Editor’s Picks: 3 Brunch Spots You Need to Visit in London This WeekendBy Alicia Grimshaw
Looking for a new brunch spot this weekend? We’re tried and tested all of the below – and we can confirm, they’re all winners. Here’s the 411:
1. For an Italian Brunch: Veneta
What: Veneta is a swanky place; the kinda of place where your mum would be happy as well as your mates and other half. Part of the Salt Yard Group, Veneta is a Northern Italian restaurant and bar serving sharing plates inspired by the flavours of Venice and beyond. Their bottomless Sunday feasts were legendary, but realising that people were rocking up to work on a Monday hungover, the team decided to switch it up and have brought their well-loved leisurely Italian lunches to Saturday.
Eat and Drink: For £35, you can dine like an absolute king. This is by far the best deal out there, it’s almost criminal. 4 courses plus free-flowing wine or prosecco for less that a shirt from Topshop. The Saturday feast menu is all about convivial-style dining, with the small plates aimed to be passed around the table and shared. Like any decent Italian fish, a selection of antipasti kicked off proceedings; cured ham, olives, and warm focaccia. Hubba. The truffle pasta which followed was the star of the show – rich, buttery and ludicrously tasty. It’s the kind of pasta you want to eat again and again. The beef was melt in the mouth delicious, as was the hearty and comforting fish stew. Veneta are on to something very special indeed. Book a lunch here and enjoy every single bite.
Where: 3 Norris St, St. James’s Market, London SW1Y 4RJ
2. For a Bottomless Brunch: Quaglino’s
What: Quaglino’s needs to introduction – it’s been an Mayfair icon for decades. What was once a hotbed for Russian businessmen, the restaurant now attracts a different sort of crowd. Swing by on Saturday and you’re met with a sea of Lipsy dresses and gaggles of ladies who are celebrating a birthday/work party/a function/ or, quite simply, want to take advantage of the bottomless bubbles. Clientele aside, the restaurant’s food still prevails.
Eat and Drink: You can either opt for two or three courses, and for an extra £20 throw in bottomless prosecco. We say, for starters order the shellfish bisque with saffron aioli – a medley of differing flavours, but somehow it all just worked. You can, of course, keep things classic with the scrambled eggs on toast topped with a generous helping of truffle. Verging on the rich side, there were no complaints. For mains, the rigatoni with mushroom was rather stodgy , but the chicken supreme with wild mushroom vinaigrette was a belter. The molten cheesy goodness of the croque monsieur won us over, and the Valhrona dark chocolate fondant with tonka bean ice cream is the best way to round off a meal here. So rich, so sweet, and so, so dreamy.
Where: 16 Bury St, St. James’s, London SW1Y 6AJ
3. For a Classic Brunch: Wringer and Mangle
What: Wringer and Mangle already conquered the brunch brigade of London Fields, and now they’ve recently opened a sister site in Shoreditch. The restaurant keeps to the same formula as their first branch: hearty, seasonal food that won’t break the bank. Wringer & Mangle aren’t reinventing the wheel with their brunch offering, but if you’re after a classic brunch you’ve come to the right place.
Eat and Drink: The chicken burger didn’t set our world on fire, so swerve the white poultry, and opt for the meaty barbecue baked beans with fried egg and pulled ham hock. Ham. Eggs. Beans. A fail safe combination. The sweet potato hash with spinach and poached egg was a pleasant veggie dish, and the crushed avocado on toast ticked all the boxes (not smashed like guacamole – thank heavens). If you need a caffeine fix, they whip up a mean latte and there’s plenty of cocktails to keep you well oiled.
