The best breakfasts on HBO’s ‘Succession’, ranked

Turns out an appetite for power and delicious croissants go hand in hand.

HBO’s Succession returns for a third season on Oct. 17, and with its irresistible cocktail of family drama and corporate politics undoubtedly comes another batch of insanely stacked breakfast spreads.

Sausage. Pastries. Iced coffee. Fruit platters. A full bottle of alcohol (we feel you, Connor). Maybe you didn’t notice. I sure did.

Between the modest continental offerings tucked in the background and the extravagant buffets on full display in some of the show’s most tense and awkward dining table scenes, we so often see the characters of Succession feasting on a luxurious breakfast (when they aren’t, you know, feasting on each other).

Tweet may have been deleted

To prepare for Season 3, we’ve scoured every scene for the finest a.m. offerings and ranked them for your convenience. We acknowledge that breakfast — like most art — is subjective. Some consider a quick coffee and cereal bowl (a combo that does appear in Succession) the breakfast of champions. In general, though, we’ll focus on the more extravagant breakfasts that are impossible to miss, and rank them with four core attributes in mind: quality, variety, presentation, and ambience.

Snag a plate, grab your breakfast beverage of choice and let’s get started.

Honorable Mention — Season 2, Episode 4: “Safe Room”

Season 2’s fourth episodes mostly finds the Roy family sequestered in various rooms around the Waystar RoyCo offices as a gunshot threat throws the building into lockdown. This severely limits any breakfast opportunities, if not for one stray Roy.

Roman, determined to beef up his business chops, earn a bit of corporate merit and (let’s be honest) impress his father, enrolls in the company’s six-week management training program, relegating him to the lowly world of the common folk.

It’s at this off-site training location we find a spread that’s all too familiar for any conference veterans out there — bulk coffee pots, paper cups and probably-stale C+ pastries. This obviously pales in comparison to the other decadent menu choices on this list, but it bears mentioning for that very reason. It offers a relativity that instantly elevates the standard Roy family breakfast fare and provides a humble reminder of the spoils this family is used to.

yikes.
Credit: HBO SCREENSHOT

True to his nature, Roman hilariously snags a small pastry, takes a whiff, pops it in his mouth, scoffs and puts it right back on the plate.

It’s easy to get caught up in the absurd lifestyle of the Roys — private planes, helicopter rides, largely untouched vacation houses. But this scene grounds Roman (and us as viewers) in the real world, and sets up the breakfasts to come.

5. Season 2, Episode 7: “Return”

No. 1 Sad Boy
Credit: HBO SCREENSHOT

There’s a heartbreaking moment in this episode, which sends the Roys across the pond to visit their mother, Lady Caroline (but actually, in true Succession fashion, to do Logan’s bidding and buy Caroline’s loyalty to the company).

Kendall, wrought with guilt over his role in the traumatic events of the Season 1 finale, tries to confide in his mother late one night. She delays their chat until the next morning with the promise of hashing it out over an egg.

Caroline departs by the time Kendall wakes up, robbing him of that home-cooked breakfast (the ultimate symbol of a parent’s love and nurturing) and opportunity to talk. In that moment, Kendall is simply a child in the kitchen who needs his mother. Her absence (and the absence of that egg) reaffirms that this family’s business relationships have created an emotional distance that’s all but obliterated their capacity for genuine human connection.

Now, onto the spreads.

yum.
Credit: HBO SCREENSHOT

“Return” doubles down on the show’s obsession with pastries, but in a way that feels a bit more informal. We see Roman enjoying a carafe of orange juice and pastries one morning, while Shiv later confronts Logan and his table of teas and danishes that look absolutely fire.

Would eat.
Credit: HBO SCREENSHOT

Like Kendall’s Egg That Was Promised, these two croissant plates do share a bit of casual home comfort that’s rare for s Succession meal. There’s a humility to a pajama-clad Roman reading the news in a relatively modest kitchen, and Logan enjoying danishes in the den.

The food itself is not particularly diverse, but it’s served within these cozier spaces, giving it that comfort-of-home quality which breakfast so often offers.

4. Season 2, Episode 5: “Tern Haven”

Credit: HBO SCREENSHOT

Presentation, people. It matters! Much like a Kourtney Kardashian room service banana, display can make all the difference.

“Tern Haven”’s morning spread accomplishes exactly this, taking standard continental breakfast choices and infusing a well-curated design that elevates the whole thing. Croissants? Mandatory, served in a gorgeous wicker basket. Don’t mind if I do. Yogurt? Not a huge fan. But arranged beautifully on ice? Well, damn, I just might dabble in some dairy today.

And let’s not forget the room’s ambience. Flowers, art, a fireplace and eye-catching chandelier all inject some elegance into this otherwise-standard breakfast buffet.

Credit: HBO SCREENSHOT

“Tern Haven” proves that presentation goes a long way in the world of breakfast. You could serve me a bowl of Cheerios on a literal silver platter and I’d be convinced they tasted better.

