With an ever-growing list of locations around London, The Gentlemen Baristas is an excellent destination for a low-key brunch, with an informal yet lovely cafe vibe and a small but well-considered menu of breakfast staples. The new Mayfair site, next to The Guinea Grill just off Berkeley Square, is one of the smaller locations, yet it has the atmosphere of a lovely, tucked-away secret. While the coffee is undoubtedly excellent, don't come only for the takeout. Smoked salmon open sandwiches, waffles with coffee cream, and smashed avocado on toast - all of your favorites, plus a selection of delectable pastries, are available here. VC The Gentlemen Baristas, 34 Bruton Place, London W1J 6NR, as well as locations across the city.
Who doesn't like a good pancake? That is the straightforward notion behind this colorful new addition to Southwark's Flat Iron Square, and it seems to be working; on my visit, I had to wait 20 minutes for a table. It's easy to understand why: the buttermilk beauties served here have exactly the right amount of sourness while remaining substantial and moist without being stodgy. In other words, flawless. The cuisine is divided into sweet and savory sections. Consider the Hummingbird, which has cinnamon-poached pineapple, crumbled meringue, and a strewn of tiny flowers. That's very fancy, isn't it? Or the Instagram-worthy Dutch Babies, which are cooked in the oven and served in a large black frying pan, billowing like huge Yorkshire puddings blotched with goat cheese, cheddar, and parmesan. While this is a little more involved than a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of sugar, or ragged bacon pieces with a drizzle of maple syrup, they are still available if you want something simpler.
Breakfast is brimming with the same Mediterranean-meets-Middle-Eastern flavors as the rest of the menu. Pancakes are served in a fluffy stack of three, topped with cardamom cream and tart plum compote. If you're looking for something savory, the poached eggs are served with crisp za'atar flatbread, a big dollop of butternut hummus, and a kick of chilli tomatoes. Additional brunch favorites get an Ottolenghi makeover: green shakshuka is topped with duck egg and focaccia, and avocado is layered on top of jalapeo cornmeal for a sophisticated spin on avo toast. The area is light and airy, with plenty of pale wood and vivid flashes of color provided by the red banquette seating and patterned bar stools. At brunch, the semi-circle bar is bustling but not overcrowded. This makes it an ideal spot to spend a little hazy Saturday morning â you wonât be hurried, but wait staff will check on often enough to ensure you feel taken care of. You'll depart feeling proud for having eaten so well and spent the weekend in such a wonderful location.
"They return an hour later, stopping at Uncle Emsley's gate. The sheep person assisted her in exiting, and they stood for a time, exchanging phrases in a sprightly and sagacious manner. And then this feathered Jackson mounts his horse, lifts his little stewpot cap, and trots off toward his mutton ranch. By this time, I'd emptied the sand from my boots and dislodged myself from the prickly pear; and by the time he's a half-mile out of Pimienta, I'm singlefooting beside him on my bronc." I said that snoozer has pink eyes, although he did not. His vision was adequate, but his eyelashes were pink and his hair was sandy, which gave you the notion. Sheep man?—he wasn't much more than a lamb man, in any case—a little creature with his neck wrapped in a yellow silk handkerchief and his shoes bound in bowknots.
