Впрочем, сегодня я всё же успел толком позавтракать перед работой.

Впрочем often means however, though, still, or anyway, depending on context. It is a discourse word: it does not change the core action, but it changes how the speaker connects this sentence to what came before.

In this sentence, впрочем suggests something like:

• however
• still
• all the same

So the speaker is probably contrasting this with an earlier idea, for example: maybe they usually do not have time for breakfast, however today they did.

Yes, they are similar in spirit, but they do different jobs.

• Впрочем connects this sentence to the previous one: however / anyway / all the same
• Всё же adds the idea of despite that, nevertheless, after all

So together they create a stronger contrastive feeling. A natural English sense might be:

• Still, today I did manage to have a proper breakfast before work.
• However, today I nevertheless managed to eat breakfast properly before work.

Using both is not redundant in Russian; it sounds like the speaker is correcting or softening what was said before.

Всё же means something like:

• still
• nevertheless
• all the same
• after all

It shows that something happened despite obstacles, expectations, or previous circumstances.

In this sentence, it suggests that having breakfast may have been difficult, unlikely, or unusual, but the speaker still managed it.

Compare:

• Я успел позавтракать. = I had time to eat breakfast.
• Я всё же успел позавтракать. = I still / nevertheless had time to eat breakfast.

Успеть + infinitive is a very common Russian structure meaning:

• to manage to do something in time
• to have enough time to do something before a deadline or event

So:

• успел позавтракать = managed to have breakfast / had time to eat breakfast

This is more specific than simply saying позавтракал. It emphasizes time pressure or a limited opportunity.

For example:

• Я позавтракал. = I had breakfast.
• Я успел позавтракать. = I managed to have breakfast in time.

Успел is the perfective past form. It presents the action as a completed result: the speaker did manage to do it.

Успевал would usually describe:

• repeated situations
• a process
• background information
• sometimes an incomplete or ongoing ability to make it in time

Here the sentence refers to one completed occasion today, so успел is the natural choice.

Позавтракать is the perfective verb, while завтракать is imperfective.

• завтракать = to be eating breakfast / to eat breakfast habitually
• позавтракать = to have breakfast once, as a completed event

Since the speaker means a single finished event today, Russian prefers the perfective:

• успел позавтракать = managed to have breakfast

Also, after успеть, perfective infinitives are very common when the result matters.

Толком means something like:

• properly
• decently
• adequately
• for real, in a practical sense

So толком позавтракать means not just grabbing one bite, but having a proper breakfast.

It often implies that without this, the action would be incomplete or unsatisfactory.

Examples:

• Я не успел толком поесть. = I didn’t have time to eat properly.
• Объясни толком. = Explain it properly / clearly.

This word is fairly conversational and very common.

Because the preposition перед normally takes the instrumental case when it means before in time or in front of in space.

So:

• перед работой = before work
• работа → работой in the instrumental singular

Other examples:

• перед ужином = before dinner
• перед встречей = before the meeting
• перед домом = in front of the house

Both can often be translated as before work, but the nuance is a bit different.

• перед работой = before work, often in the sense of before the work period / before starting work
• до работы = before work, often with a stronger sense of up to that point or before reaching work / before the time work starts

In many everyday contexts they can overlap, but перед работой sounds very natural with routines like breakfast, coffee, shower, etc.

So позавтракать перед работой is a very idiomatic phrase.

Yes, Russian word order is flexible. This order is natural and helps show emphasis.

• сегодня comes early because the speaker is setting the time frame: today
• я is the subject
• всё же sits near the verb phrase to emphasize the contrast: still / nevertheless managed
• успел толком позавтракать forms the core idea

Other possible orders include:

• Я сегодня всё же успел толком позавтракать перед работой.
• Сегодня всё же я успел толком позавтракать перед работой.

These are all possible, but they shift emphasis slightly. The original sounds smooth and natural.

Usually it means before work in a general everyday sense, and depending on context that can imply either:

• before leaving for work
• before starting the workday

Russian often leaves that kind of detail unstated if it is obvious from context.

So an English translation might be:

• before work
• before going to work

Both can fit.

Yes. Several parts are very typical spoken or informal written Russian:

• впрочем as a connector
• всё же for contrast
• успел + infinitive
• толком meaning properly
• перед работой as an everyday routine phrase

So the whole sentence sounds natural and idiomatic, like something a native speaker would say in ordinary conversation. It does not sound overly formal or textbook-like.

Sure:

• Впрочем = however / still / anyway
• сегодня = today
• я = I
• всё же = nevertheless / still / all the same
• успел = managed in time / had time
• толком = properly / adequately
• позавтракать = to have breakfast
• перед работой = before work

A very natural overall English rendering would be:

• Still, today I did manage to have a proper breakfast before work.