Working through a stack of fluffy pancakes or slab of sourdough topped with avo and eggs is instantly more delicious when it’s in a picturesque outdoor setting. Find out our favourite spots for a devilishly good alfresco brunch
The Castle Inn, Lydford
A late-morning breakfast in the fairytale-esque garden of this Dartmoor dining pub is the stuff of Instagram dreams. Crowd around one of the garden tables or slide onto one of the benches located underneath a stretched, heated tent adorned with string lights, and get stuck into the menu.
Befitting the dreamy moorland setting are attractive dishes that are wholesome yet ravishingly fresh. Head chef Mike Palmer whips up a menu of classic breakfast fare that ranges from light to indulgent. Ease into the day with a bowl of homemade granola, greek yogurt and fruit compote. Or if eggs are calling, the trusty trio of benedict, florentine and royale are available. Go more off-piste with the smoked kipper on toast with lemon and caper butter, or succumb to the traditional Full Devonshire breakfast – carnivorous or veggie.
Starlings, Bristol
While Bristol isn’t short of places to scoff a decent breakfast, this indie find in Clifton remains one of the city’s most popular brunch spots. Since founder Ed Starling launched his eponymous cafe in 2022, it’s been a favourite for group get-togethers thanks to the upmarket brunch dishes, speciality-grade coffee and stylish interiors and exteriors.
Bag a table (pre-book on weekends) on the spacious decking decorated in greenery and festoon lighting, then peruse an all-day menu packed with bougie brunch dishes and crowd-pleasing classics. Branch out with the pork belly crumpet served with crisp bacon, edamame, daikon and slaw, or play it satisfyingly safe with a breakfast bap loaded with handmade pork sausages, streaky bacon, fried egg and rosemary ketchup. Complement the dishes with Triple Co Roast coffee or freshly blitzed juice.
Want to take the group hangout up a gear? Book the bottomless brunch – 90 minutes of unlimited prosecco, Buck’s Fizz, Aperol Spritz and Bloody Marys with any brunch or lunch dish for £35.
The Stalls Cafe, Salisbury
Located in an expanse of verdant fields in the Wiltshire countryside, The Stalls Cafe excels at serving small-batch-roasted coffee and wholesome homecooked fare with limited food miles.
The 16th-century barn-turned-cafe is a community-centric space with sustainability at its heart. In warm weather, the barn doors are flung open and tables planted outside so that locals and foodies-from-afar can feast alfresco. The indoor-outdoor vibe further connects diners to the natural setting, and creates a bright, sunny ambience in the authentically rustic barn.
Pair silky espressos with creative brunch dishes crafted with local ingredients. Miso-butter mushrooms with poachies on sourdough rubs shoulders with hot honey halloumi flatbread and morning mocha bowls (coffee panna cotta, Dorset yogurt, hazelnut granola, mocha tuille and espresso syrup).
Gylly Beach Cafe, Falmouth
You can’t get much closer to the water than Gylly Beach Cafe. By day, the beachside venue serves speciality-grade coffee and casual eats. Then, when the sun sets, head chef Dale McIntosh creates contemporary evening dishes using locally sourced ingredients.
Fine white sands and gentle waves make a breathtaking backdrop for a mid-morning coffee. Cradle a Cornwall-roasted coffee and enjoy lick-the-bowl-clean overnight oats topped with raspberries and hazelnuts while you watch the paddleboarders from the sun-soaked terrace. Swoon.
Soulshine, Bridport
The owners of this cafe-restaurant hybrid – former River Cottage colleagues Andy Tyrrell and Joel Gostling – have a penchant for food that’s locally grown and produced with care, which is evidenced in dishes packed with wholesome ingredients, including organic veg, net-fresh fish and locally reared meat.
Cakes and bakes are homebaked, the coffee is roasted in-house under the moniker Goose & Badger, and all breakfast dishes are made from scratch in the kitchen. Highlights on the menu include buttermilk pancakes with blueberry compote and maple syrup, shakshuka, and Soulshine baked beans on toasted sourdough. Most of the dishes can be bulked up too – fried eggs on sourdough absolutely deserves its optional extras of kimchi, fried halloumi and crisp bacon. Devour your pick of the menu in the shaded courtyard.
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