In 1776, Margaret Dodds invited seven friends for "a simple breakfast" at her London townhouse. Author Samuel Johnson was one of the guests and he later wrote that "even though the meal was served on a large buffet table, there were nine servants in attendance, five to fill our plates when first we went to the buffet and four to ensure that our plates would never again be empty."

The supposedly simple breakfast consisted of oatmeal with sweet cream, smoked herrings, sardines with mustard sauce, grilled trout with white butter sauce, cold veal pies, grilled kidneys, sausages with mashed potatoes, beef tongue with hot horseradish sauce, and, in Dr. Johnson's words, "enough bacon to feed a hungry army". There were also three kinds of fresh bread and four kinds of rolls, all of which were accompanied by butter, honey, orange marmalade, and jams made from raspberries, cherries and apples. The beverages offered included French and Spanish brandies, fresh apple cider, tea and coffee.

Lovers of large breakfasts know that Margaret Dodds was simply going along with an English tradition that dates back to the14th century. Despite the modern day concern about cholesterol, that tradition has not changed and many of the London's older luxury hotels continue to serve such feasts. The Berkeley, The Capital Hotel, Claridge's, The Mayfair, and the Ritz for example, all offer nine course breakfasts. All are superb and worth trying at least once. Unless one is a millionaire, however, once will be enough, for such feasts will add 25 to 40 pounds Sterling per person to your hotel bill.

None of which should cause anyone to despair, for London is a city that thrives on breakfasts, and one of my principal pleasures in that city is seeking out those places where I can watch the city wake up, to watch its bleary-eyed, coffee and tea-chugging inhabitants before they go off to work or shop or whatever else it is that one does in London. Because I am also looking for good food, I avoid the ham-and-egg joints, the Wimpys and the McDonalds, and the early morning pubs. Here are four of the best places that I have discovered.

The Fox and Anchor: 115 Charterhouse Street. The first time I wandered into this working class restaurant, not far from the Farringdon Street station on the Underground, I was sure that it would have been more comfortable in a Charles Dickens novel than in the real life of late 20th century England. The neighborhood is a mixture of quiet squares and bustling, cobbled streets where white-coated doctors come and go from Saint Bartholomew's Hospital, which was founded in 1123 and where muscular men push two wheeled carts filled with beef and poultry and vegetables to and from the local wholesale markets.

The restaurant itself is anything but an old curiosity shop. Breakfasts, which cost between 3and 5 pounds Sterling, consist of giant pieces of ham and an unbelievable amount of eggs, not to mention kidneys, black pudding, pints of ale and an unlimited amount of coffee and tea. The regulars here include market workers, doctors, nurses and medical students as well as young bankers and university professors, all of whom sit side by side at the bar or at the relative privacy of the small tables. The paneled walls are decorated with mounted plates, a ferocious looking stuffed fox, a rusty anchor and several prints of 19th century horse races. The food is all excellent. (Breakfast is served from 06:00 - 10:30 a.m.)

Cafe Casbar: 52 Earlham Street (near the Covent Garden Underground Station). Those who prefer cappuccino and art posters to black pudding and stuffed foxes will find that this is a good place for them. A small, sleek cafe in the heart of Covent Garden, this is a restaurant where the ambiance and menu are aimed at the artists and theater people who frequent the district. The Royal Opera House is here as are several galleries, wine bars and good book shops. There are also the boutiques, antique stalls and restaurants that make up the Covent Garden Market.

In addition to the standard offerings of oatmeal, bacon, ham, kippers and fried eggs, the multinational breakfast menu also includes such innovative items as bagel and brie sandwiches, muesli and English bacon, and lobster salad with cherries. My own favorite breakfast here starts off with fried oysters stuffed with spinach. From here I go on to fried kippers, six slices of bacon and three scrambled eggs, all consumed with the good strong espresso that is offered. (Breakfast served from 09:00 - 11:30 from Monday - Friday and from 10:00 - 11:30 on Saturdays. Closed Sundays).

Harry's All-Night Cafe: 19 Kingly Street (ten minute walk from the Picadilly Underground station). This little Soho restaurant may be a hole-in-the-wall, but it is probably the only place in London at which one can have an English or American-style breakfast at three in the morning. Despite its location, the crowd that populates this place, even in the small hours of the morning, is well dressed and have the definite air that they either have or are expecting to have plenty of money in the near future.

