7.30am, Blakes’ city centre location means this could be your entry point to the stottie; a North East breakfast speciality that tastes like some happy half-way point between a crumpet and an English muffin. Blakes does one filled with bacon, egg, sausage, black pudding and mushrooms as well as a more conventional Full Monty fry-up.

Cost: £12.95, blakescafes.com

The Black Bull, Sedbergh, Cumbria

The huge red leather booths make this no ordinary rural northern pub, and nor does the evening menu, spearheaded by renowned chef Nina Matsunaga. No less effort is spared for breakfast, served from 8.30-10.30am. The menu contains one of the most high-end Full English offerings in the North. Immaculate, locally sourced bacon and sausages come (for a little extra) with a bowl of porridge with Northumberland honey and, if you have room, Welsh rarebit on toast.

Cost: £12.95, theblackbullsedbergh.co.uk

Tavern Company, Liverpool

This Liverpool legend has one of the UK’s largest breakfast menus, with the international sweep covering huevos rancheros, a full American-style cooked breakfast (that means fries, pancakes and syrup) and breakfast tacos.

But the draw here is the challenge of taking on its ‘Big One’ which contains a small hillock of fry-up staples – plus, as a bonus, a quite ludicrous amount of aged rump steak. You almost certainly won’t finish it, but you’ll have fun trying.

Cost: £21.95, tavernco.co.uk

The Old Station Cafe Bistro, Masham, North Yorkshire

Pronounced, ‘Massam’, this lovely Yorkshire village hasn’t had a railway station for decades, so the old goods shed is now a rustic-style cafe serving classic, no-nonsense breakfasts of ample size and excellent quality. Expect black pudding, fried potatoes and all the other staples in its Full English, which come in either small or large portion sizes.

Cost: £8.95 small, £12.95 large, oldstationholidayparkmasham.co.uk

Tramstop Cafe, Matlock, Derbyshire

The Critch Tramway Village is one of Derbyshire’s quirkiest delights. Ride down a period village street in a vintage tram before making a stop at the onsite Tramstop Cafe, where the full hierarchy of the industry is transferred onto the breakfast menu.

The ‘Clippies’ (slang for female tram conductors) is the smallest and cheapest option, then there’s the Drivers’ breakfast and, finally, the Duty Inspector’s breakfast which includes the full works as well as hash browns and tea, coffee or orange juice.

Cost: £5.50 up to £10, tramway.co.uk

The Wolseley, St James’s, London

Beloved by London’s media, arts and public relations movers and shakers, this former car showroom next to the Ritz does do walk-ins, but it’s best to book in advance lest you be shoved into social Siberia at the side of this vast, Vienna-meets-Manhattan-style cafe.

Prices are surprisingly low at breakfast time with its outstanding Full English coming in at just over £20. Breakfast here and you’ll feel the glamour of the place cling to you all the way until dinner.

Cost: £24.50, thewolseley.com

Electric Cafe, Tulse Hill, London

This cash-only greasy spoon in South London hasn’t altered its decor since the 1950s, all the way down to the hand-painted signage and the ancient map of Cyprus hung at the back of the kitchen.

It’s one of the most peaceful spots south of the river to drink strong tea and eat one of the highest quality and best value fry-ups. It’s absolutely no frills – and all the better for it.

Cost: £7, 258 Norwood Road SE27

Fox and Anchor, Farringdon, London

You might think thirty quid is steep for breakfast. But there are few breakfasts that include beef rump steak, lamb kidney and liver plus a pint of Guinness as well as the usual fry-up staples.

Located right by the (soon to be closing) Smithfield meat market, this handsome pub is popular with night workers at the end of their shifts, who drift in here from opening time at 7am.

Cost: £30, foxandanchor.com

Pierrepoints, Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire

Ducks, boats and riverside life make an outdoor seat here on the banks of the Thames a highly genteel spot to tackle a robust Full English, keenly priced and with the welcome addition of fried bread. Grilled kippers are also on the menu as well as an extensive loose-leaf tea list.

