Breakfast Doughnut London — The Italian Morning at Bombolone
The breakfast doughnut London has been missing. Three Italian brioche-style doughnuts made before dawn, paired with a cappuccino. Two minutes from Trafalgar Square.
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A light breakfast doughnut in Central London — made fresh every morning at Bombolone on Whitcomb Street. Three breakfast doughnuts worth knowing: Dolce Cheesecake, Vanillissimo and Apple Pie di Nonna. Each one paired with a Moresso cappuccino. Open daily from 9am — steps from Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus.
The Breakfast Hour in London
In Italy, breakfast is not complicated. A cappuccino at the bar. A filled brioche — soft, barely sweet, gone in three bites. Then the day begins.
La colazione all’italiana. Small, good, quick. The Italians figured out something the rest of the world is still catching up with: the best breakfast is the one that doesn’t slow you down.
On Whitcomb Street, the doughnuts are made before London wakes up. By 9am the counter is ready. Three of them work particularly well in the morning — not too sweet, not too heavy, exactly right with coffee.
Two minutes from Trafalgar Square. Four minutes from Leicester Square. Seven minutes from Piccadilly Circus.
This is the Italian breakfast London didn’t know it needed. Something made that morning, filled by hand, waiting for you before the gallery opens. Something made that morning, filled by hand, waiting for you before the gallery opens.
The breakfast doughnut London woke up to. The breakfast donut London has been searching for.
The three breakfast doughnuts
Three breakfast doughnuts in London, made for 9am. Not every doughnut belongs at this hour. These three do.
Dolce Cheesecake — the everyday one
Sweet cream cheese filling, clean white glaze, white chocolate lines, coconut flakes on top. Light, gently tangy, not sweet in the way that makes you regret it before 10am. The kind of thing that works with a cappuccino the way a good cornetto does in a Milanese bar. Sonia has one most mornings. A Dolce Cheesecake and a cappuccino. That’s the Italian morning on Whitcomb Street.
“I ordered it for breakfast and I understood immediately.”
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Vanillissimo — the classic one
Crema pasticcera made with Grade A Madagascan Bourbon vanilla beans. Smooth, clean vanilla pastry cream inside Italian brioche-style dough — light enough that it doesn’t weigh you down, rich enough that it actually satisfies. The doughnut equivalent of a cornetto alla crema. The one Italians have been eating at the bar every morning for generations.
“Made with real vanilla pods from Madagascar — smooth, clean, exactly as good as it should be. Perfetto.”
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Apple Pie di Nonna — the warming one
Diced apple and ground cinnamon filling, maple butter glaze made in-house, Biscoff crumble on top. Spiced, warm, comforting. The morning doughnut London orders on a cold Tuesday in February — the one that works before anything else does.
“Perfectly spiced, that maple glaze is something else. This is the one I come back for.”
Read moreSome of our menu items contain allergens.
All food is prepared in a kitchen that handles gluten, nuts, dairy, eggs, and other allergens.
Why a doughnut for breakfast?
These aren’t those doughnuts.
The Italian brioche-style dough was refined over six months before the first one was ever served. Light, airy, proved until it reaches the right texture. The fillings are chosen for balance — vanilla cream, cheesecake filling, spiced apple. None of them designed to shout. Designed to work.
In Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, for generations — warm, filled with crema or jam, light and quick. A beloved morning pastry, not a treat or an indulgence. Simply breakfast. That tradition is now on Whitcomb Street.
In Italy, a cappuccino is only ordered before 11am. After that, it’s espresso. La colazione has a window — and we open at 9am.
The best breakfast doughnut London has been waiting for.
Paired with
The Italian morning is two things — the pastry and the coffee. Neither works without the other.
We use Moresso specialty coffee — 100% Arabica beans from Brazil, Nicaragua and Ethiopia, graded 80+. Rich, balanced, complex enough to stand up to a filled brioche without overpowering it.
A cappuccino with the Dolce Cheesecake — the milk softens the coffee, the cheesecake cream does the rest. A cappuccino with the Vanillissimo — vanilla and cappuccino is the most Italian combination there is. An espresso with the Apple Pie di Nonna — the spice in the apple, the bitterness of the shot. Clean contrast, every time.
