Brunch has quickly become my favourite past-time and I’m not even too sure why. Maybe it’s just the fact it’s an official name for something everyone loves to do (eating) or the combination of a simple activity and the unanimous desire to then daytime drink and catches up with friends at the same time. Either way, I love a brunch and they’re definitely here to stay.
When one of my close friends disclosed that we’d be brunching at the shard as a birthday gift I was overwhelmed. Partly due to the fact I only mentioned it in passing as a joke but the idea and gift definitely was a fun and enjoyable experience.
Our table was booked for 2pm at the iconic Gherkin tower. For a late-November afternoon, I didn’t have many expectations for the view. Luckily, the weather was dry throughout the day and due to the season the evening view made for great scenery and a good backdrop for taking pictures.
The meals came out pretty slow, which wasn’t too bad as it gave us time to talk and catch up in between. We were seated in between two groups who couldn’t have been polar opposites. On the left seemed like a Mother and daughter duo who sat next to each other. On my right was a group of women aged 50+ who gave me Sex & the city vibes, friendly and equally having an enjoyable afternoon too!
Starter
Simple and ineffective starter, hard to go wrong with pancakes. These were done beautifully, very soft with bacon cooked medium.
(I’m not a fan of bacon too crispy). The cream on top added a nice balance to the fresh sweetness of the strawberries.
Main Course
This was my least favourite course but only due to minor reasons. When the beef arrived I was presented with what seemed a more rare-medium than medium steak than I opted for. So if you’re someone that prefers well-done steaks definitely make the kitchen staff aware as soon as possible.
The Yorkshire pudding was massive and there wasn’t enough gravy (our server took the gravy pot and disappeared until the third course), which can make it very dry after a while. The roast potatoes in my opinion were crispy but could’ve done with more gravy too.
Dessert
This dessert reminded me of all the reasons why on every cooking show the chefs award a great presentation. When something tastes this delicious you can make it look how you want (to a degree) the flavours just speak for themselves.
I wish I could eat it all over again, the mix of blackberries with the crumble were just perfect.
Here’s to more boozy and non-boozy brunches with loved ones.
Thanks again Susan!