Freshly settled in London since a few months, I enjoy every single occasion I have to capture my tasty moments, equipped with my camera and my intuition. As well in my kitchen as in the Londonian streets, I permanently wander with my sharpened eyes to look for new flavours! Before to share with you our last updates here in Berlin, we make a yummy escape to London today, with Sarah from Sarahmènesafraise, who shares with us her tastiest spots for Brunch and sweet bites in the UK capital.
When I arrived in London a few months ago I was quite dubitative about the food I will find over there. Actually British food has not a good image especially when you come from France, the best food place in the world (from an objective point of view of course!). But I have to admit that I found some really amazing places to eat here with a diversity of products, cultures, and way of cooking.
Even if I have a notebook plenty of good spots I’ve tried to gather the 5 places that I really love and which deserve to be tested!
Barber & Parlour (Shoreditch)
If you want to see a movie, have a nice fresh juice, have your hair cut, buy some kitchenware you can do everything all at once at this incredible place. Barber & Parlour is a spacious and bright loft with an innovative concept. You can spend your all day there, just hanging around and enjoying a lazy afternoon.
I’ve tried the Brunch menu on Saturday, short but effective with a large choice of eggs, sourdough bread toasts and desserts. I chose a sourdough toast with salmon, eggs and greek yogurt with garlic which was fantastic. Also the kitchen is making organic and fresh smoothies that are delicious: I picked the one with mango, orange, passion fruit, maca and ginger, it was full of energy to start the day!
Home-made desserts are worth being tested as well, I tried the classic banoffee pie with cream, salted caramel and fresh bananas (photo) and as a dessert lover I can say that the balance between the different tastes was incredible.
Info: Barber & Parlour, 64-66 Redchurch St, London E2 7DP
MILK (Balham)
I must admit that I was not really motivated to discover this place at the beginning because it is located in a remote area from where I live in East London (about 1h of subway). Finally, I went there with a friend for a brunch and I immediately regretted to not have been there earlier. The place is cosy but a bit small, and really crowded on weekends so plan to wait 30-40min if you come for the brunch. But it definitely worth it! Almost all products, vegetables and fruits are organic with details about where they are coming from. The kitchen cooks local and British products in priority, so you will not be surprised to see that the apples of your smoothie are coming from farms around the London area.
I struggled to choose something among the large choice of the brunch menu, I tried the homemade crumpets with organic lavender honey and creamy goat cheese. Tasted like heaven… I also had a muffin with grated cheese, bacon and organic vegetables. And I heard that the buckwheat pancakes were completely insane…
Info: Milk, 20 Bedford Hill, London
Caravan (Exmouth Market)
There are some streets in London where you could think that you are in a small village lost in the countryside. It is exactly what I felt when I discovered Exmouth Market, a street filled with adorable shops, a beautiful church, shinny terraces and street food from Monday to Thursday. I immediately loved the spirit, the colours, the way of life full of energy and joy. At the beginning of the street (or at the end, depends the way you arrive!) there is Caravan, a rustic, organic and trendy restaurant, quite hard to define. The menu is full of seasonal vegetables, organic products, minimalist and simple dishes. I had a real crush for the coconut bread served with lemon curd and poached rhubarb. Amazing by its simplicity but also its taste. I would recommend this place for brunch but also for cosy afternoon to enjoy the terrace on the street and feel the dynamic of the place.
Info: Caravan, 11-13 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QD
LLS Café Deli (Hampstead)
I found this little deli by accident, while having a walk in the bucolic Hampstead borough, famous for its big and wild park. In the middle of nowhere, the small coffee is so adorable that you can’t take your eyes away from it. All their pastries are vegan raw, and organic, with original ingredients like Maca powder, Spiruline, Chia seeds… I must say that prices are a bit expensive but it is mainly due to the quality and the originality of their creations. I had a raw chocolate and raspberry tart, with raw crust made of date, sesame, cashew, coconut and a chocolate organic ganache. I’ve never eaten such a thing and it was really interesting to discover a new way of baking. All was beautiful and seemed delicious, I highly recommend this place to those who are sensitive to healthy and vegan baking trends because it shows you that you can do amazing things with healthy ingredients.
Info: LLS Café Deli, 95-, 97 Heath St, London NW3 6SS
Foxcroft & Ginger (Soho)
I first went to this coffee shop/restaurant for its scones, a British speciality that I love. It was served in the traditional way with clotted cream and apricot marmalade, and it was just perfect. Lately I came back to test another of their pastries and the discover I made changed my life: the cruffin, a mix between a croissant and a muffin! I know, I can imagine your perplex expression but I can assure you that it is really really good! And the coffee recently started to make pizza for dinner (with a real pizza oven), and delicious brunch as well so you can basically come at every hour of the day, there will always be something nice to eat!
Info: Foxcroft & Ginger, 3 Berwick Street, Soho, London, W1F 0DR
If you want to know more about nice place to eat or to see in London, but also sweet recipes do not hesitate to come and visit sarahmenesafraise.fr.
