London Brunches & Restaurants: a round up

A selection of great places to eat in London. Plus vegan brownies available by post

Thanks for the feedback last week, I won’t rush to record a voice note again. 😅 This from

Laura Goodman

soothed the general disinterest in voice notes. 🥰

It makes sense that you’re subscribed to a newsletter because you want to read. 🙃

I get it. I find it hard to listen to podcasts - or even audiobooks - these days. So much waffle that I can’t skim through the way I can with text. 😄

So, here’s lots of text! Plus pictures, of course!

If you’re new here, places/brands are in bold. Items are in bold and italics.

First, a quick heads up that Kapihan have opened a second, perhaps more convenient site, right by Battersea Park! I assume the same delicious buns and excellent hot chocolate. And seats!

📌 138 Battersea Park Rd, London SW11 4LY

🚆 Battersea Park / Queens Park Road

The other one is at

📌 547 Battersea Park Rd, London SW11 3BL

🚆 Clapham Junction

---

This week’s Delicious Things:

A round up of some great meals I’ve had in the last few months:

London restaurants

• Roe

• HENRI

• Acme Fire Cult

• Meraki

London Brunches

• Common Ground

• 26 Grains

Vegan brownies available across the U.K.

---

London restaurants

Roe

From the people behind Fallow, this meal was a dream. I was especially impressed by the deep fried “blooming” onion side dish that the waiter encouraged us to order.

I mean, when is something deep fried not good?

This was extra special. Combined with the homemade ketchup, pickled onions and garlic mayonnaise: utterly moresish.

Everything savoury we ordered:

• crown prince squash

• skewered miso cabbage

• burger

• mussels

• fries

• baked potato and cheese sauce

• heritage tomato salad

It was all excellent. Packed full of flavour. (Full and correct names on the menu above!)

Part of the Fallow / Roe team’s ethos is to use every possible part of the food to minimise the waste.

Hence…

Yes, that’s the banana skin.

(And the difference between natural and artificial light!)

But, as you can see from the second picture, not an actual banana underneath.

I loved trying it (it was part of the Caramelised banana parfait, peanut, toasted vanilla dessert) so much that I bought some organic bananas to have a go at home, along with the banana skin bacon recipe from PlantYou: Scrappy Cooking that had piqued my attention.

I cooked the savoury version beyond what Carleigh suggested (10 mins at 200 degrees) because I wanted them more crispy, but I took it too far and, though the colour didn’t change, they became acrid. 😔

The maple-soaked and sugar-sprinkled peels were still great and the savoury peel I tasted along the way was good.

I’d probably try it again.

Maybe dehydrate them at the end? I bought a dehydrator years ago (this one) and mostly only use it to make kale chips a few times a year (mainly to take on flights - anyone else read How Not To Die? 😬), but this weekend I dehydrated pineapple slices and they were so pretty! They also made the room smell amazing as they dried. They taste incredible; like the best candy you can imagine.

At Roe, the only dish I wasn’t excited by was the mint ice cream dessert (vienetta, mint chocolate cream, marigold), but I’m not especially keen on the peppermint. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I know (from running Ice Cream Tours) that there are a lot of mint choc chip lovers out there, so some people who will be happy to know about its existence!

📌 5 Park Dr, London E14 9GG

🚆 Canary Wharf

What’s nearby?

Canary Wharf looks so different compared to when I came to live in London (20 years ago this week! 😱). The trees have grown, along with more buildings. The green space is quite soothing, as are the smooth lines of the buildings, the water and general cleanliness. It almost feels like stepping into another country.

There is outdoor art in the area and a few small playgrounds nearby too. We saw people in a jacuzzi on a boat so if that, uh, floats your boat? (sorry)

---

HENRI

Jackson Boxer’s latest restaurant on the ground floor of the Henrietta Hotel (where Frenchie used to be). It’s French with a British twist.

It’s on soft launch this week so I went for 50% off the food bill. Every table had the duck fat fries and with good reason: they’re perfect.

I was also totally in love with the two desserts we tried:

Royal Opera Torte, Pedro Ximinez

and

Chocolate Sabayon Cake, Yoghurt Sorbet

Using quality chocolate like Original Beans, as they do here, and at their other restaurants, makes all the difference!

HENRI

📌 14, 15 Henrietta St, London WC2E 8QH

🚆 Covent Garden

---

Acme Fire Cult

It was a while ago that I went to Acme Fire Cult, but I realise I never told you about it and that is a travesty.

It’s every bit as good as I was told it was (very).

We ate two bowls of the roasted potatoes (well, Maya ate most of them as that was all she’d eat 🤪) and one of every other vegetarian option on the menu (5 vegetarians in our group!). Everything was delicious. There were so many exciting vegetarian options, perfect for sharing. I loved it. Desserts were fabulous, too.

