Having spent the night at a police station being questioned by DCIs Northmore and Iverson, Strike has breakfast at Little Portland Cafe, which is a couple of streets north of Oxford Circus.

Robin, who has also had very little sleep and is heading into the office early, receives a text from Strike asking her to give him a call. Hearing background noise, she asks him where he is.

‘‘Dunno,’ said Strike. ‘Where am I? Hang on… Little Portland Café on Little Portland Street. I’m having a full English. Didn’t have any dinner.’ 

‘D’you want some company?’ 

‘Yeah, if it’s you,’ said Strike.’ (Chapter 95).

Robin enters the café, an old-fashioned greasy spoon, where the air is thick with the smell of bacon fat and frying eggs, she sees Strike at a corner table looking as she feels: exhausted and slightly unkempt. ‘What’s happened?’ Robin asks, dropping into the seat opposite him. ‘You all right?’ Strike asked, because Robin looks very pale and tired.

Robin, who hasn’t eaten breakfast, orders tea and a bacon roll.

Strike fills her in on his overnight activities, starting with Barnaby’s, moving through the discovery of two corpses, and concluding with his arrest, interview and release without charge, by which time Robin’s roll and mug of tea had arrived, and her mouth was hanging open. (Chapter 95)

They go on to discuss Murphy and the progress of the silver vault case.

The ‘Big Breakfast’ at this cafe doesn’t include black pudding, which Strike is mentioned to be eating as he speaks to Robin, so he must have added this on as an extra.

The Little Portland Café is situated on Little Portland Street not far from Regent Street. It serves ‘home-cooked’ meals, specialising in British classics. The menu offers an array of options—from a full English breakfast to the comforting shepherd’s pie. It is small inside, with a clean and welcoming atmosphere, friendly staff and great service.

You can find Little Portland Cafe here: