Tag Archives: brunch

STOP EVERYTHING – a F.R.I.E.N.D.S themed brunch is coming to London

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Ross and Rachel, Gunther and Central Perk, Joey and London. There are few things that touch our hearts in such a strong way but a bottomless brunch with a F.R.I.E.N.D.S theme is a coupling which is DEFINITELY up there!

When we heard of such a beautiful idea to be hosted at a secret location, we of course burst into a melodic applause (four claps to be precise, you know the tune).

This weekend only, popular set up ‘The 90s Brunch’ is celebrating its two year anniversary by hosting its brunch with the ultimate twist – one that comes in the shape of our, arguably, six thirty-something favourites.

It’s no ordinary brunch though, attendees can dress up, lip sync, and recreate iconic moments. Party games will fill this brunch way more than most – after all, F.R.I.E.N.D.S was simply full of them… ‘transponsder’ ringing any bells?

The first hour of bottomless cocktails will be served up in Central Perk coffee mugs complimented by a 90s playlist of course. Food will be kept within the 90’s style too, with special Friends twists across dishes, although we’re advised that meat trifle will NOT be served.

Tickets range from £15 to £45 and can be booked by visiting The 90’s Brunch website. There aren’t many tickets left though next time you’re on a break (not THAT kind!) get yourself to the site.

The 90s Brunch reclaims and reinvigorates the best of the 90’s pop culture with special brunch themes twice a month.

London – The UK’s Brunch Capital

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We’ve tried and tested our fair share of brunches in London and with new places popping up all the time, we wanted to throw down our forks (not literally, that’s not beneficial at all), and confidently confess to you what we consider to be the best brunches in town.

 

Dirty Bones (Bottomless option – yes)

‘Dirty’ being the perfect word. An American and darkened eatery, this place offers some of the tastiest breakfast grub around and there’s a bottomless brunch option so you can settle yourself in for the morning – win!

The cocktails are more adventurous than you ordinarily find yourself having on a typical bottomless brunch and include vodka and rum based options. The service can be a little slow to keep the drink topped up though so you have to keep an eagle eye on the waiting staff. If guzzling your way through the menu and making the most of each precious bubbly minute isn’t your primary objective though, this will be fine for you.

Food wise, we have two words for you: cheeseburger dumplings.

Good for you if: You want a low key, meaty brunch.

Book here: https://dirty-bones.com/

 

Beech Blanket Babylon (Bottomless option – no)

This place is always popping up as the ‘place to be’ on Instagram so we put it to the test. The décor is amazing. It’s lavish and luxurious but what more do you expect from Notting Hill! There’s no bottomless brunch on offer but the cocktails are brilliant value for the area at £10 a pop, so worth a visit.

Menu wise, their eggs benedict is a firm favourite – its béarnaise sauce is creamy, rich and has a kick. The house burger with caramelised onion, cheese and salad is really filling – juicy too!

Good for you if: Keeping up appearances is key. The clientele at Beech Blanket Babylon are predominantly Notting Hill locals so it’s less of a tourist attraction and instead will give you a taste of life ‘on the other side’.

Book here: http://www.beachblanket.co.uk

 

 

Hotbox (Bottomless option – yes)

Loud, busy and offering dishes that are deep with flavour. The waiting staff are as attentive as we imagine Prince Harry is to Meghan and your glass rarely gets empty. Exactly what we want from a bottomless brunch.

Located slap bang in the middle of Shoreditch, this former street art gallery (obviously) is rife with hipsters and has a real ‘up close and personal vibe’ as your’re seated along picnic style benches.  The food is all about the smokey meaty ‘cue, that’s what the cool kids say nowadays, and the meat is dry rubbed and cooked low and slow to create tender, succulent cuts that melt in the mouth.

Good for you if: You’re a sociable meat-lover wanting a good booze up.

