A MEN'S magazine has applauded a renowned York restaurant for its most important meal of the day.

Esquire's February 2015 edition has ranked the breakfast served at Bettys as one of the country's top 25 for offering a menu with what they call an "eccentric hybrid of Swiss cafe and English teahouse".

The Stonegate restaurant's luxury breakfast menu offers a taste sensation to early risers.

A varied selection ranges from a Swiss Breakfast Rosti consisting of pan fried grated potato and Gruyere cheese and cream, a more traditional English Breakfast, or a slightly lighter meal in the form of Bircher Muesili with rolled oats, ground hazelnuts, sultanas, apple and orange juice, mixed with seasonal fruits.

Esquire editor-in-chief Alex Bilmes said: "Here at Esquire, we cherish the morning meal, so from north to south we’re delighted to have selected the 25 Best Breakfasts in Britain.

"Our list tells you what to eat and where to find it so go and make the most of those precious hours when the day holds nothing by promise."

Esquire’s guide to the 25 Best Breakfasts in Britain includes an array of very different meals served from the humble café and pub to Michelin-starred restaurants.

Whether it’s a desire for eggs, bread, rice or oats from Jamaica, Spain, Northern Africa or the Far East , the magazine says there are all kinds of breakfast-only deliciousness out there in the UK.

Una Heron, manager of Bettys, York, said: "While we have been famous for scrumptious afternoon teas for nearly 100 years Betty's breakfast is still rather a well kept secret.

"It's a really great way to enjoy all that is special about Betty's at a less busy time of the day.

"However, we do serve our breakfast menu all day, everyday, so your meal will be professionally cooked and delicious whenever you choose to enjoy it."

This year has been one sprinkled with awards for the family-run business.

Yorkshire's iconic brand won Craft Business of the Year at the Baking Industry Awards in London back in September while its training centre scooped the Best Cookery School in the Looking to Cook UK Cookery School of the Year Awards 2014.