BRUNSWICK HOUSE CAFE

Another Sunday roast organized by Mr P. before he flew off to warmer climates for the next few weeks! This time at Brunswick House in Vauxhall that I have been meaning to go to in a long time.

Located just down the road from the station, I blindly followed Mr P. as he led me to walk across the wide highway - I'm sure that there was a safer option somewhere, like a proper traffic-crossing... 

I had a good feeling about the place the moment I stepped through the doors. Home to the architectural salvage company Lassco, the room was filled with all sorts of furniture and gaudy chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings. A random mix of quirky items and decor that gave it a bit of a Bohemian feel.

There is a bar at the front by the entrance with a more casual cafe seating area where you can have a coffee, whilst the restaurant area is towards the back of the room, past the elephants...

After some drinks at the bar, we proceeded to our table, hungry and ready to devour the feast that was to be laid before us.

A couple of jugs of Bloody Marys were brought to the table to start us off, with some warm sourdough bread and butter.

Mr P. was raving about the ogleshield churros which were really moreish, and way tastier then regular churros. I have limited knowledge about cheese, but basically ogleshield is an unpasteurised brine-washed, Jersey milk cow's cheese. Served with gremolata that had fresh, zesty flavours. Both the duck rillettes and brawn were also very good, served on toasted sourdough bread and some mustard on the side which gave a nice hint of spiciness.

| Ogleshield Churros & Gremolata |

| Duck Rillettes |

| Brawn, Fermented Pickles & Mustard |

I was initially unsure about how the horseradish with oat and dandelion would come out as, but it was much better than what I had visualized. It had a soft and smooth panna cotta / pudding-like texture, and I really liked the oat biscuits. 

The onion dish also really did it for me.

| Horseradish, Oat & Dandelion |

| Celeriac, Roscoff Onions & Mushroom Broth |

A good Sunday roast is always accompanied by equally amazing sides. I helped myself to a good portion of the cauliflower dish, not giving a care about how much butter that went into the making of it - so good.

I don't usually eat much potatoes, but I just couldn't resist those new potatoes which were coated in delicious anchovy paste.

There was also some really good charred hispi cabbage with lemon mayonnaise that has somehow been missed by my camera...it was scrumptious.

| Cauliflower |

| New Potatoes & Anchovy |

And now for the main star of the show.

Wait for it...

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TA-DAAA...!

Yeah, some things require a lot of imagination and visualization skills.

In case you weren't aware of it already...

Anyway, 

Roast Lamb Leg - Take II: 

There you go...

Look at all that succulent meat, that lovely pink centre...

Definitely not one for the vegetarians...

And to top it all off, a trio of sweet desserts. The bourbon biscuit with custard was probably my favourite amongst them.

Brunswick House is in a bit of an odd location, but it sure is a a delightful place to be in once you step inside this Georgian mansion. Lovely ambience, great food and efficient service - I would definitely recommend a visit.

The Cheekster, signing out x

BRUNCH AT ONE CANADA SQUARE

Anything sweet always catches my eye, and I got a little excited when I saw that One Canada Square was doing a special Ice Cream for Breakfast Day menu.

They were also doing their Bottomless Brunch Menu that day which obviously tempted the both of us to go for the two course option, hence enabling us to save space for dessert later on.

I don't usually drink much during the day, but it was a weekend after all...and I just could not resist having the raspberry bellinis.

For starters, we ordered the smoked salmon and the soft shell crab 'Benedict'. The smoked salmon was a nice, light option, although the blini were quite flat and not quite fluffy enough.

We both really liked the soft shell crab 'Benedict' which was light and crisp, and the egg had a lovely runny centre.

| Oak smoked salmon served with caperberries, horseradish cream and potato blini |

| Soft shell crab 'Benedict', jalapeno hollandaise |

I ordered the steak tartare as my main, the portion slightly smaller than I was expecting, but nicely presented with lovely vibrant colours. I liked the texture of the meat which thankfully was not minced up too much or overly seasoned. 

WK had the Dorset crab linguini which was also quite tasty.

| Steak tartare, hen's yolk, French fries |

| Dorset crab linguini, chilli oil |

The dessert selection from the brunch menu looked pretty decent, but I already had my eye on the Ice Cream for Breakfast Day menu...
We were surprisingly the first table to order from their Ice Cream menu - I would never pass on the chance to have ice cream at any time of the day...