American waffles with sweet cream, syrup and strawberries go for about 4 pounds Sterling steak and eggs costs 7 pounds; pancakes and bacon go for 3 pounds and a standard English breakfast that includes plenty of eggs, bacon, sausage, chips and fried tomatoes goes for 5 pounds. Personally, I find this smoky and noisy but friendly place ideal for late night meetings. It also gives excellent value for money. (Breakfast served daily from 22:00 - 08:00).

The Hyde Park Hotel: 66 Knightsbridge. Whenever I'm feeling depressed because I don't have an audience with the Queen, I make my way to breakfast at the Park Room at the Hyde Park Hotel. Surrounded by marble columns, crystal chandeliers, pastel murals, 19th century antiques and an incomparable view of Hyde Park, I can easily imagine that I am sitting at the center of the once great British Empire. This is a place where the clientele is as sedate as the setting. Lords and ladies and a few Continental and American travelers speak in subdued tones or read their newspapers. One visitor claimed that "the closest thing to flamboyance here is when a diner gingerly wags his finger for service"

Several different breakfasts are offered here. One of my favorites consists of scrambled eggs wrapped in Scottish smoked salmon, melon with lemon sorbet, brioche, rolls, juice and champagne, all of which go for a relatively reasonable 22.50 pounds. The English breakfast, my other favorite (at14 pounds) includes fruit, cereals, kippers, smoked bass and an assortment of silver bowls filled with marmalade, jam and honey. After either of these breakfasts, I no longer care whether the Queen invites me to breakfast or not.

Not Only In London

London is not the only European city in which one can find sumptuous breakfasts. In Venice, for example, one will do well to stay at the Gritti Palace Hotel and there to consider the possibility of breakfast on the terrace of their room. This marvelous hotel, a 15th century Gothic palace that sits right on the Grand Canal may be small, but it is one of the finest hotels in the world. Whenever I stay here, I always gain special pleasure in thinking that I may be sharing the same bed once used by Lord Byron, Ernest Hemingway, Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald or Grace Kelly, all of whom were regulars here at one time or another. The hotel also gives me joy because even on the coldest day I like to bundle up in a warm coat, wrapping my neck in a wool scarf, and have breakfast on the terrace of my room.

Unless you ask for something out-and-out illegal, no breakfast request will be treated as odd at this splendid hotel, and on my last stay, my request for a formally set table on my terrace was met with complete calmness. The breakfast took a while to prepare but within minutes a pot of hot coffee made its appearance. The breakfast chef at the hotel has known me for many years, so even though we had not asked for it, the coffee had been generously laced with Strega, one of the most beloved Italian liqueurs.

When three uniformed servants brought our breakfast, some ten minutes later, our appetites were raging. We had little reason to complain, however, for the smoked herrings, sardines with mustard, grilled trout, broiled kidneys, sausages with mashed potatoes, beef tongue in spicy horseradish sauce, honey, marmalade, and hot biscuits that appeared were exactly what we needed.

Another hotel that always delights me, both for its accommodations and its breakfasts is Brenner's Park Hotel in Baden Baden. Although this hotel has only 68 rooms and 20 suites, every one of these is fitted out with luxurious late 19th century furniture and decorated with silk brocade drapes. If one tires of drinking Champagne and watching the view, the hotel also has a sauna, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, their own medicinal spa, a billiard room, and beauty salons for men and women. For those who enjoy the outdoor life, the concierge will arrange guided hiking tours or horseback riding expeditions in the summer, cross-country skiing in the winter and, for those so inclined, hunting trips at any time of the year.

On awakening one morning during my last visit, we decided that we were in the mood for a true Black Forest breakfast. Here too, we decided on breakfast in our room and we could not have been more delighted when a formally attired waiter brought us our morning meal on a huge sterling silver tray. Four types of freshly baked rolls, a large pot of fresh country butter, four dishes of the hotel's home made jams (raspberry, blueberry, apricot and plum), two fried eggs each, and a huge pile of crisply fried bacon made for a marvelous feast.

The Most Memorable Breakfast

Many years ago, during the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, I received an invitation to have breakfast at the home of Madame Genevieve L'Hermenier for breakfast. Her guest list included five couples - one Brazillian, one French, one American, one Spanish and one German, so her breakfast buffet included at least one dish that had originated in each of their countries.

The company was superb, the view of Ipanema Beach was exquisite and, served buffet style with Dom Perignon champagne, no breakfast could have been more luxurious. The recipes for each of the dishes served may be seen by clicking here.

© Daniel Rogov