Book here: http://hotboxlondon.co.uk/

 

Bunga Bunga (Bottomless option – yes)

‘Bigger, better and brunch-ier’ as they so eloquently put it, this is definitely the place to go if you want to show your friends a proper party. There’s live entertainment in the form of its Bunga Matinee show and you will feel like you’re enjoying your Saturday night out, no matter what the time is.

The menu is of course Italian and while the pizzas are authentic and tasty, you won’t be choosing this place if you’re just seeking out good grub.

The Bunga Bunga party brunch is definitely something every Londoner should experience but you might only do it the once as it comes with a hefty price tag and cancellation fee.

Good for you if: You’re looking for a PROPER party

Book here: https://battersea.bungabunga-london.com

 

Mac ‘n’ Wild (Bottomless option – yes)

Self-described as serving London with some of the best Scottish produce, this place is serious with its flavours. Haggis pops, veni-moo burgers and venison Scotch eggs are forces to be reckoned with and what we love about this place is the variety in its bottomless brunch cocktails.

The atmosphere is relaxed and the staff are always on hand to top up your glass. It’s very unlikely you’ll even reach the bottom of it!

Enjoy unlimited brunch cocktails for just £21 per person

Book here: www.macandwild.com

And our curveball…. PAUL (Bottomless option – yes)

So this is one we’ve thrown in if you find yourself sleeping through a bottomless brunch (we’ve all been there). PAUL, the decedent, Parisian patisserie is now offering a bottomless afternoon tea. Two hours of bubbly joy on Saturdays and Sundays. The afternoon tea includes lightly toasted sandwiches, a buttery brioche with whipped cream and jam and a host of sweets.

Definitely more civilised than your average brunch – one to enjoy with family, perhaps?

Bottomless afternoon tea is served Monday to Friday 2.30pm – 5.30pm at Tower 42 and weekends only in Covent Garden at the same time

Book here: www.paul-uk.com

Saturday Brunchin’ at Gaucho

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The Electro Brunch Menu is back with a bang and Gaucho have ensured all your brunchin’ needs are met. Every Saturday across nine of their sites, customers can treat themselves to a two hour session of unlimited Gaucho food and drink, yes, that means two whole hours of Gaucho steak on tap. If that’s not all, the menu has something for everyone and not just the steak lovers. May we tempt you with smashed Avocado on toast… we thought that might get your attention. That’s still not even the best part, the updated menu comes with the introduction of french toast with dulce de lece and Gaucho Benedict with salt beef to name but a few and we simply had to see for ourselves.

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Having brunched here at the launch of Electro Brunch, Gaucho seems to have build itself quite the reputation with the brunch crowd. From humble reservation numbers when launching, Gaucho revellers have truly spread the word with almost every session fully booked full of anticipating diners soaking up the luxury and ambience of the enigmatic Gaucho. I have to admit, I haven’t stopped raving about this place since they launched Electro Brunch and even convinced a few to cancel their reservations elsewhere in favour of Gaucho… needless to say they are solid converts to the unique brunch style Gaucho have to offer and we believe you will be too. What we love the most about Electro Brunch is that aside from their excellent flowing drinks menu, a must at any bottomless brunch, the real star of the show is the food and quality of food. I have to say, so many brunch deals seem to overlook this when they are offering a menu of flowing drinks however, Gaucho are leading the way with an outstanding food menu to match. They deliver on every dish in the same way you would expect to get your meal when ordering off the à la carte and with a focus on the food, the kitchen have made sure you get to try each and every dish by making their portions just the right size for you to make your way through everything.

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Once you are seated, within minutes your host will be at your every call for the next couple of hours anticipating your every need so that you’re never without a plate of tasty goodness or an empty glass. The service is everything. Food is made to order, fresh and in abundance. Of course, it wouldn’t be Gaucho without their incredible steak and if you like it, order it again. No need to worry about diets in Gaucho, there is enough protein going around to supplement Arnie and if you order smartly there doesn’t have to be a carb in sight. However, we recommend you experience absolutely everything you possibly can. The menu is completely varied and each dish complements the next.