Cost: £8.75, pierreponts.co.uk

Moksha, Brighton

More suited to a casual, lingering brunch than an early breakfast, Moksha is as adept with its cocktails as it is its cooked breakfasts. Try a cold brew martini to pep yourself up before tackling its Big Breakfast; where the beans and hash browns are homemade and you can swap out the orange juice for a ginger and apple shot.

Cost: £21, mokshacaffe.co.uk

Regency Cafe, Pimlico, London

As seen in Rocketman, Layer Cake and the re-make of Brighton Rock it’s no wonder filmmakers flock to this central London greasy spoon for its utterly authentic 1950’s décor and atmosphere.

You can’t book and it’s very popular at lunchtimes so be prepared to queue for its excellent, old-school fry-ups. You can add your own items to the set breakfast with an extra £1:40 giving you a portion of its legendary bubble and squeak with your egg and bacon.

Cost: £8:95, regencycafe.has.restaurant

Cantina Ventnor, Isle of Wight

This dapper little brunch and cocktails spot (they also do a very tempting evening menu) offers Swedish hash, Spanish eggs and shakshuka during the day. Its Full English is no slouch either with the superb locally-sourced butcher’s bacon and sausages filling half the plate alongside smoky beans and wonderfully unctuous sourdough toast.

Cost: £14.50, cantinaventnor.co.uk

Oriel, Poole, Dorset

If you’re setting sail to Jersey, St Malo or Cherbourg from Poole then this is a fine place to have your last Full English on dry land. Overlooking the harbour and Brownsea Island, its Big Breakfast is a serious business.

Find a comfy seat on board your boat and you’ll sleep soundly after having tucked into two rashers of smoked bacon, two Cumberland sausages, two fried eggs, two hash browns, sauteed mushrooms, baked beans, tomato and two slices of fried bread.

Cost: £13.95, orielrestaurant.co.uk

East Beach Cafe, Littlehampton, Sussex

Designed by Thomas Hetherwick (who also designed the London 2012 Olympic stadium) this place looks like a mid-tidal wave festooned in driftwood.

With a minimalist look on the inside, the focus is on the sea views and the superb EBC breakfast which contains all the usual staples. The piscine friendly location means there’s also smoked trout eggs benedict on the menu.

Cost: £12, eastbeachcafe.co.uk

The Buttery Cafe, Malsmead, North Devon

The Exmoor based 17th-century ‘Lorna Doone’ novels by RD Blackmore are all but forgotten by all but the most committed bibliophile but they live on at the appropriately named Lorna Doone Farm, where the biggest cooked breakfast on the menu is named after Doone’s father Jan Ridd.

You’ll get two sausage patties, hash browns, eggs, bacon rashers, tomatoes and black puddings, after which you still might, just about, be able to take a gentle potter around the charming riverside gardens.

Cost: £16.50, buttery-cafe.com

The Bristolian, Bristol

Located in the funky, boho ‘hood of Montpelier, the Bristolian is chock full of murals and does meaty, veggie and vegan cooked breakfasts. The ‘Fusion’ dish is a highly original blend of all three, featuring free range eggs, local free range chorizo, minty yoghurt, spicy fresh salsa, flatbread, garlic mushrooms, grilled sun blush tomatoes, sesame infused spinach and crispy potatoes.

Cost: £14.90, thebristolian.co.uk

The School House, Devon

Just minutes from Mothcombe beach, breakfast here won’t bring back any memories of a rushed bowl of Weetabix before registration and double maths. School House breakfasts are only served for 90 minutes (10am-11.30am) so book in advance for its Full English with sourdough toast or go off piste with a locally-sourced crab omelette with gruyere. Its Bloody Mary’s are spicy, outstanding and almost as good as a sea dip for waking you up.

Cost: £15, schoolhouse-devon.com

The Old Royal Ship, Luckington, Wiltshire

This venerable old pub is independently owned and serves one of the widest selections of real ales in the Cotswolds. There’s versions of the Full English to suit more dainty appetites, but if you’re feeling committed then opt for the ‘Captain’, which includes two eggs, two bacon slices, two sausages, flat mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, black pudding, baked beans and sensational Hobbs Bread baked in Bristol. Work it off with a vigorous game of skittles in the pub’s alley lane afterwards.