The doughnut and cappuccino London has been searching for — paired right, from 9am.
Before the National Gallery opens
We’re on Whitcomb Street — the same street as the National Gallery’s main entrance. Two minutes from Trafalgar Square. The gallery opens at 10am. We open at 9am.
That hour between the two is the Italian breakfast hour on Whitcomb Street.
If you’re in Central London in the morning — staying near Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square or Piccadilly, heading to the gallery, walking through to Covent Garden — this is the stop. The breakfast doughnut London visitors keep finding, two minutes from wherever you’re going.
The light breakfast near Trafalgar Square. The Italian morning pastry near the gallery entrance. The Italian café near Trafalgar Square that opens before the art does.
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On Tripadvisor – Here’s What People Say
Every review below is from a real customer. No incentivised reviews. No paid placements. Just people who walked in off Whitcomb Street and wanted to tell someone about it.
La dolce vita, in every bite
WHERE TO FIND US
Walk-ins always welcome. No booking required. The breakfast doughnuts tend to sell out before the afternoon — morning is when you’ll find all three on the counter.
Address
21 Whitcomb St.
London WC2H 7HA
- 2 minutes walk from Trafalgar Square
- 3 minutes from the National Gallery
- 6 minutes from Covent Garden
- 4 minutes from Leicester Square
- 8 minutes from Piccadilly Circus
- 6 minutes walk from Charing Cross
Opening Hours
Mon – Fri:
9AM – 6PM
Sat:
10AM – 8PM
Sun:
10AM – 6PM
Breakfast doughnut London — frequently asked questions
What is a breakfast doughnut?
A breakfast doughnut is a light, filled brioche-style doughnut that works at 9am — not too sweet, not too heavy, paired with coffee. Our three breakfast doughnuts in London are Dolce Cheesecake, Vanillissimo and Apple Pie di Nonna. Each one made fresh every morning at 21 Whitcomb Street — on the same street as the National Gallery’s main entrance, two minutes from Trafalgar Square. From £4.90.
Do Italians eat bombolone for breakfast?
Yes — and the question “do Italians eat bombolone for breakfast” has a clear answer: for generations. Bomboloni — filled Italian brioche-style doughnuts — are a traditional breakfast pastry, particularly common in Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, eaten at the bar with a cappuccino. Light, filled with crema or jam, gone in a few bites. On Whitcomb Street, that tradition is made fresh every morning, open from 9am.
What is the Italian breakfast coffee?
Cappuccino — and only in the morning. The breakfast coffee in Italy is cappuccino: ordered before 11am, drunk standing at the bar, alongside a pastry. After 11am Italians switch to espresso or macchiato. A milky coffee in the afternoon marks you as a tourist. At Bombolone, Moresso cappuccino is made with 100% Arabica beans from Brazil, Nicaragua and Ethiopia. From £4.00. The combination: a breakfast doughnut and a cappuccino. On Whitcomb Street, from 9am.
Which is the best breakfast doughnut in London?
Three stand out as the best breakfast doughnuts in London: Dolce Cheesecake — light cheesecake cream, not too sweet, the one Sonia has every morning. Vanillissimo — crema pasticcera with Madagascan vanilla, the Italian morning pastry in doughnut form. Apple Pie di Nonna — spiced apple and cinnamon with maple butter glaze made in-house. The best breakfast doughnut London has found — made that morning, from £4.90. All three on the counter from 9am.
Is a doughnut a good breakfast?
It depends on the doughnut. A brioche-style doughnut with a balanced filling is closer to a cornetto or pain au chocolat than a supermarket glazed ring. La colazione — the Italian breakfast — has been built around a filled brioche and coffee for centuries: light, satisfying, quick. Our morning doughnuts follow that tradition. Not too sweet. Made that morning. Gone before noon.
Is Bombolone like an Italian cornetto?
Similar idea, different pastry. The cornetto is crescent-shaped — the Italian answer to the croissant, lighter and sweeter. The bombolone is round and filled — an Italian brioche-style doughnut filled with crema, jam or spiced apple. Both are eaten at the bar with a cappuccino for la colazione all’italiana. If you’re looking for an Italian cornetto in London, our breakfast doughnuts are the closest thing — and most people find them better than they expected.