Gaucho Benedict with Salt Beef

Gaucho Benedict with Salt Beef

To give you an idea of what is on offer, drinks include; unlimited Aperol Spritz, Gaucho Bloody Mary’s, Domaine de Chandon, Pilsener Lager and a selection of fresh juice from the juice bar. The food on offer; French Toast, Beans on Toast with Chorizo, Fried Provoleta, Steak and Eggs, Gaucho Benedict, Eggs Benedict, Eggs Florentine, Eggs Royale to name but a few… we suggest you take a look for yourself. This entire deal comes in at under £50 per head and if you have a large appetite, this will not be a wasted trip! The updated menu have few more sweet additions with a selection of medialuna or mini croissants with peanut butter dulce de lece, french toast and of course, their famous banana pancakes just in case you want to balance out any of the savoury but our real showstopper was the Gaucho Benedict with salt beef. A Saturday well spent, we guarantee you will not be disappointed with your Electro Brunch rezzies. This is not just your average boozy brunch, if you are a real foodie, this is the place to be.

Reservations Here

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Cheers.

Heliot Steakhouse present Weekend Brunch

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Voted London’s best Steakhouse we jumped at the chance to try out the Weekend Brunch on offer at Heliot. Located inside London’s prestigious Hippodrome Casino, Heliot Steakhouse offers an array of popular and traditional Brunch items served with some refreshing and boozy cocktails so we were keen to see how the Steakhouse did Brunch.

As a venue, we were bowled over when we experienced a late dinner here a few weeks ago, the ambience is very reminiscent of a metropolitan New York bar so having been invited to Brunch I was intrigued to see how it would fare. What is striking is that there is something very exclusive about the place and intimate despite the fact it’s set in the midst of a casino and this is most welcome especially if you are wishing to escape the hustle and bustle, noisy teenagers and highly strung side of the Capital. Expect velvet red ropes, unique low lighting and of course a very laid back atmosphere, you almost forget you’re in the heart of busy London.

We’re presented with a very classic Brunch menu alongside their famous USDA Steak options and we must admit it’s very tempting to opt for one of their tasty steaks, but we stick to Brunch and decide from a varied menu comprising of items such as Pancakes, Croque Madame, Eggs Benedict, Eggs Florentine, Eggs Royale etc. as well as Seared Scallops and the impressive Jack Stack which is a pancake, waffle and french toast covered in Maple Syrup. All items are priced fairly from £5-9 and with American style portions this is an absolute steal.

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We start with a Passionfruit Bellini to help make our minds up and we are informed that there is a Bloody Mary bar as well as a selection of Bellini’s on offer as part of their Brunch cocktails. Heliot delivers an impressive drinks service offering up unique and inspired cocktails to an impressive list of wines to accompany their menus. You will be spoilt for choice on that front with the bartenders also making your favourite classic cocktails off menu.

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We go for the Country Fried Steak which is served with Sausage Gravy, Eggs and Fries and the Croque Madame. Both are generous and hearty and if you’re looking for a real satisfying meal, this is definitely the place to be. Flavoursome, appetising and indulgent this is highly recommended if you’re looking refuel the morning after with just the perfect balance of a good traditional brunch in a swanky, chic and private location.

The staff are a delight from start to finish and with a backdrop of the Pokerstars Live Tournament this is the perfect place to people watch.

The Weekend Brunch menu is available from 11:30am – 4pm
with a lunch service commencing at 12pm

…and for a limited time only (every Saturday until Jun 4th)

The Hippodrome Casino present

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What’s On This Weekend

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A round up of another glorious four-day week with a host of spectacular activities in and around The Capital. Our top picks include;

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The London Whisky Weekender 1-3rd;

Starting today, The London Whisky Weekender will transform the East London venue, Oval Space into a Dramtastic dream. With Whisky’s to try from all around The World this is the perfect day out for any Whisky Lover of any degree. Enjoy a dram of something you love or something brand new amidst a backdrop of blues music and some quality street food.

