Where to take an early riser

Up early or to bed late? We've got just the place to take the wide-awake gang.

The Cock Tavern

East Poultry Avenue, Central Markets, EC1 (020-7248 2918). Young's ales, great breakfasts. Opens 6am

The cock crows at 6am these days, summoning market workers from Smithfield for a hearty breakfast and a pint of something strong to kick-start the day. And deep in the bowels of Smithfield Market is this haunt of market traders, businessmen and adventurous tourists. It looks like one of those old service station snacketerias, but you get better food here. A full breakfast includes bacon, sausage, egg, beans, black pudding, liver and kidneys. And for those of a less carnivorous disposition there are dishes such as kippers and welsh rarebit. Young's beers at 6am, who could ask for more?

The Hope And Sir Loin

94 Cowcross Street, EC1 (020-7250 1442). A right royal feast. Opens 7am

We all know that a sirloin is choice cut of beef, but the word's origins are much more colourful. It is said that James I, when dining at Houghton Tower in 1617, was so enamoured of the beef laid out before him that he knighted it. 'Arise, Sir Loin,' I hear him call. But there are other accounts of such extemporaneous ceremonies attributed to King Henry VIII and to Charles II. No matter. The word made flesh lives on in excellent form during lunch in the Sir Loin restaurant above this pub. But it's the breakfasts that are the star attraction - a plate of double egg, double sausage, double bacon, kidneys, liver, black pudding, mushrooms, baked beans and fried bread, all wolfed down with a pint of Guinness.
Up early or to bed late? We've got just the place to take the wide-awake gang. Edward Sullivan tells you where to get a good brekkie and something stronger (if required).

Patisserie Valerie

44 Old Compton Street, W1 (020-7437 3466). Excellent pastries and cakes. Opens 7.30am

Soho media types and very latenight party folk know only too well the benefits of an early morning pastry at Pat Val's.

Madame Valerie, a famous Belgian, started her first cafe in the Twenties and, while others have attempted to copy this irresistible bohemian cafe style, this branch of Pat Val remains the best. In the summer of 1999 they expanded to the first floor and opened a licensed 50-seater cafe. Here you can choose from more than a dozen different styles of Danish pastries, and all-day English breakfasts, omelettes and pancakes. Coffees, teas and a good range of fruit juices are on offer before normal licensing hours.

The Market Porter

9 Stoney Street, SE1 (020-7407 2495). Good early morning ales. Opens 6am

True 'free houses' are rare beasts in London these days and the Market Porter is one of the better examples of what a free house should be doing - providing an ever-changing range of quality real ales. The excellent Harvey's Sussex Bitter is a regular. This is a no-nonsense, old-fashioned pub that sports none of the pretensions of grandeur. They even have a dart board, though such are the crowds that flock here that it's rare to see a flat-capped old timer chucking his arrows. This is the essential pit-stop for visitors to Borough market on Saturdays, where London's best and freshest produce is up for sale.

Tinseltown
44-46 St John Street, EC1 (020-7689 2424). American-style bar. Open 24 hours.

Whether you're early, or very, very, late, Tinseltown is the place for the 24-hour punter. Nobody can remember when this place last closed. An American-style diner, complete with TV screens, allday music and internet facilities, it serves burger meals, pasta dishes and English breakfasts, no matter what time you pop by. Only coffees, juices and shakes are available outside normal licensing hours, but the Mars Bar and Crunchie shakes provide an invaluable boost to waning sugar levels.