Pan fried peanut butter and jam sandwich served with maple cured bacon ice cream. I loved every single ingredient listed in the description, so I knew that I was definitely going to enjoy this. The bread was nice and crisp, and sandwiched between them were scrumptious layers of peanut butter and jam. And that bacon ice cream was just calling out to me...

The hot ricotta cakes were stacked up with pieces of bacon strips in between, and topped off with creamy blueberry ripple ice cream.

The food overall was tasty and good value for money as well, especially if you opt for the bottomless brunch. Service was also efficient, and they made sure that my bellini was always replenished...
There is also live piano music on Friday nights, and Saturday brunch and evenings, which is always a nice touch.
A place to consider if you're looking for brunch options, and I would recommend making a reservation as they do get booked up, especially on weekends.

The Cheekster, signing out x

 

HIGH SOCIETY TEA AT HOTEL CAFE ROYAL

Sunday afternoon tea two weekends in a row...my 'February detox' isn't quite going as according to planned...

But wait, I don't do detoxes...

So here I was indulging in yet another Sunday afternoon tea, this time in the iconic Oscar Wilde Bar at Hotel Café Royal - formerly the iconic Grill Room which has been exquisitely restored to its authentic Louis XVI detailing. 

Originally established in 1865, it is now the place to enjoy Afternoon tea during the day and Champagne, sparkling wine and a light menu in the evening, complemented by a further programme of live entertainment.

 Nestled between the elegance of Mayfair and the creativity of Soho, this is the space where great minds came together to change the world. It is in this very room that Oscar Wilde fell in love with Lord Alfred Douglas, Aubrey Beardsley debated with Whistler, David Bowie retired Ziggy Stardust and Mick Jagger, the Beatles and Elizabeth Taylor danced the night away. 

There's a bit of history to start you off on a beautiful Sunday.

Dropping off our coats at the entrance, we were then shown to our table at the back of the grand room, embellished in extravagant gold detailing, vast mirrors and renaissance painted ceilings.

We were first served a glass of Veuve Clicquot champagne whilst we perused the selection of teas.

I went for the Oscar, an authentic and historic Lapsang Souchong, whilst Lili chose the Celestine, a soft black China tea with sweet Madagascan vanilla pod and pretty cornflowers - both from the Exclusive Blends selection.

We were then told that we were going to be served everything from the High Society tea menu, which was music to my ears... 

Oh, and did I mention that there was also a pianist playing lovely music on the stunning grand piano...

The amuse bouche was a 'Low Sidecar Muffin', filled with a luscious swirl of truffle cream cheese and a plastic pipette on the side which contained apple juice.

Soft and fluffy with a smooth, creamy centre - a great start to what was yet to come.

Then came our three-tiered stand of tea sandwiches. Starting from the top was the wild boar crackling, pickled apple and mustard bun, and a light and crunchy pastry filled with chorizo.

On the second tier was the Mary Rose prawn cocktail, which was Lili's favourite, and the goat's cheese puff and sweet wine jelly.

And the final tier were a couple of sandwiches - London Cure smoked salmon and quail's egg, and "cucumber and cream cheese".

A much more interesting selection as opposed to the usual white and brown bread sandwiches.

As a palate cleanser, we were served some refreshing iced fruit tea and a cute piece of fluffy marshmallow. I have never had a palate cleanser during afternoon tea, but I loved it.

There were two types of scones, traditional golden raisin and plain scones, with dishes containing clotted cream and lemon curd and strawberry and gold preserve.

Warm, fluffy, buttery scones...Sundays were made for this.

And last but not least was a beautiful and vibrant tray of sweet pastries: "Profile 66", "Opera 1865", Seasonal flower pot, Absinthe Green Fairy macaron, Pear Regent, and cream filled choux.

My favourite was probably the cute little seasonal flower pot and the petite choux buns. I truly love macarons, but although it had a nice crunch and sticky texture, the taste of Absinthe may not have quite been my cup of tea.

I have just realized that we weren't offered the selection of cakes from the counter. Apparently there was a lemon drizzle cake, cazzette nut and traditional fruit cake...

I may have been stuffed, but I would never turn down a good cake.

Overall, it was indeed a truly decadent afternoon tea experience, and I would definitely recommend a visit, whether it be for a special celebration, or if like me, you just fancy an occasional treat every now and then...

The Oscar Wilde Bar is open daily for afternoon tea from 12pm - reservations are recommended.

The Cheekster, signing out x