Top 5: Ways to Eat Brunch in London This WeekendBy Alicia Grimshaw
If you’d rather be spending your time chowing down on eggs and sourdough this weekend rather than watching repeats of The X Factor, then we have just the feature. Here’s our favourite brunch picks this week. Have a good’un, chums:
1. For a New Brunch Menu: Flavour Bastard
What: Flavour Bastard in Soho has introduced a brand new brunch menu served with a side of swing. The new menu, created by Executive Chef Pratap Chahal, has been designed to be shared, and everyone can choose from a selection of three small plates each, followed by a dessert for £27. To make your brunch a bottomless one, £15 is added for the two hours and includes unlimited house cocktails, Bastard Brew, Fizz and house wine.
Eat and Drink: The menu boasts unusual dishes such as the 63C Eggs with red peppers, Turkish spiced yoghurt and flatbread; the tempura avocado on savoury waffles with Gochujang sauce; and the savoury pancake, a fermented rice pancake topped with spiced potatoes and coconut relish. Some more typical brunch dishes are the house pork and kimchi Sausage; three bean stew and charred bread; fluffy pancake with wild honey, poached pear and yoghurt; and the house-cured Salmon on rye bread, topped with Kasundi mustard and sour cream.
Where: 63-64 Frith St, Soho, London W1D 3JW
What: On Sunday (5th November), Greek restaurant Meraki will launch its very first ‘Big Fat Greek Brunch’. Curated by Executive Chef Athinagoras Kostakos, the menu will celebrate Mediterranean, family-style cooking in a warm and laid-back setting.
Why: To start, guests will be invited to serve themselves to a bottomless buffet of fresh Greek salads, mezze dips, homemade breads and pittas, and much-loved traditional pies such as Spanakopita and Tiropita. Move onto mains, and choose from the likes of moussaka with black Angus beef ragout, roasted potatoes, aubergine and béchamel, or eggs Kagiana with tomato sauce, wild boar sausage and feta. To finish, pick from a menu of traditional Greek desserts including the likes of Loukoumades (Greek donuts and honey), and Portokalopita (orange syrup cake).
Where: 80-82 Great Titchfield St, Fitzrovia, London W1W 7QT
Photo Credit: Claire Menary
3. For a Boozy Brunch: Canova Hall
What: Recently opened Canova Hall in Brixton bang out a decent brunch feast on weekends. Offering an Italian inspired menu, bringing the family warmth of simple cooking, handmade pasta and 48 hour fermented dough to the city’s beloved weekend ritual – this is one brunch feast that’ll keep you full for hours.
Why: Pay an extra £20 for free flowing booze and choose from the classic Mimosa (Italian Frizzante, peach liqueur and orange juice), the fresh Martello Rum Punch (overproof and dark rums, cherry bitters, juice and fresh mint), or the infamous Italian Frizzante. Rich tastes from their Brunch Italiana menu all created fresh and in-house include dishes such as the beetroot frittata with feta, sage, sunflower seeds, salsa verde and fennel salad, and the hot don pizza cooked to perfection in their wood oven pizza imported from Modena, Italy. Try the 12 hour beef ragu with parmesan and flat leaf parsley if pasta is your thang.
Where: 250 Ferndale Rd, Brixton, London SW9 8BQ
4. For a Bottomless Brunch: GOAT
What: GOAT is an Italian-style restaurant in Chelsea, and they offer two delicious bottomless brunch menus. Every Saturday from 12pm and Sunday from 3pm enjoy their bottomless brunch with free-flowing booze, or the pizza and beer armageddon offer – a two hour sitting to see how many pints, and slices of cheesy carbs you can handle.
Why: Kick things off by choosing your alcoholic beverage – opt for either prosecco, wine, beer or Bloody Marys. The spread starts with courgette fritti and olives, and all you have to do is pick your main. Choose from corn fed chicken, asparagus and wild garlic risotto; dorset crab linguine with salsa verde; pumpkin and sage tortellini; or the black quinoa tower with avocado, beetroot, squash and goat’s cheese. There’s also bottomless sides (paprika fries, rocket salad and broccoli), and brownie bites for pud.
Where: 333 Fulham Rd, London SW10 9QL
5. For an East London Brunch: The Bach
What: The Bach (pronounced ‘batch’ referring to a small, often very modest holiday home or beach house in New Zealand) is a kiwi inspired cafe with two locations in east London. If you’re vegan, veggie, gluten-free or lactose intolerant – these guys can accommodate you all. And their plant-powered dishes and dairy-free bites are sublime.
Why: Try the smoked salmon by Fin and Founder and scrambled eggs on sourdough with cream cheese, or the chilli eggs with sourdough if you want to keep things classic. The corn fritters with aioli, avocado, chilli jam, and halloumi, and the spicy sweet potatoes served alongside falafel, hummus, avocado, grilled courgettes, red peppers, chilli jam and sourdough are both excellent veggie dishes. There’s both beef and black bean burgers, a wide variety of nut milks for your coffee, and gluten-free brownies that are off the charts.
Where: Locations here
