Bargain breakfast is the new power lunch

Forget having lunch or dinner at London's smartest restaurants - take breakfast there instead.

A new guide to the most economical way to enjoy the best of the capital's gastronomic delights recommends visiting fashionable dining rooms such as the Wolseley or the Zetter for their relatively inexpensive breakfasts.

"Breakfast has become the ideal meal at which to take advantage of a high-end restaurant that may otherwise be prohibitively expensive," said a spokesman for Time Out, publisher of the annual Cheap Eats In London guide.

"A whole host of restaurants provide a superb breakfast at prices that are much cheaper than their other meals. Added to the comparative ease of getting a table at these restaurants, breakfast has become the perfect meal to enjoy in style."

Ian Powrie, manager of St James's Park restaurant Inn The Park, one of the guide's recommended restaurants, said: "Over the past two years we have also seen a gradual increase in the number of people coming in for breakfast meetings - it is becoming the new lunch meeting."

A spokeswoman for Fortnum & Mason said: "We pride ourselves on being able to offer the Fortnum experience at a range of prices to suit all pockets at all times of the day.

"Breakfast has long been an established part of Fortnum & Mason." Time Out Cheap Eats In London is published on 1 February and costs £6.99.

What's on the menu...

The Wolseley, W1
Mixed patisserie basket, £6.50; haddock omelette, £8.75; smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, £11.50

Fortnum & Mason, W1
Wheat-free muesli with fruit puree, £6; grilled kippers, £8; English breakfast, £10

Dorchester Grill Room, W1
Haddock kedgeree, £12; eggs Benedict with bacon, £16. Full English, £25.50

Roast, SE1
"Full Borough" fry-up, £12; "Tattie scone" with Ayrshire bacon, mushrooms and egg, £8.50; smoked trout with scrambled egg, £10

Inn The Park, SW1
Granola with yoghurt and pomegranate, £5.50; bacon and tomato toastie, £6; eggs Florentine, £6