Sorry the photos aren’t that great, or of everything. I was with friends and trying not to let the food get cold, especially as we were on our way to the theatre. I included a screenshot a menu from today which is pretty similar to when we went in March.

The restaurant centres, unsurprisingly when you hear the name, on cooking over fire, with much of the seating outside, but sheltered and warm. It’s got a great, relaxed vibe.

It’s run by Andrew Clarke, whose food I first tasted and loved at Jackson Boxer’s Brunswick House restaurant in Vauxhall. It’s still sensational. Both men are big proponents of supporting men’s mental health. They’re inspiring to watch.

📌 Abbot St, London E8 3DP

🚆 Dalston Junction / Dalston Kingsland

What’s nearby?

It shares a platform with a brewery. If you’re into beer you can get a drink there first. Don’t make the same mistake as me and use their bathrooms instead. 😳 AFC have some inside.

Dusty Knuckle is next door if you go for lunch and want to get bread to take home!

It’s also right next to Arcola Theatre if you fancy checking out a play.

---

Meraki

This is an elegant Greek restaurant in Marylebone. I’ve been twice this year now. They have an excellent set lunch and a Sunday and Monday brunch package that will make it more affordable to visit, if it piques your interest.

The first time we went we didn’t have room for dessert, but they brought excellent truffles and cookies as a Mother’s Day gift and a voucher to come again, hence the second visit (we spent our own money, too).

This mushroom orzo was excellent.

It’s definitely on the pricey side (though it kind of feels like everywhere is now… thanks to all that money printing… 😒), but the ingredients are excellent and it’s probably in line with the other restaurants I’ve mentioned here. Live music plays on the weekend.

📌 80-82 Great Titchfield St., London W1W 7QT

🚆 Oxford Circus / Great Portland Street/

---

London Brunches

brunch/ lunch at Common Ground

I was invited here for a group brunch by Poppy of Munch Brunch Kids. I had only vaguely heard of it before and was surprised to discover they have an in house pastry chef, Mathilde. The only thing they buy in is the viennoiserie.

The advantage of invites like this is being able to try everything on the menu so I can guide you what to order. 😊

My absolute favourite thing was the ginger basque cheesecake. One of the best I’ve had. My second favourite thing surprised me as being the breakfast bowl (£8) with salted maple granola, nuts, poached stone fruit, berry compote, seasonal fruit and yoghurt (coconut available),

I loved the savoury options, too. The latke was fab, though I’d probably order the Summer Nourish bowl (£13.40), both delicious and healthful and it leaves space for the cheesecake. 😄

Everything is vegetarian, but it’s not something they shout about. You might not have noticed if I hadn’t told you (unless you’re going with a hardcore carnivore!).

I love that there are so many options, it almost feels like Melbourne. 😄 The garden space is huge and gorgeous. Definitely one to eat at this summer!

📌 49 Stroud Green Rd, Finsbury Park, London N4 3EF

🚆 Finsbury Park (also Crouch Hill)

(Invite)

What’s nearby?

On Sundays from 10am: Stroud Green Market with artisan by food and non food items.

---

26 Grains

This feels like old guard London brunch now, but it had been a while since I’d been. It’s tiny but worth getting there early, or waiting. I’d never normally order porridge but their options are so inventive. I loved the loquat and lemon syrup one below. The matcha and hot chocolate were great, too.

📌 1 Neal's Yard, London WC2H 9AW

🚆 Covent Garden

What’s Nearby?

Neal’s Yard is a hidden oasis of colour in Covent Garden that attracts all the Instagrammers.

St John’s Bakery and The Barbary Next Door are also there, selling baked goods, and Neal’s Yard Dairy is on Short’s Gardens with incredible cheese. It more or less backs onto 26 Grains.

Do you have any brunch places you love in your city? Please share them with this Delicious Things community!

---

something wherever you are in the UK:

Cake or Death vegan brownies (gifted)

I really loved the peanut butter brownies Katie sent me during the pandemic so I was excited to try these Father’s Day special ones with Love Raw wafer chocolate bars, “notella” (a chocolate hazelnut praline spread, in case you didn’t guess), peanut butter swirled through and then sprinkled with peanuts and hazelnuts, were just as delicious. Perfect for any vegans in your life.

Buy them here. (not an affiliate link)

---

Thanks for reading!

I’d love to know what you’d most like to eat from this list?

Your top 5 desserts? London brunch or restaurant recommendations?

ALSO, if you have restaurant, bakery or cafe recommendations for Oxford or Barcelona to share for future newsletters please leave them below! 🙏

I have lots of bakery things to tell you about and more interviews to share but, as usual, this is already long!

Until next time…

Wishing you love and happy eating,

Jen xx