What if someone told you that you could have 'the most important meal of the day' any time you like? Vogue picks nine all-day breakfast places in cities across India that will make sure you get the breakfast of champions.
With walls splashed in the colours of the ocean, the ambience is as calming as one would expect from a place called The Yoga House. The kitchen serves vegetarian, macrobiotic fit-foods (even their cold beverages are prepared without ice) that marry tasty with healthy. If your New Year’s resolutions to get fit are still in place, the dishes here—with names like 'I Am Toning', 'I Am Dieting' and 'I Am Slimming'—will help you power through.
While we are fans of the wholesome 'Yogi's Breakfast' that comprises porridge and a shot of fresh juice, Mansi Poddar and Kanika Parab of Brown Paper Bag recommend "the Traveller's Plate, a platter of assorted tartines and the Pink Juice (pomegranate, watermelon and rose water)."
Address: The Yoga House, 153, Chimbai House, opposite St. Andrews Church, Bandra (W), Mumbai Contact: 022 65545001
Also a popular hangout in Goa, Om Made Café is known to serve their yogic philosophy on a plate. On their all-day breakfasts menu are dishes made from organic, locally sourced ingredients. Besides morning staples such as yoghurt, muesli, porridge, fruit salads, 'egg-cetera,' the sweeping views from their rooftop-terrace make it an ideal joint to enjoy a cuppa and savoury crepes.
Address: Om Made Café, 136, above Gold’s gym, 1st Cross, 5th Block, Koramangala, Bengaluru Contact: 080 65305666
The Kala Ghoda district has a long-standing reputation for all things quaint: cafes, art galleries and boutique stores.
Here, The Nutcracker, a homey spot with white walls and vintage wooden doors, along with The Pantry and Kala Ghoda Café forms the trio of cafes in this art district.
Inside the Nutcracker, a large communal table invites diners to have breakfast for dinner. Serving delicious classics like cream cheese bagels and French toast as well as a selection of egg preparations, our recommendation here is their light, fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes (served with butter, maple syrup and an in-house jam), accompanied with the 'Breakfast in a Bottle'—a milkshake with oats, dates and nuts.
Address: The Nutcracker, Opposite One Forbes Building, VB Gandhi Marg, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai Contact: 022 22842430
All American Diner. Image: Facebook.com/AllAmericanDiner
Checkerboard tiles, classic jukebox, red booths, high-top stools--the old favourite All American Diner sports the perfect '50s retro look. Plating up an all-American breakfast of champions, the restaurant indulges diners with their all day offerings--creamy milkshakes and stacks of pancakes; crisp waffles and coffee; big burgers and crunchy fries. There's always an extra portion of bacon on call in XXS.
Address: The All American Diner, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi Contact: 011 41220000
Never did the saying 'old is gold' ring truer. A pillar of old-world charm, Koshy's is an iconic breakfast joint, often visited by artists, writers and theatre-goers. Malika V Kashyap of Border and Fall is one of the loyalists: "Koshy's is wonderfully, predictably, old world. The tea comes with a silver sugar pot and waiters are never in a hurry," she says, highly recommending their ginger-lemon tea and mushroom toast.
Address: Koshy's, 39 St. Mark's Road, Bengaluru Contact: 080 22915840
Located inside the Crafts Museum, Café Lota is a gem that is relatively unknown in the capital. Rashi Wadhera of Little Black Book Delhi, is quick to recommend her favourite treats: "For the healthy eaters, they have homemade amaranth oats muesli and Ragi Banana Pancakes. For the not-so-conscious, there’s the Railway Masala Omlette Pao, Bombay Egg Bhurji and the Keema Paratha."
Address: Café Lota, National Crafts Museum, Bhairon Marg, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi Contact: 91 7838960787
Au Bon Pain, an international café chain, is the perfect stopover for bite-sized meals that make the morning commute a tad bit sweeter. Debarghya Bairagi, one half of design duo Dev r Nil, visits the Kolkata outlet to enjoy the view of Park Street from their floor-to-wall windows.
The self-service eatery serves a variety of bakes and breakfast staples like muesli, juices and sandwiches. And while Bairagi swears by Canteen@Byloom for his dose of Bengali breakfast ("try the Egg Moghlai and Kachori with Alur Phoron"), his favourites at Au Bon Pain include Greek yoghurt with blueberry and granola, the egg and pesto croissant, and cinnamon rolls.
Egg and Pesto on Croissant. Image: Facebook.com/AuBonPain
Address: Au Bon Pain, 18 G Park Street, Kolkata Contact: 030 30990590
Nestled in the sunny courtyard of Chandigarh's popular Elante Mall, this New York-inspired eatery is the ultimate comfort food haven. Make a pit stop during your shopping spree for heavenly milkshakes (the peanut butter-chocolate and Oreo versions are crowd favourites), frittatas, French toast, pancakes, and eggs made to order. Best enjoyed in the restaurant’s outdoor area, the Meaty Hash Casserole with lamb, chicken, bacon, sausages and eggs sounds like the kind of meal that’ll take you through most of the day without a problem.
Address: Brooklyn Central, Courtyard, Elante Mall, Chandigarh Industrial Area (Phase 1), Chandigarh Contact: 011 33105104/ 08146656569
The cozy restaurant’s soothing pastel interiors and quaint cottage-like décor draw you in and then keep you there. A lazy post-breakfast coffee or masala chai? Why not?
Address: The Pantry, Military Square Lane, Near Trishna, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai Contact: 022 22678901