For tickets and info;

Whisky

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Saturday Brunch at Gaucho’s Electro Brunch;

From 11am-3pm every Saturday, work your way through Gaucho’s impressive, unlimited brunch menu complete with cocktails and sparkling wine. Available at their Canary Wharf, Piccadilly and Smithfield branches and priced at £45 this is the absolute perfect way to start the weekend.

For more info and booking;

Brunch

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Feast of Rugby takeover Urban Food Fest 2nd April;

This year’s HSBC London Sevens will be celebrating their partnership with Urban Food Fest by hosting a ‘Feast of Rugby’ takeover at the Shoreditch street food market on Saturday 2nd April.The market will be fully HSBC London Sevens themed and there will be special guest appearances from the England sevens team – who will be helping vendors cook up a storm on the day. From France to Fiji, think Sweet and Savoury Crêpes, slow roasted and pulled pork burgers and Venezuelan Maize arepas. Yum Yum.

Entry is free just turn up;

Euro Car Parks
162-167 Shoreditch High Street, Shoreditch
London, E1

For more info;

Food 

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The cosiest “Night In” at Pillow Cinema.

This Saturday, snuggle up to a loved one… or two in a stunning Tudor House setting in the heart of Hackney and enjoy a screening of either Romeo and Juliet or The Danish Girl. Complimentary blankets and fatboy beanbags provided. All you need to do is turn up for a super chill Saturday Night at The Movies.

For tickets and info;

Cinema

Brunch out at Gaucho with their impressive Electro Brunch

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Known for it’s unbeatable Argentinian fayre, Gaucho tops the list for exquisite steak and a wine list that would make Jilly Goolden weep. As if they couldn’t get any better, introducing the Gaucho Electro Brunch available 11-3pm every Saturday. We were chomping at the bit to try out this one and it really topped the list.

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With a menu worthy of a King, unlimited cocktails, Domaine Chandon and Bloody Mary’s we think this is quite possibly top of the Brunch. Steak lovers, prepare to face your ultimate fantasy, there is certainly plenty of Steak and with other menu items such as Avocado on Sourdough Bread, Pancakes with Dulce De Leche and Eggs Florentine, the menu has really been executed with every taste in mind featuring all your Brunch favourites.

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If you’re tee-total or if you just fancy a fresher option, fear not, the blend your own juice bar was a particular highlight. With a table of seasonal fruit and veg, just take your pick of whatever you like and voila, the fantastic hosts will mix you up a special custom juice in no time.

The menu has been designed for you to feast your way through every dish after all you do have a good 4 hours to enjoy everything. The Sandwich items are slightly larger if you would prefer a bigger dish, but we recommend trying out everything you can as many times as you can. We were thoroughly stuffed to the eyeballs when we had left but not gonna lie, definitely wished I had time to order at least 3 of the items again.

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The impressive feasting and the outrageously cool ambience of Gaucho are just a few reasons why everyone should pay them a visit at least once in their lifetime. But with a price tag of only £45pp Electro Brunch is a no-brainer. Eat, drink and be merry and let Gaucho’s Electro Brunch be the motivation which gets you out of bed on a Saturday.

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The Electro Brunch will take place every Saturday at Gaucho Piccadilly, Gaucho Chancery Lane and Gaucho Smithfield from 11am to 3pm with unlimited food and drinks included for a price of £45 per person.
For more information call Gaucho or visit: www.gauchorestaurants.co.uk/restaurants/piccadilly

Bobby’s Rock ‘n Roll Bruch, House of Ho | Restaurant Review

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Soho’s House of Ho (try saying that after you’ve had a few of their cocktails) is a Vietnamese restaurant serving up an unlimited brunch every Sunday called Bobby’s Rock ‘n Roll Brunch. The words ‘unlimited’ and ‘brunch’ are favourites of mine so I went down to check it out.

