Breakfast and Brunch in Chichester

Where to start the day in the cathedral city

Chichester has embraced the brunch culture that has swept through southern English towns, and there are now plenty of places to get a good breakfast or late morning meal within the city walls and along the surrounding streets. The range runs from traditional fry-ups to more contemporary brunch menus featuring sourdough, avocado and poached eggs.

The independent cafes on the Hornet and St Pancras are among the best spots for breakfast and brunch. Several open early and serve through to lunchtime, offering menus that cater to both the full English crowd and those wanting something lighter. Eggs benedict, shakshuka, granola bowls and smoked salmon on toast sit alongside bacon rolls and builders' tea. The atmosphere in these cafes tends to be relaxed and informal, with weekend mornings being the busiest time.

North Street and East Street have cafes and coffee shops serving breakfast to the morning shopping crowd. These range from quick-service coffee and pastry stops to more leisurely sit-down options. The chain coffee shops offer their standard breakfast menus, but the independents are where the more interesting food is found.

The Cloisters Cafe in the cathedral precincts is a particularly pleasant spot for a morning coffee and pastry, with the medieval surroundings providing a calm start to the day. The Pallant House Gallery cafe also serves a good breakfast in refined surroundings, popular with the pre-gallery crowd on days when exhibitions are drawing visitors.

For a traditional English breakfast, the older cafes in the city still serve a proper fry-up: bacon, eggs, sausage, beans, toast, mushrooms and tomatoes, all for a reasonable price. These places are well used by tradespeople, market traders and early risers who want a substantial meal to start the working day.

At weekends, brunch is the main event. Saturday and Sunday mornings see the city centre cafes fill up from around nine o'clock, and by half past ten the most popular places have queues. The combination of market day on Saturday, the relaxed pace of a Sunday morning and the general sociability of Chichester's cafe scene makes brunch a weekly ritual for many residents. Booking is not common at cafe-style establishments, so arriving early is the best strategy for securing a table at peak times.

The hotel restaurants in and around Chichester also serve breakfast, and while some are reserved for guests, others welcome non-residents, particularly on weekday mornings when occupancy is lower. These tend to offer a more formal setting and a fuller menu, including cooked-to-order dishes, pastries, fruit and good coffee.

At weekends, brunch is the main event. Saturday and Sunday mornings see the city centre cafes fill up from around nine o clock, and by half past ten the most popular places have queues out the door. The combination of market day on Saturday, the relaxed pace of a Sunday morning and the general sociability of Chichester cafe scene makes brunch a weekly ritual for many residents. Booking is not common at cafe-style establishments, so arriving early is the best strategy for securing a table at peak times. The most popular dishes tend to sell out by late morning, and the kitchen staff at the busiest spots work at full stretch from opening until the lunch trade takes over around one o clock.