Golden outside, soft in the middle, and an excuse to have something sweet before noon: French toast is one of the great breakfast treats. At Nonòs Judd Street, our Greek Mediterranean kitchen and bar at 112 Judd Street, London WC1H 9NT, five minutes from King's Cross St Pancras, it's on the breakfast menu as Scorched Butter French Toast. Here's what French toast is, where it comes from, and what's on our plate.
Lost bread, golden bread
French toast is sliced bread soaked in beaten eggs, often with milk or cream, then pan-fried, usually in butter or olive oil. Served sweet, it's often flavoured with sugar, vanilla or cinnamon and topped with fruit, syrup, honey or ice cream. Day-old bread works best, both because it's thrifty and because it soaks up more of the egg mixture without falling apart.
That thrift explains the French name, pain perdu, "lost bread", because it rescues bread that's gone stale. In Canada it can be pain doré, "golden bread". In English it has also been called eggy bread and poor knights, a name that matches the German Arme Ritter. In Hungary it's bundáskenyér, "furry bread", and in the Netherlands wentelteefjes, a word first recorded in 1623.
A very old recipe
Some food writers see an early version in the Apicius, a Roman cookbook from the 1st century CE, which soaks bread in milk and pours honey over it, though others point out that it has no egg. Around 1300, the French chef Guillaume Taillevent gave a recipe for tostées dorées made with eggs and sugar in his cookbook Le Viandier. A 14th-century German recipe used the name Arme Ritter, English cooks were making pain perdu by the 15th century, and Hannah Woolley included a recipe in her 1670s cookbook The Queen-Like Closet, without calling it French. Today there are versions all over the world, from Bombay toast in Mumbai to Hong Kong–style French toast filled with peanut butter or jam. Background from Wikipedia's French toast page.
Our Scorched Butter French Toast
On our breakfast menu, the Scorched Butter French Toast comes with brûlée banana, ice cream and passion fruit, topped with baby fruits, toasted nuts and mango coulis. It's vegetarian. Breakfast is served from 08:30 to 12:00, seven days a week, at Judd Street, so it's an easy weekend brunch or a treat before a train from King's Cross or St Pancras. Pair it with a latte, a cappuccino, a fresh orange juice, or, on a warm morning, a Freddo Espresso.
Jul's verdict on a morning visit: We had a really great brunch experience.
(Jul, Google review) And Colin, who walked in on a Saturday morning when another place had a long wait, wrote: Ended up being a great decision.
(Colin, Google review)
Sweet or savoury
If you're sharing, add something savoury to the table. There's the Hash Benedict with smoked salmon, cured ham or halloumi on hash browns, Shakshuka with eggs poached in tomato, chickpeas and spinach, the Nonòs Full English, or Poached Eggs & Avocado on Toast with feta and a parmesan crisp. For something lighter, there's Greek Yoghurt with mixed nuts, honey and baby fruits, or a fresh croissant. See our posts on Hash Benedict, shakshuka, Greek yoghurt and honey, Greek iced coffee and brunch in King's Cross.
“The service from the staff was incredibly friendly, attentive and helpful.”
Hanna, Google review, 2026
Good to know
- Address: 112 Judd Street, King's Cross, London WC1H 9NT. Phone 020 7278 9700.
- Hours: Sunday to Wednesday 08:30–22:00, Thursday to Saturday 08:30–23:00. Breakfast is served 08:30–12:00, and the à la carte menu starts at noon.
- Allergies: French toast is made with egg, milk and bread, and ours is topped with toasted nuts. Please speak to our team about allergies and dietary requirements before you order. Menus may vary slightly by location and season.
Something sweet from 08:30. Book a table at Nonòs Judd Street or just walk in.