What is an Italian breakfast doughnut?
In Italy, the bombolone — a round, filled Italian brioche-style doughnut — is a traditional morning pastry eaten at the bar with a cappuccino. Part of la colazione: small, sweet, light, fast. A Tuscan tradition since the 16th century, served warm and filled with crema or jam. Bombolone brings that tradition to Central London — three breakfast doughnuts made from scratch every morning, paired with Moresso coffee. From £4.90.
What time is the Italian breakfast hour at Bombolone?
We open at 9am. In Italy, cappuccino is only drunk before 11am — la colazione has a window, and it starts early. On Whitcomb Street, that window is 9am to 11am: the breakfast doughnut London runs on, a Moresso coffee from £2.80, and a walk to the National Gallery which opens at 10am. The Italian breakfast hour, in Central London.
Where can I find a breakfast doughnut near Trafalgar Square?
We’re at 21 Whitcomb Street, London WC2H 7HA — two minutes from Trafalgar Square, four minutes from Leicester Square, seven minutes from Piccadilly Circus. On the same street as the National Gallery’s main entrance. Breakfast doughnuts from £4.90, cappuccino from £4.00. Open from 9am daily. Walk-ins always welcome.
Where can I find a breakfast doughnut near the National Gallery?
We’re on Whitcomb Street — the same street as the National Gallery’s Sainsbury Wing entrance. Open from 9am, one hour before the gallery opens. Dolce Cheesecake, Vanillissimo and Apple Pie di Nonna on the counter every morning, from £4.90. Four minutes from Leicester Square, seven from Piccadilly Circus. The Italian breakfast London visitors find before the art.
Where can I find a breakfast doughnut near Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus?
We’re at 21 Whitcomb Street, London WC2H 7HA — four minutes from Leicester Square and seven minutes from Piccadilly Circus. The same street as the National Gallery’s main entrance, two minutes from Trafalgar Square. Open from 9am daily. Breakfast doughnuts from £4.90, cappuccino from £4.00. Walk-ins always welcome — no booking required.
Are the doughnuts too sweet for breakfast?
No. The three breakfast doughnuts are specifically the ones that aren’t. Dolce Cheesecake is light and gently tangy. Vanillissimo is smooth and clean. Apple Pie di Nonna is spiced and warm rather than sugary. None are designed to be indulgent at the expense of balance. That’s why they work at 9am.
What coffee does Bombolone serve?
Moresso specialty coffee — 100% Arabica beans from Brazil, Nicaragua and Ethiopia, graded 80+. Available as cappuccino, espresso, macchiato and more. From £2.80. The pairing: a breakfast doughnut and a cappuccino before 11am, the way Italians drink it. Open from 9am on Whitcomb Street.
Are the doughnuts made fresh every morning?
Yes. Every donut is made from scratch before we open — never reheated, never from frozen. Bakers start before sunrise. By 9am everything is fresh that morning. The breakfast doughnuts tend to sell out before the afternoon — arriving in the morning gives you the best chance of finding all three.
What time does Bombolone open?
We’re open Monday to Friday 9am–6pm, Saturday 10am–8pm, and Sunday 10am–6pm. Walk-ins always welcome — no booking required. We’re at 21 Whitcomb Street, London WC2H 7HA — two minutes from Trafalgar Square, four minutes from Leicester Square, seven minutes from Piccadilly Circus.
Come and try it
The Italian morning is small, good and quick. A filled brioche. A cappuccino. Then the day begins.
We’re on Whitcomb Street — the same street as the National Gallery’s main entrance, two minutes from Trafalgar Square. Open from 9am. The Dolce Cheesecake, the Vanillissimo and the Apple Pie di Nonna on the counter every morning — made that morning, paired with Moresso coffee, gone before the afternoon.
The Italian café near Trafalgar Square. The grab and go breakfast in Central London. The best breakfast doughnut London has been looking for. The best breakfast doughnuts London keeps coming back to.
Breakfast doughnuts from £4.90. Cappuccino from £4.00. Four minutes from Leicester Square. Seven minutes from Piccadilly. On Whitcomb Street. From 9am.
See all our doughnuts in London
Or go straight to the doughnut Sonia has every morning