Top 5: Ways to Eat Brunch in London This WeekendBy Alicia Grimshaw
Brunch: the socially acceptable excuse to drink before noon. If you’re not brunchin’ at these places this weekend, you’re doing it wrong. Here are our picks:
1. For a New Brunch: 155 Bar & Kitchen
What: 155 Bar & Kitchen is an all-day space for dining and drinking, the restaurant is open from the first coffee of the day to the last cocktail of the night, right through brunch, lunch and dinner. This Saturday (14th) sees the launch of their new brunch offering – tuck into your eggs whilst DJs spin a variety of classic bangers.
Eat: The brunch menu is short and concise, but offers the classic brunch dishes along with their own special twists on well-loved bites. If you’re an egg fan, choose form eggs Benedict, Royale and Florentine, along with avocado on toast with poached eggs, and baked eggs with sautéed nduja, kabanos, and butter beans in a tomato sauce. If you’re in need of a hangover cure – the dirty burger with smoked Lincolnshire Poacher cheese, honey-glazed bacon, iceberg lettuce and burger sauce will banish any sore heads.
Where: 155 Farringdon Rd, London, UK EC1R 3AF
2. For a Classic Brunch: Ground Coffee Society
What: The Ground Coffee Society has pioneered South-West London’s specialty coffee scene since 2009. Sourcing, roasting and serving its own coffee, over the years Ground Coffee Society has built a solid reputation for delivering the most consistent and loved coffee in the area. Come here for a lazy brunch with a bunch of newspapers.
Eat: Aside from their fair-trade coffee, the team also whip up a variety of homemade cakes. From carrot cake, to coffee and walnut to chocolate tarts – your sweet tooth craving will be in heaven. Need a savoury hit? Their foccacia sandwiches are filled with a variety of meats, cheeses and veggies, and their burger consists of high-quailty ground minced in a brioche bun, served with hand cut chips. Like any good brunch menu, there’s eggs Benedict, granola with fresh berries and Greek yogurt, and eggs with avocado and a range of sides. We should also mention their berry pancakes with rashers of bacon is a winner.
Where: 79 Lower Richmond Rd, London SW15 1ET
3. For a Brunch Collaboration: Shotgun x Dumpling Shack
What: Cocktail bar and BBQ joint Shotgun will be welcoming their Netil House Market pals, Dumpling Shack for a one off special brunch mash up on Sunday (15th May) entitled the ‘People’s Brunch’. You’d be silly to miss out on this cracking food event.
Eat: Mississippi-born chef Brad McDonald and John Li of Dumpling Shack have created a dim sum style brunch menu marrying their two culinary styles for one day only. Think, crabmeat wonton s and Hong Kong style soup dumplings. Let’s not forget the smoked brisket bao , sticky ribs and fried dirty rice and pork floss. A homemade concoction of people’s punch is thrown in with the ticket price, and there’s salted egg custard doughnuts for dessert – need we say more.
For tickets call 020 3137 7252 or email info@shotgunbbq.com.
Where: 26 Kingly St, London, W1B 5QD
Photo Credit: Tom Bowles
4. For a Takeaway Brunch:EatFirst x Berlin Brünch
What: To celebrate the launch of weekend delivery, London’s fastest growing online-only restaurant EatFirst, has joined forces with London pop up Berlin brünch. EatFirst’s Head Chef Benn Hodges and brünch founder Noemi Dulischewski have created a unique menu, perfect for anyone planning on spending a lazy weekend at home.
Eat: The brünch menu will be available to pre-order for a limited time only throughout May, June and July. Consisting of The Berliner – a delicious selection of artisan sourdough and bread rolls, sliced cold meats, fleisch salat, smoked cheeses, topless eggs, remoulades and fresh fruit. There’s also the Berliner Stulle, vegetarian and vegan sourdough sliders compliment a lightly smoked mackerel pâté with horseradish and apple. Finally for the sweet tooth, a special sour cherry Rote Grütze topped with lashings of vanilla custard and sliced fruits will delight the taste buds. To complete the weekend experience an extensive selection of Bloody Marys, fresh juices, Sandows Cold Brew, sparkling wines and beers make perfect accompaniments.
Where: Order here
5. For a Floral Brunch: 100 Wardour Street
What: 100 Wardour St has been working on an exciting collaboration with the team from fashion brand, RIXO London. For D&D London’s spring campaign, Blossom City, RIXO have designed bespoke dresses with a unique floral print for the 100 Wardour St staff – along with hosting a pop-up shop during the Flower Power brunch, this Saturday.
Eat: The menu is a celebration of the finest British produce around. Starters include; home smoked salmon, pea shoot and edamame flatbread, pancetta, white onion and crème fraiche flatbread, and the delightful crab and smoked bulgur salad. If there’s one dish to get the brunch ball rolling, opt for the gluten-free pancakes topped with grilled pancetta and maple syrup. For mains, we can’t recommend the aged 200g rump steak and chips enough. There’s also rigatoni pasta with veal ragu, coal fired garlic baby chicken, served alongside wilted greens, and slow cooked pork belly, grilled endive and salsa verde.
Where: 100 Wardour St, Soho, London W1F 0TN