Where to get a proper full English in Leeds
From a riverside fry-up by Leeds Bridge to the Mega Breakfast on Brudenell Road, here is where Leeds goes for a proper breakfast.
By Only Leeds Editorial
Leeds does a good fry-up. The trick is knowing which counter to queue at when your head is still on the pillow. Here is a short, honest list of places that have earned their reputation, from a riverside classic to a student institution where finishing your plate gets you on the wall.
Riveresque, Bridge End, by Leeds Bridge
Riveresque is at 15 Bridge End, on the River Aire just south of the centre. It topped the Yorkshire Evening Post's readers' list of the best full English breakfasts in Leeds, described as the runaway people's choice with the most nominations. The paper's later list of readers' favourite breakfast spots also has it down as a reliable place for a classic fry-up, with views over Leeds Bridge.
Creative Tourist calls it unassuming and says it serves a “ridiculously big full breakfast”. So the order is simple: the Full English, bacon, eggs and the rest of the signature plate, with the river outside the window. Listings put it at a budget price band.
Opening hours vary a little between listings. One has it open 7:30am to 4pm on weekdays, 8:30am to 4pm on Saturdays and 8:30am to 3:30pm on Sundays, while another shows a 7am weekday start. Check before you set off, especially if you are coming straight off the train.
- Where: 15 Bridge End, Leeds LS1 7HG
- Order: the Full English
- Good for: a long sit by the river
Popina's, Brudenell Road, Hyde Park
Popina's is at 31 Brudenell Road, in the student patch beside the Brudenell Social Club. Leeds List calls it a legend in the student community and beyond, and it is most famous for the Mega Breakfast. Finish it and you get a keyring and a place on the wall of fame.
The Mega Breakfast is three bacon, three sausages, three eggs, three hash browns, mushrooms, beans and tomatoes. That is not a plate, that is a project. If you want something more manageable, the Large Breakfast is listed at £8.95 on delivery apps, though prices in the café itself may differ. The place has been sorting out hangovers for over ten years, according to its delivery listing, which tells you who it is built for.
Hours are listed differently on different sites, so look at the café’s own pages before you plan a late lie-in.
- Where: 31 Brudenell Road, Leeds LS6 1HA
- Order: the Mega Breakfast, if you are brave
- Good for: the morning after a gig
Lil's & Wil's Café, Upper Accommodation Road
Lil's & Wil's Café is at 9 Upper Accommodation Road, Richmond Hill, LS9. The Yorkshire Evening Post's readers' list of favourite breakfast spots features it, with locals naming it the best breakfast in the city and saying the food and service will not let you down. The café keeps an active Facebook page where it posts its opening times, including days when it closes at 2pm, so that is the place to check before you go. It is a good one for anyone who thinks breakfast should be eaten somewhere that is not in the middle of town.
- Where: 9 Upper Accommodation Road, Leeds LS9 8RZ
- Good for: a no-fuss east Leeds fry-up
How to do a Leeds breakfast properly
A few rules, from a mate who has opinions.
- Go early at weekends. The well-known places fill up, and kitchens at the smaller cafés can close by mid-afternoon.
- Check the hours. Listings disagree, and the café's own page beats any aggregator.
- Match the plate to the day. A river view and a big Full English suit a slow morning. The Mega Breakfast suits a day with nothing on.
- Take cash or a card, and an appetite. Prices at these places sit at the budget end.
There is plenty more to eat on a Leeds morning, but start with these three. They have the readers, the reputation and the portions to back it up.
For more, the Yorkshire Evening Post's readers' list of full English breakfasts, its list of favourite breakfast spots and Leeds List's breakfast guide are good places to keep digging. Creative Tourist has a write-up of Riveresque too.