3. Season 2, Episode 10: “This Is Not For Tears”

One of Succession’s most compelling episodes also has one of its most compelling breakfast spreads. So much of “This Is Not For Tears” takes place at the dining table (which, by the way, is the perfect symbol for this show’s blend of boardroom politics and family drama) with Waystar’s upper management trading blows as they pin down the perfect scapegoat for the company’s cruise line scandal. It’s equal parts hilarious, lethal and devastating — Succession in a nutshell.

The breakfast fare is brilliant, but light. Let’s investigate.

Iced coffees.

Credit: HBO SCREENSHOT

Green juices.

Credit: HBO SCREENSHOT

Croissants (seeing a trend, here?) and jams.

Credit: HBO SCREENSHOT

A perfect scrambled egg atop a piece of toast, hiding in the bottom right of this frame.

Credit: HBO SCREENSHOT

It may seem simple, but consider the environment here. If I’m a Roy, do I want to wolf down a heavy breakfast of meats and sweets before spending the day swimming in the Mediterranean? Absolutely not. And given my stomach’s tendency for trouble, I want to play things safe for an afternoon of potentially dicey defense of my loyalty to the company.

Know the occasion. That’s the lesson here. Keep your breakfast consistent with the day’s events. And never judge someone’s breakfast beverage choices.

2. Season 2, Episode 3: “Hunting”

This is the type of breakfast buffet that everyone can get on board with, one that offers variety, posh presentation, and a much-needed antidote to whatever shenanigans transpired the night before.

In this episode, those shenanigans entail a sadistic evening on a company hunting retreat in Hungary, orchestrated by Logan to snake out a whistleblower in Waystar’s upper management.

Sausage ends up playing a key role both in Logan’s twisted mind games and the following morning’s buffet, though Tom (who bore the brunt of the night’s humiliation) seems less than thrilled to see that breakfast meat on display.

Credit: HBO SCREENSHOT

But if there’s anything that can cure an awful night, it’s a breakfast buffet. Tom settles in with a plate of eggs while Greg (another perennial family punching bag scarred from the night’s events) nibbles on a bagel, the two of them sharing the ultimate I-know-how-you-feel-right-now moment.

Credit: HBO SCREENSHOT

Elsewhere, we get a slightly better look at the breakfast spread, and find Frank loading up a plate with eggs, fruit, bread and a muffin.

Credit: HBO SCREENSHOT

The top three breakfasts on the list are neck and neck. I honestly thought it’d be impossible to top the Mediteranean yacht’s buffet, but ultimately the variety here gives “Hunting” a slight edge, and offers the choose-your-own-adventure approach that makes breakfast the most important meal of the day.

1. Season 1, Episode 10: “Nobody Is Ever Missing”

It’s a shame. Succession’s best breakfast buffet is overshadowed by the news Kendall receives while attending it. Cousin Greg, snagging a bagel, confirms two important things here: First, the scrambled eggs have been sitting out for like an hour. Second: The waitstaff member — the one Kendall pressured into driving under the influence to hunt for more drugs — is dead, having drowned after their car hit the water and Kendall escaped.

Credit: HBO SCREENSHOT

Poor Ken. Not only is he saddled with this insurmountable, life-altering tragedy, he doesn’t even have time to enjoy his food before Logan confronts him.

But first, let’s take a closer look and give this buffet the attention it deserves.

Credit: HBO SCREENSHOT

Bagels are a core tenant of my personal brand, so pardon the bias here. But that’s one mighty fine lox spread. I’m also seeing pastries, kiwis, a raspberry parfait, and blueberries accompanied by what could only be a pot of cream. We can’t quite see what’s in that hot plate, but those other offerings set the bar pretty high.

Credit: HBO SCREENSHOT

A wider shot reveals a secondary breakfast cocktail bar. This is where I reveal that I absolutely loathe Bloody Mary’s. Believe me, folks. I understand the appeal. I get it. And I’ve tried. Vodka and tomato juice each irk me separately, and combining them just makes it worse. But do I appreciate a pre-batched breakfast cocktail as an integral player in a post-wedding brunch? Absolutely, I do.

Credit: HBO SCREENSHOT

Behind the Bloodys we can see a pink libation served in a martini glass. I’m no expert, but given the time of day, I’d guess that’s a grapefruit mimosa, or some similar breakfast cocktail. I’ll take two, please.

Credit: HBO SCREENSHOT

And, of course, it couldn’t be a Succession breakfast without croissants. Mr. Roy summons Kendall in what turns out to be one of the series’ most pivotal scenes. Like the plate of flakey pastries placed between them, Kendall is pulled apart by his Logan’s slyly lacerating line of questioning — essentially admitting his culpability — and crumbles into his father’s arms as Logan shifts into dad mode. Kendall will always be his number one boy, and this spread will always be my number one breakfast.

This also marks the only Season 1 entry on this list. Given that increase in buffet tallies between seasons, I’ve got high hopes for Season 3. See you on Oct. 17, croissant in hand.

Succession airs Sunday evenings on HBO and streams on HBO Max.