Cost: £13.95, oldroyalship.co.uk

Lavender Bakehouse, Stroud, Gloucestershire

With a community bookshop and gift store in house, this former Cooperative store is a vital part of the local community and, although most famed for its homemade cakes, its breakfasts are of outstanding quality. The Lavender Full English comes with fried potatoes and mushrooms though there are more adventurous options too such as Turkish eggs and Belgian waffles with crispy bacon.

Cost: £11.95, lavenderbakehouse.co.uk

The Bath Priory Hotel, Bath

You’ll need to book a room for the night in order to sample the Priory’s breakfast delights, but a stay in this country pile in the centre of the historic spa city is no hardship. Its full English comes with pork-and-leek sausages and excellent coffee but full marks to what is perhaps the most sumptuous veggie breakfast fry-up in the UK. Called the Full Nourish, you’ll get free range eggs, chickpea and green pea falafel, shimeji mushroom, crushed avocado, beet hummus and even beet black pudding, A defrosted veggie sausage will never taste the same after this.

Cost: N/A (hotel guests only), thebathpriory.co.uk

Victoria Inn, Salcombe, Devon

Stone flagged floors, low beams and old ship’s lanterns make this Devon hostelry a fine place to start the day. Its fry-up, available from 8am, includes hog’s pudding, a local speciality that’s similar to black pudding only without the blood and with a much spicier flavour thanks to the black pepper, cumin, basil and garlic that’s mixed into the unmentionable parts of the pig.

Cost: £13.50, victoriainnsalcombe.co.uk

Gylly Beach Cafe, Falmouth, Cornwall

Going strong for 25 years, the Gylly Beach Cafe’s outdoor seating is often in high demand as the terrace looks out across serene Falmouth Bay. It’s probably best to take a dip before tucking into its Full Cornish, which comes with primrose herd sausage, hogs pudding, smoked back bacon, potato rosti and a whole lot more.

Cost: £14.95, gyllybeach.com

Black Dog Deli, Yoxford, Suffolk

There are four Black Dog delis scattered around rural Suffolk, but the Yoxford branch, situated in the old Post Office, is our favourite for its superb counter spread of locally sourced meats and cheeses from nearby farms as well as a mighty Full English which, for a couple of extra quid on top, comes with some sensational sourdough which you can cover with marmalade – one of the lesser seen, and much missed condiments available in British cafes.

Cost: £12.50, theblackdogdelis.co.uk

No.33, Norwich

They call it The Beast, and you won’t find a bigger cooked breakfast in Norfolk than that served up at the buzzy No.33 cafe. Take a deep breath and attempt to get through three rashers of Norfolk smoked bacon, two Cumberland sausages, two fried eggs, bubble and squeak, confit tomatoes, rosemary and sea salt mushrooms, baked beans, hash browns, black pudding and sourdough toast. There is the option of the ‘Big Breakfast’ fry-up too which is smaller, but only just.

Cost: £14.90, no33cafe.co.uk

St. Paul’s Cafe, Lincoln

With their coarse, chunky texture and sage flavouring, Lincolnshire sausages are markedly different from other regional bangers. You won’t find better specimens that those served up at this new-ish Lincoln caff where you can eat its full English on a terrace overlooking the walls of Lincoln Castle.

Cost: £13, cafestpauls.com

Burnham Deepdale Cafe, Norfolk

Situated on the North Norfolk coastline, Burham Deepdale Cafe (part of what a modern retail outlet park) is full of Anglian character – and characters. Its Full Norfolk features hash browns, vine tomatoes and coffees from Uganda and Peru.

