The new curfew hours are persuading some of the city's best restaurants into the brunch game. Here are the menus you need to be hitting up.
Allegra
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, 20 International Way, London E20 1FD
What’s new on the brunch scene, you ask? Have you frunched yet? As late nights for Londoners are currently off the table, the extension of the brunch scene beyond the weekend is where it’s at right now. Friday brunch or Frunch at Patrick Powell’s Stratford restaurant includes such delights as Cornish crab with potato latke, pickled fennel and sesame and a must-order truffled Croque Madame with baked ham and confit egg.
Follow them on Instagram: @allegrarestaurant
Brat
4 Redchurch St, Hackney, London E1 6JL
Tomos Parry doesn’t do anything by halves and his first brunch menu at Brat sounds pretty unmissable. There are wood-grilled flatbreads topped with lardo and rich egg yolks and Mangalitsa pork terrines on toast with plum jam. For fish or the day, opt for the hay-smoked kippers and onions.
Follow them on Instagram: @bratrestaurant
Daffodil Mulligan
70-74 City Rd, Old Street, London EC1Y 2BJ
Fresh from two blindingly good reviews from Jay Rayner and Marina O’Loughlin, Richard Corrigan has kept up momentum at Daffodil Mulligan with a new brunch menu. Porky treats like maple-glazed pork chops along with Mangalitza hash and fried egg both sound great but they’re also doing classic brunch dishes like eggs royale too.
Follow them on Instagram: @daffodilmulligan
Find out more about Daffodil Mulligan
Dumpling Shack
Old Spitalfields Market, Brushfield St, Spitalfields, London E1 6BG
Needing sustenance to browse Spitalfields Market at the weekend? Well, Dumpling Shack are bringing back their breakfast pancake, which will do the trick. It’s a crispy spring onion pancake filled with scrambled eggs, bacon and a spicy tomato relish. Order that with a glass of freshly made soy milk from Fen Noodles for a perfect Saturday brunch combo.
Follow them on Instagram: @dumplingshack
Find out more about Dumpling Shack
Flor
1 Bedale St, London SE1 9AL
There’s nothing basic about the new brunch menu at Flor in Borough Market. Their Friday and Saturday brunch dishes sound genuinely different to what everyone else is serving up. There’s smoked eel with sourdough waffle and black figs, Mozzarella in carrozza with fried egg and bottarga - or how about a Baghrir pancake with apple butter and anthotyros? We had to look that last one up (it’s a fresh Greek cheese).
Follow them on Instagram: @flor.london
Hicce
Unit 102, hicce x Wolf & Badger, Stable St, London N1C 4DQ
There’s plenty of space for alfresco brunching at Hicce in King’s Cross where Pip Lacey’s new dishes include beetroot cured smoked salmon on rye, served with a wasabi mayo along with Pastrami and Tomme de Savoie served on toasted sourdough. If you’ve a sweet tooth, how about pancakes with maple syrup rum bananas, bacon, chocolate and whipped cream?
Follow them on Instagram: @hiccelondon
Liv
18-22 Holbein Pl, Belgravia, London SW1W 8NL
At this Belgravia all-day spot, chefs Mark Jarvis and Joe Laker are upping the ante with a brunch menu that features luxe treats like a black truffle Monte Cristo sandwich along with plenty of veggie hits like sweetcorn and courgette fritters with poached eggs and a sweet chilli dressing or a compelling sounding beetroot carpaccio with coconut & wasabi yoghurt and a linseed cracker.
Follow them on Instagram: @livrestaurantgroup
Officina OO
156 Old St, London EC1V 9BW
Pasta lovers who also want to brunch should head straight to Officina 00 on Old Street for their new all-new weekend brunch menu. Head Chef Elia has created a Bergese carbonara - handmade pasta filled with pecorino romano, a runny egg yolk and topped with a rasher of crispy guanciale. There’s even a pasta brunch dessert option - a cacao ravioli filled with ricotta served with poached pear and cinnamon.
Follow them on Instagram: @officina00
Find out more about Officina OO
Queens of Mayfair
17 Queen St, Mayfair, London W1J 5PH
This new Mayfair spot hit the headlines recently for serving up the UK’s most expensive cup of coffee. The drink in question is a £50 Ethiopian “Cup of Excellence” that’s served in a crystal wine glass. But there are less pricey options on offer here too and brunch, which starts with a pastry basket for the table has options like vegan pancakes with caramelised banana, vegan cacao spread, coconut yoghurt and maple syrup or avocado on campagrain toast with halloumi and crushed hazelnuts. If you want to luxe it up, you can add freshly shaved truffles to pretty much everything.
Follow them on Instagram: @queensofmayfair
Find out more about Queens of Mayfair
Rondo
199-206 High Holborn, Holborn, London WC1V 7BD
This new British restaurant at The Hoxton is all about new takes on classic brunch dishes. So there's a Smoked Eel Kedgeree, a Reuben hash, N'duja Rochefeller Oysters and Crunchy peanut Blood cake & devilled fried egg bun. If it's a hangover you need to smash, opt for a Black Velvet or Smoky Bloody Mary.
Follow them on Instagram: @rondoldn
Sussex
63-64 Frith St, Soho, London W1D 3JW
If seasonal dishes are your bag, then brunch at the Gladwin Brothers’ Soho restaurant is for you - from the Truffled Eggs with Scottish Girolles and Nasturtium through to Wild Mimosas, seasonal Bellinis and Bloody Marys made with ingredients sourced from the Gladwin’s family farm, vineyard and surrounding wild countryside in West Sussex. They’re also serving Bloody Mary Oysters for £1 each and the Mushroom Marmite Eclairs sound worth a punt.
Follow them on Instagram: @sussex_resto
Townsend
77-82 Whitechapel High St, Shadwell, London E1 7QX
We’ve been seeing a lot of love for the Townsend brunch on Insta. The recurring dish of choice at this Whitechapel restaurant is the Townsend breakfast bun - a hangover-smashing delight featuring a Paddock Farm sausage patty, hash brown and fried duck egg topped with Townsend’s house-made brown sauce and served on a soft white roll. Lighter options include a potato cake with fried hen’s egg, buttered girolles, chili and sage or, more simply, berries, yoghurt and toasted oats.
Follow them on Instagram: @townsend_restaurant
Also see
In Mayfair, there's a new brunch on offer at Sartoria, that's ALL about the fizz. The Della Vite Brunch sees chef Francesco Mazzei pairing dishes to go with Della Vite Prosecco Superiore DOCG - a new drink from the Delevingne sisters - Chloe, Poppy and Cara. Dishes include The Italian Job, an Italian take on the full English breakfast (£13.00) and Eggs Barzotte - gratin soft boiled eggs with truffle. And there's a nice heated terrace with fur throws if you want to brunch alfresco.
Sexy Fish has just launched a Fantasy Brunch series with The House of Suntory. Expect music from the likes of DJ, Kaz James with special brunch cocktails including the Nāmaka with Toki Whisky, coconut, pineapple, yuzu, Campari and soda.
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