Saturday morning. Kids deposited. Frank walked. The question is: where's the best brunch in Southport? I have done this research more thoroughly than any sane person should. Here's what I know.
What counts as a proper brunch
My criteria: eggs done properly (not rubbery, not undercooked), decent bread (ideally sourdough or at minimum something with structure), coffee that isn't an afterthought, and somewhere you can actually sit down without someone hovering waiting for the table. That's the bar. Southport clears it in a handful of places.
Southport Market — the flexible option
Southport Market on a Saturday or Sunday morning is the best brunch environment in the town. Multiple stalls, different options, everyone gets what they want. My eldest gets eggs benedict, my youngest gets a crêpe, I get a flat white and something with chorizo. Nobody argues. It's the most logistically sensible brunch option for groups and families.
Independent cafés with proper brunch menus
The town centre and Birkdale village both have independent cafés that do a serious brunch menu on weekends. The signs of a good brunch spot: the menu changes seasonally, they have a poached egg that doesn't arrive in a pool of water, and the bread comes from somewhere that takes bread seriously. These places exist in Southport. You have to look for them.
Hotel brunches
The Grand on Lord Street does a weekend brunch that's worth knowing about if you want the full occasion version. Proper setting, good food, the feeling that someone else is dealing with everything. Not a casual Saturday option on price, but for a birthday or a treat, it delivers.
The Atkinson café
For a quieter brunch, The Atkinson's café is a reliable choice. It's not an elaborate brunch menu — more café-style food done well — but the setting, the light, and the relatively calm atmosphere make it one of the better solo or couple brunches in town.
🍳Timing matters for Southport brunch. Get there before 10:30am or after 12:30pm. The 11am–12:30pm window is when every brunch spot in the town is simultaneously slammed. Either be early or embrace a late brunch that bleeds into lunch.
The honest view
Southport's brunch scene is solid rather than spectacular. There's no single destination brunch restaurant that people travel specifically for — yet. The best brunch experiences here tend to be in independent cafés that do everything competently rather than one thing brilliantly. For most weekends, that's exactly what I want.
Terry
Chief Editor, SouthportGuide.co.uk — Lives in Churchtown with his wife,
four kids, and Frank the bulldog.