Cost: £9.50, burnhamdeepdalecafe.co.uk

CSONS, Ludlow, Shropshire

Set up by four food-obsessed brothers on the banks of the River Teme and with a commitment to local produce, the breakfasts here are carefully curated affairs. The Full CSONS happily veers away from fry-up classics, coming with a chorizo patty as well as dry cured bacon from Wenlock Farm. The vegan version is even more creative, featuring vegetable pakhora, tahini, tarka dhal and hummus.

Cost: £15.50, thegreencafe.co.uk

The Oatcake Station, Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire

Yeasty oatcakes have their roots in the Potteries and were traditionally sold through terraced windows to people on their way to work. In that spirit, the Oatcake Station only does takeaway boxes from its tiny premises. Coming in three different sizes, the largest box is still only just over a fiver and contains double helpings of egg, sausage and bacon along with two oatcakes.

Cost: £5.50, theoatcakestation.co.uk

Super Sausage Cafe, Northampton

Close to Silverstone, this is a no-nonsense caff that is utterly unapologetic in its commitment to old-school fry-ups. There’s no avocado here and you won’t find artisan coffee. You will however find a superb value Full Monty that comes with Lincolnshire sausages and fried bread – a vanishing species on the plates of most cooked breakfasts these days.

Cost: £8.95, supersausagecafe.co.uk

The Plough Harborne, Birmingham

A rightly popular pub this may be of an evening, but the Plough is adept at the shapeshifting of atmosphere required to make this a contemplative stop for a superb Brummie breakfast the next day.

Its House Breakfast features sausage, bacon, fried egg, hash browns, mushroom, tomato, baked beans and toasted homemade bread - and there’s seriously spicy Bloody Mary’s on offer too if you need an extra pick me up.

Cost: £17.75, theploughharborne.co.uk

Delilah Fine Foods, Nottingham

When the optional extras to a Full English include ajvar, spinach and halloumi then you know you’ve stumbled across a cafe with aspirations. There’s nothing pretentious about this Nottingham city-centre legend however. The price for its Gourmet Breakfast is very reasonable considering that it features pancetta alongside the sausages, black pudding and cherry tomatoes.

Cost: £14.50, delilahfinefoods.co.uk

Parsonage Grill, Oxford

Oil paintings, the clink of china, errant university professors and chunky hardbacks left on seats: there’s no doubting you’re in Oxford at this grill room, which takes its breakfasts as seriously as undergrads take their studies. The Full English isn’t cheap, but it’s of superb quality and there’s also the choice of a whole smoked kipper with lemon and parsley butter to devour before heading back to academia.

Cost: £19.95, parsonagegrill.co.uk

Maggie Mays, Belfast

There’s three Maggie Mays wonderful cafes (plus a sister chippie) scattered around the Ulster capital with the City Cafe branch on Castle Street being the most centrally located.

With 30 years of experience making Ulster Fry’s, its Irish Breakfast, with both black and white pudding (the latter is made without blood) is tempting but its Full Fry wins out for the inclusion of soda farl; an incredibly dense bread (made using bicarbonate of soda), which should always have half an inch of butter spread on top.

Cost: £9.50-£11, maggiemaysbelfast.com

Lamppost Cafe, Belfast

Seemingly inspired by Narnia, this highly eclectic, dog-friendly cafe, open from 9am, is festooned with busts, plants, mirrors and a ‘secret’ garden. You could plump for its Armstrong Family Stew served with Guinness wheaten bread, but it’s hard to stray too far from its immense Ulster Fry which comes with both soda bread and potato bread.

Cost: £12.50, thelamppostcafe.com

McCaskie’s, Wemyss Bay, Renfrewshire

Over the road from the staggeringly beautiful Art Nouveau-style railway station and ferry port (this is the main sea route to the Isle of Bute), McCaskie’s is a frontier cafe and butcher with the widest selection of Caledonian fry-up staples in Scotland. Its Big Breakfast (featuring haggis, potato scone and sliced sausage) is stupendous, but what really makes this place unique is the adjoining butchers where you can buy haggis, Ayrshire bacon and even fruit pudding to take home.

