Brunch Here: Aviary, Finsbury SquareBy Alicia Grimshaw
Aviary is the latest outpost by the ETM group (the team behind restaurants including The Botanist, Burdock and The Jugged Hare).
Located in Finsbury Square, Aviary is found nesting on the 10th floor of the Montcalm hotel. Its opening has been timed well – as the warmer months sets in, every man and his dog will be hop footing it to the nearest rooftop in a jiffy. And being the investigative brunch journalists that we are, it was only right to road test their late breakfast offering. Here’s what you need to know:
Aviary: The Food
Aviary have stuck to the brunch classics – no fuss, or unusual ingredients – just simple, well loved brunch dishes. Being the unashamedly basic people that we are, we can’t stray from our beloved avocado on toast. For £9.50, you get a decent portion of avocado, smashed nicely (not too chunky, not too smooth), topped with crispy bacon. On the menu it stated that the avocado came with chilli, however, either our heat tolerance is high, or there was no sign of the chilli. We think it was the latter. The avocado was pleasant, but lacked a certain depth of flavour – it needed a big hit of lemon juice, and a good pinch of chilli flakes. And then this would really be a winner. We’ve eaten a hella’ lot of avocado on toast in our time to know when one needs some more TLC.
The Eggs Benedict is a fail-safe option, but one that Aviary get right. The poached eggs are presented on a toasty muffin with ham, and lashing of rich, buttery hollandaise sauce. Don’t fix what’s not broken – that’s out mantra.
It may not be brunch, but there’s a main menu if you fancy something on the more substantial side/ need a post Friday night booze feast. A forgotten hero, the almighty cottage pie makes an appearance, as do crowdpleasing steaks and veggie pasta. 
We decided that the lobster and prawn roll was the dish that would help heel our hazy, hungover selves. And like any good lobster roll aficionado knows – the secret to the best roll possible is the bun. The bun can make or break a lobster roll, and is a crucial element. The bun wasn’t brioche like the menu stated, instead it was more of a sub, which needed some extra sauce to masked the slight dryness. When it comes to lobster rolls, you need a sweet, golden-brown brioche bun that’s so shiny you can practically see your reflection. The filling was decent – beautiful chunks of lobster woven into a Marie Rose sauce.
We’re all for a two course brunch, and when there’s sticky toffee pudding on the menu – we can’t refuse. The sticky toffee pudding was on the fancier side, and instead of swimming in a pool of sauce, the pudding was presented with quenelle of ice cream, some petri-dish size spots of sauce and a spoonful of shredded apple. It was a delight (even though we like our STP practically concaving due to the sheer amount of sauce). But the custard tart, oh the tart, like something your mum would make on a Sunday when your far flung family members would come round for a roast. With buttery pastry and a creamy filling, the custard tart hit all the sweet notes. And the generous portion of vanilla ice cream rounded off the dish nicely.
Aviary: The Verdict
Aviary certainly aren’t reinventing the wheel when it comes to brunch – but if you’re after a decent feed, with smashing views, you’re certainly in the right place. One thing we will say: they just need to be a bit more trigger happy with seasonings and spice. Come for the rooftop, but stay for the puddings.
