Tag Archives: brunch

Foxcroft & Ginger, Soho

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I’ve popped into Foxcroft & Ginger before for a cup of coffee, but never had a chance to experience the food which sits so temptingly at the till.

This little cafe on Berwick Street battles with numerous Soho eateries for the custom of the creative professionals who reside in this arty area. My first internship was stationed only moments up the road so it’s surprising I haven’t sampled the place sooner.

Foxcroft and Ginger intends to inspire with its alternative and tasty food, interestingly flavoured muffins and epic sandwiches, however this cafe thrives predominantly because of its expertly made Monmouth coffee. This cute independent café is cool and trendy – vintage flags and antique furniture adorn the interior, mismatched teacups and plates are retro and original.

I had fresh orange juice and a creamy cappuccino which was delicious with a rich roasted taste. Choosing what to eat was more challenging. I eventually opted for the Rhubarb and Custard muffin and my friend chose the very eccentric red Superfood muffin. It was a lovely breakfast. The muffin was light and full of flavour, crispy and sweet on top with a gooey centre marbled with custard and soft apple… a very inventive and exciting combination and the ideal accompaniment for my coffee.

Aside from the reasonably priced and appetising food, Foxcroft and Ginger is a great place to hang out and chat with friends. Most of the cafes in Soho are busy and raucous, queuing is usually mandatory, but this little shop is the opposite, and on a lazy Saturday morning it was the perfect place to gossip and relax.

Visit the Foxcroft & Ginger website here.

Lazy Loaf Brunch at Bread Street Kitchen

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On Sunday the clocks went forward and it was the most beautiful spring day. Feeling incredibly proud of myself after an exhausting run round the park I felt brunch was a rightful prize. I visited Gordon Ramsay’s newest venture in St Pauls, Bread Street Kitchen when it first opened six months ago and was delighted to be returning to try the brunch menu.

The ambience of Bread Street Kitchen on a Sunday morning encourages a leisurely meal. A band play classics in one corner of the huge first floor dining room and groups of friends sit laughing or reading the weekend newspapers. The new Lazy Loaf Sunday Brunch menu, focused around the concept of a relaxed and languid meal seems to be bringing in the hungry hordes.

We had resisted eating all morning so we could indulge, a ploy I’d definitely recommend as there is so much to try. We ordered Ricotta hot cakes with berries and honeycomb butter, Bacon and egg roll, Ham hock hash with fried duck egg and BSK steak sandwich, caramelised onions and garlic mayonnaise with hand-cut chips. It was a feast of delectable dishes, cooked to perfection and presented beautifully.

The ricotta hot cakes are a little like scotch pancakes, quite thin but dense. If I’m honest I have tried better, and recently my pancake expectations have risen considerably. The flavour was nice but I would have appreciated a dollop of crème fraiche or cream to contrast with the sweetness. It is immediately obvious that BSK use the highest quality ingredients: the eggs had such vibrant orange yolks, I was mesmerised by the colour. The ham hock hash was a lovely little dish, a carefully stacked assortment of elements, contrasting perfectly in flavour and texture. My steak sandwich was divine, a sloppy sandwich with thin sliced grilled meat and the sweetest onions. The chips are triple fried and consequently contain triple the calories but are also three times as yummy with a crunchy crispy outer edge and soft fluffy potato inside. Along with our food, fresh orange juices and frothy cappuccinos arrived.

After eating, we indulged in a couple of BSK special brunch cocktails. The Lazy Loaf brunch offers a whole plethora of Bloody Mary opportunities… the DIY Bloody Mary buffet is found at the bar – here you can concoct and customise your own perfect Bloody Mary choosing from the array of ingredients. I found this idea very appealing but I’m not a big tomato juice fan so instead opted for a Marmalade Fizz made with Bombay Sapphire Gin, Marmalade, Demerara syrup and egg white, and my friend chose the Corpse Reviver #2 with Bambay Sapphire Gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, Pernod and Absinthe. Both cocktails were very strong, my Marmalade Fizz was a unique twist of flavours with inventive use of the breakfast jam, sweet and sour with a frothy top from the egg. The Corpse Reviver was even more lethal with a kick from the absinthe, an eccentric mix of ingredients making a full bodied drink.

Bread Street Kitchen’s Lazy Loaf offers the ultimate Brunch experience with good food and good music, all in all a great place to spend a Sunday morning.

Visit the Bread Street Kitchen website here.

Best Brunch in Balham at Harrisons

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I used to come to Balham quite often, only out of necessity though, to get on the Northern line or nip into Sainsburys for a quick shop. Not once did I consider visiting this area of south London to hang out or enjoy a boutique brunch, I always assumed Balham didn’t have that kind of eatery on offer. Harrisons however provides a reason to visit Balham and I would happily do the lengthy journey again for food of this calibre.

Brunch is a tricky meal to get right… you have to provide equally for the breakfast crowd and the hungrier lunch lovers. There must be sweet and savoury options, light and heavier dishes, and a whole range of drinks from Bloody Mary cocktails to revitalising fresh orange juice and wakeup worthy cappuccinos and comforting teas.

Harrison’s glittering sign draws you from the street into the large New York style diner. A sibling of Sam’s Brasserie in Chiswick, this restaurant will appeal to everyone, it has a jolly vibe and welcoming staff. The tables are cosy and casually surround the busy kitchen, the food is absolutely delicious and perfect for a relaxed weekend meal.

A typical west London girl, I was quite out of my comfort zone this far south… but bumping into an old (also west London) school friend proved Harrison’s popularity. After a refreshing non-alcoholic strawberry cocktail at the bar, we took a seat, starving and SO ready for a feast. Enamoured by the Buttermilk pancake stack at Sam’s, I couldn’t resist a comparison test here: served with smoky bacon and maple syrup for my friend and blueberry compote and crème fraiche for me. To pick a favourite between the two options would be impossible as both excel. Usually I don’t like sweet and savoury combinations but the marriage of high quality bacon and sweet fat pancakes just works: melting, perfect mouthfuls. The pancakes here are cooked to perfection, soft and light but plump and flavoursome. The fruity compote and dollop of rich crème fraiche option are absolutely divine.

For second course (there were far two many yummy options to have only one course each) I tried the popular cheeseburger and my guest opted for the epic steak sandwich. The chips here are just right: thin, crispy and salty, definitely worth considering when ordering a burger or sandwich meal. The steak sandwich was juicy and full of flavour with sloppy onion and grain mustard. I really enjoyed the burger: well seasoned meat with luscious melted cheese, crisp salad and red onion… the only problem was the lack of tomato… one of my favourite elements in a burger. We finished off the meal with coffees… my friend politely demanded a vanilla skinny latte; I was very impressed that Harrisons had the ingredients to offer this and came back with a beautiful sunset coffee in a tall glass, so pretty that I regretted my boring cappuccino choice.

At Harrisons you will find the best brunch in Balham and I think it would be hard to find better anywhere in South London.

Visit the Harrisons website here for more information and to book.