Cost: £12, mccaskiebutcher.co.uk

University Cafe, Glasgow

A Full Scottish doesn’t come with much more history than this. The University Cafe has been open since 1918 and is a retro-time warp of vinyl seats, booths, Art Deco sunburst style decorative frills and shelves piled high with jars of sweets. The biggest fry-up here is just under a tenner and comes with all the expected staples including potato scone and Lorne sausage.

Cost: £9.85, 87 Byres Road G11

Bag ‘O Nails, Glasgow

Grab one of the window booth seats at this beloved former pub for some great people watching in Glasgow’s lively West End. There’s scarcely room to list everything that comes on a Patrick Breakfast but you will find pork sausage, streaky bacon, haggis and black pudding (and a lot, lot more) as well as the Scottish delicacy Lorne sausage, For the uninitiated this is a square banger with no casing, eaten by the slice and made with minced pork, rusk and spices.

Cost: £12.95, bag-o-nails.co.uk

Edinburgh Larder, Edinburgh

You’d have got long odds on finding a vegan cooked breakfast north of the border not so long ago. But this cosy, unpretentious wee caff, tucked away off the Royal Mile, does an outstanding vegan fry featuring roasted balsamic mushrooms, blistered cherry tomatoes, vegan black pudding, veggie haggis, wilted herbed spinach, potato scone, homemade beans and granary toast drizzled with olive oil. Don’t worry – they do meaty versions too with equal aplomb.

Cost: £16-£17.50, edinburghlarder.co.uk

Gloagburn Farm Coffee Shop, Perth

For sustenance before a long drive up to the Highlands and Islands, the bucolic surroundings of Gloagburn Farm make for some gorgeous respite from the asphalt. As you’d expect from a farm, most of your cooked breakfast has only travelled a few yards; with the pork sausages, black pudding and poached eggs all made on the premises.

Cost: £14.50, gloagburn.co.uk

Corrour Station House, Highlands

Not even connected to a road, the best way to visit one of the most remote cafes in Britain is to ring the bell (this is a request stop only) on the West Highland Line train from Glasgow to Fort William. The cafe’s rustic interior makes for a warming retreat from the boggy glens and distant peaks. Warm up with an outstanding Full Scottish which is a veritable Caledonian greatest hits of sausages, bacon, haggis, black pudding, fried egg, baked beans, tattie scone, roast tomatoes and toast.

Cost: £15, corrour.co.uk

Crwst, Cardigan, Wales

This cafe perched on a pretty corner in Cardigan, west Wales has garnered a cult following thanks to its delicious Full English breakfast, homemade sourdough and delicious donuts. Order a plate of tiny hash browns with your breakfast – and be sure you book ahead. It’s busy year-round.

Cost: £12.50, crwst-cymru

The Daffodil, Cardiff

Laverbread, for those uninitiated, is seaweed, foraged for in the past in desperation but now a staple of a proper Welsh fry-up, along with cockles. The Daffodil does a particularly good high-end version of the Full Welsh coming with two pork and leek (naturally) sausages.

Cost: £14.95, daffodilcardiff.co.uk

Harbourmaster, Aberaeron

Perched right by the harbour wall of this genteel mid-Walian seaside town, the spume of the Celtic Sea makes for a rousing accompaniment to a superb Full Welsh breakfast, which here comes with bacon, pork sausage and black pudding all sourced from the locally adored Rattray’s butchers in Aberystwyth as well as laverbread, hash browns, mushrooms, fried egg and tomato. This striking blue building is also a boutique hotel, but you don’t need to stay here to enjoy the fabulous fry-ups.

Cost: £12, harbour-master.com

Alpine Coffee Shop, Snowdonia

Beloved by hikers, the Alpine overlooks the old railway platforms at Betws-y-Cowd station. There’s a serious sustainable ethos to this peaceful cafe, with its vegan-friendly menu and decor of Tibetan prayer flags and rainforest prints. Its not afraid to be carnivorous though; the traditional all-day breakfast comes with free range bacon, sausage and fried eggs, baked beans, tomato, potatoes with onion and herbs, toast and butter.

Cost: £12.50, alpinecoffeeshop.co.uk