Top 5: London’s Best Brunch This WeekendBy Alicia Grimshaw
Plans this weekend? Brunch, obviously. Sunday brunch in London is the one of the finest things you can do when there’s the first hint of sunshine in the capital. If you’re looking for something new, here are 5 ways to brunch in London this weekend:
1. For a Korean Brunch: Jinjuu
What: Stop the press – Jinjuu, one of Soho’s finest Korean restaurants has just launched their new bottomless brunch menu. Pair a selection of bottomless drinks, including Jinjuu’s unique cocktail creations, with the first-class Korean cuisine that makes this place such a hit.
Eat: Among the signature cocktails is the Five Berry Bellini, a bubbly cocktail made with Korean Omijacha, a unique flavoured berry that has an enticingly sour bite, and the Spiced Kimchi Mary, a Korean take on the classic Bloody Mary, combining kimchi spice mix infused Soju and fresh tomato juice. Dig into sharing plates to start, one being the famous Korean Fried Chicken Wings. To follow, there is a selection of five Ssam platters, including grilled sea bream infused with fragrant ginger and served with pickled cucumbers and a spring onion salad, and Bulgogi beef Skewers.
Where: 15 Kingly St, London W1B 5PS
2. For a Bottomless Brunch: 100 Wardour St.
What: 100 Wardour St know how to put on a good spread when it comes to brunch. Their latest offering is a bottomless brunch complete with unlimited Bloody Marys. The early risers need not worry, as brunch is served from 8am-5pm every Saturday in the lounge area.
Eat: The Mediterranean-inspired menu features starters such as crispy fried squid, chilli and lime, pancetta, white onion and crème fraiche flatbread, and gluten-free pancakes with grilled pancetta and maple syrup. Main courses range from casarecce pasta, pesto, datterini tomatoes, stracciatella cheese to coal fired garlic baby chicken with wilted greens and, aged 200g rump steak and chips. Go the whole nine yards and order the Izu’s French toast with tonka bean ice cream or the chocolate ganache, nut crunch, and milk ice cream. The blueberry poached pineapple served alongside crushed meringue and yoghurt is pretty dreamy.
Where: 100 Wardour Street, Soho, London, W1F 0TN
Photo credit: Paul Winch-Furness
3. For a Sunday Lunch: Cafe Murano
What: Cafe Murano have created a new Sunday lunch menu in time for Mother’s Day, at the St James’s and Covent Garden restaurant. Angela has created the menu with executive head chef Sam Williams, as a nod to the traditional family Sunday meals of her childhood. The menu is all about simple, seasonal Italian cooking – think, shared roast cuts of meat, plates of cichetti and antipasti.
Eat: All the Italian fare – tuck into arancini with mozzarella and basil, or the sweet and sour sardines, before enjoying antipasti such as salt cod with wet polenta and planeta olive oil or cauliflower, golden raisins and smoked ricotta. Freshly made pasta dishes of spaghetti carbonara with pancetta and orecchiette with chilli, garlic, broccoli and pecorino are family favourites. If you’re seeking a more typical Sunday roast, you’ll be pleased to find new secondis of Rib-eye, rosemary oven potatoes and gratinated fennel to share as well as Herdwick lamb leg, salsa verde and smoked aubergine. Finally, for a sweet end to the week enjoy tiramisu semifreddo or Apple torta with vanilla ice cream.
Where: Locations here
4. For a Special Brunch: Duck & Waffle
What: Mother’s Day is a big celebration for Dan Doherty, Head Chef at Duck and Waffle. Dan Doherty’s beloved mum is the lady who encouraged him to pursue a career in cooking. In celebration of Mother’s Day, Dan has specially created a waffle dish and it’s sublime.
Eat: The limited chocolate orange waffle is a heavenly combination of clementine marmalade, chocolate brownie and chocolate ice cream, and is only available exclusively for this weekend. If sweet isn’t your bag, the famous duck and waffle, complete with a crispy leg confit, fried duck egg and mustard maple syrup is a brunch game changer. The eggs dishes here are legendary – choose from; Colombian eggs with avocado and grilled chorizo on toast, duck egg en cocotte with wild mushrooms, Gruyère and truffle, or the ox cheek benedict with hollandaise and sriracha.
Where: Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY
What: Gaucho has devised the perfect way to enjoy those leisurely Saturdays as they can now be spent indulging in a bottomless brunch with endless Argentine bubbles, cocktails, fresh juices and delicious food, all to the sound of a live DJ.
Eat: As you’d expect, in true Gaucho style the Electro Brunch offers much more than your usual dining experience. Feast your way through a mighty all-inclusive menu with dishes including: eggs Benedict and eggs Florentine, oven baked chorizo sausage served with egg and mushrooms, and grilled provoleta cheese with sourdough;. Their churrasco de cuadril steak and fried egg is not to be missed and their chivito sandwich served with lomito picante, tomato, egg and bacon is damn good. For egg fans, try the smoked salmon with scrambled eggs or keep it sweet and opt for the banana pancakes and dulce de leche.
Where: Gaucho Piccadilly and Gaucho Smithfield