The restaurant itself has a light and airy industrial feel with touches of Eastern charm. It blends modernity and traditionalism seamlessly and this approach is reflected in the menu.

We began our brunch with sweet and refreshing lychee cocktails and some unfortunately bland edamame. Until this point I genuinely didn’t think it was possible to get edamame wrong – it’s just beans.

Luckily, that was pretty much the only criticism I have of the entire experience. And when your main issue is bland edamame then you know you’re doing something right.

Duck Pho Cuon

Duck Pho Cuon

As part of the ‘unlimited’ brunch you are allowed to choose from a selection of small plates to start with. The highlights of these were the duck pho cuon and the 7 spice marinated squid. The duck came in soft rolls with a coating of crispy onions which was a great texture combination and was served with a spicy sauce that added just the right amount of kick. There was also a mushroom version of this dish that was perfectly fine but a little underwhelming in comparison. Both my colleague and I agreed that the fried squid was the best that we had ever tasted; it was marinated in the perfect combination and amount of spices.

Other dishes worth trying include the chili glazed chicken wings which came in a smoky, spicy, sticky sauce (another one to try saying after a few drinks) and the chicken pomelo salad which was a light and refreshing dish that helped combat the sheer amount of meat and carbs in the others (that’s not a complaint – they are excellent food groups).

Apple-Smoked Pork Belly

Apple-Smoked Pork Belly

For our main courses we had the apple-smoked pork belly and the ‘shakin’ beef. Wow. Just wow. The pork is cooked for 36 hours and you could cut through the fat on top of it like butter. I don’t even like pork and I enjoyed this dish immensely. The beef is cooked for 30 seconds at 400 degrees and was beautifully tender. I honestly can’t choose between the two dishes – if possible, try them both.

 

The meal ended with an expertly cooked crème brulee but by this point I think I was too stuffed to fully appreciate it. I was also very drunk. Because that’s the really good thing about this meal – the alcohol is unlimited too. We were knocking back Proseccos and cocktails like nobody’s business. If that doesn’t convince you that this brunch is excellent value then I don’t know what will.

So get yourself down to House of Ho this Sunday. It won’t kill your wallet but it will break your belt.

 

 

Foxcroft & Ginger Cafe Review

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Foxcroft & Ginger is a very trendy cafe and artisan bakery in East London, owned by couple Georgina and Quintin. It is full of people who are far cooler than me. The decor is eclectic, keeping the industrial-chic design ethos of the Soho branch.

This one, in Whitechapel, only opened on 3 April 2014. We went to review it, deciding on brunch. We started with Eggs Benedict and Smoked Salmon, Pickled Beetroot, Avocado, Tomato and Red Onion Salsa, Grilled Sourdough. I also order some avocado on the side. An English Breakfast Tea and a Hot Chocolate. foxcroft&gingereggs

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The Eggs Benedict is interesting. My colleague loved it. He thought the eggs were perfect, but the egg I had was a bit watery, and the sauce could have done with a little more punch. The salmon dish was perfect however, just an amazing selection of fresh ingredients that work amazingly well together. The avocado was great with just the right amount of salt, olive oil and lemon.

The hot chocolate was very good, it came with spice and the cinnamon really added something special. The tea was also great, coming in a very cute tea cup and saucer.

 

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After our brunch we had some amazing cake. I had the chocolate orange cake and my colleague had the carrot cake. Both were absolutely amazing. Everything is made in-house and these cakes really were superb.

Foxcroft & Ginger also do amazing bread. Their coveted sourdough bread, which is already supplied to a number of top London restaurants, is available to purchase in store.

 

Foxcroft & Ginger

Whitechapel

69-89 Mile End Road

E1 4TT
www.foxcroft&ginger.co.uk
(The nearest Underground Station is Stepney Green or Whitechapel).