Breakfast Wednesdays

short notice I know (though it has been warned of previously) but the next breakfast will be at Roast in Borough Market this Wednesday from 7:30ish

more info about the place itself, including where it is (just round the corner from London Bridge station) can be found here http://www.roast-restaurant.com/

and the all important menu here http://www.roast-restaurant.com/library/breakfastmenu.pdf

by the look of things, as we’ll be there on a Wednesday, the daily special will be Griddled sirloin steak, baked tomato and fried egg, which sounds quite nice; personally though I will almost certainly be ordering the Borough Breakfast

but pictures will have to do for the moment

July’s breakfast will be at the Breadline Sandwich Bar just over the road from Charing Cross Station (and next to the Pizza Express on the corner)

Now a quick heads up on next month, which we’re thinking of doing at Roast near London Bridge; it’s another one of these proper restaurant affairs so we may have to book and as such need an idea of numbers so if you’re planning to come please let us know (it will be on 11th August) cheers

Breakfasting venue: Breadline Sandwich Bar

Date of Breakfasting: Wednesday 14th July

Time: 7:30am – 8:30am … drop in whenever!

Nearest tube is: Charing Cross

Location: 4 Duncannon Street, WC2N 4JF

Breakfasting venue:  Cafe Posini

Date of Breakfasting: Wednesday 9th June

Time: 7:30am – 8:30am … drop in whenever!

Nearest tube is: Oxford Circus

Location: 29 Poland Street, London, W1F 8QR

The Cinnamon Club promises much – and delivers in style.  The cheapest breakfast in town it certainly isn’t, but you get a great atmosphere, a good breakfast and a unique menu – there won’t be many other places you can get a kedgeree, uttapam,  a full English and a Continental breakfast all on the same sheet.

The one thing you cannot argue with at the Cinnamon Club is presentation.  There’s simply no denying that a kedgeree such as this is a thing of beauty and as much a delight to the eyes as to the lips.

The full English has the distinction of a not only being firmly centred around a chunky, flavoursome sausage of the sort that makes Walls executives weep quietly in the night, but also of featuring both black and white puddings.  It has to be said that the tomato is the let-down here, not quite cooked enough to bring the full flavour out.

Also, it was a little disappointing to only get a section of mushroom.  Could they really not throw in a whole mushroom? Really? However, it does fit in to the overall theme of ‘quality, not quantity’ that resonated through.  Toast was similarly superb, but likewise in short supply.

Orange juice was good, but slightly bitterer than expected – perhaps a dash of grapefuit mixed in there?   One disappointment was that with larger bookings (over 6), only a reduced breakfast menu is provided meaning that Uttapam and the Bombay curried egg were not available.   Is it cheating to say that I went back the next week and tried the Uttapam?  Perhaps – but I did, and it was delicious with a fantastically tangy chutney to complement the rice and vegetable pancake … and the little dish of lentil broth that comes with it is heavenly.

So … price.  It won’t amaze you to know that the Cinnamon Club is not a cheap eat.   But for what you get, I would say it’s pretty decent as long as you know what you’re letting yourself in for.   And, of course … check on www.toptable.co.uk to see if you can grab yourself the Buy One, Get One Free breakfast deal.  You won’t regret it!  (Our tab came to about £8 each, with all the coffees and juices and a service charge included)

Sometimes an opportunity to good to miss presents itself, one which it would be a crime to miss.  Such is the fabulous offer available at TopTable.co.uk of a BOGOF Breakfast at the Cinnamon Club.

Yup, two swanky exotic breakfasts for the price of one – there’s basically no choice to make here except when to go, and given that the offer expires on 4th June, our May breakfast is set.

IMPORTANT – we need to book in advance for the 2 for 1 offer. Everyone who has notified me by email, phone, message here, or on Facebook by the morning of Monday 10th May, I will book a place for. If you see this later, you are welcome to come along but may have to pay full price – or you could find a friend and book yourself in

May will also be  the debut of the all-new Breakfast rating sheet.  Expect also to see shortly, a retrospective ranking of all the places we’ve been so far!

Breakfasting venue:  The Cinnamon Club

Date of Breakfasting: Wednesday 12th May

Time: 7:30am prompt!  The breakfasts are all ordered and arrive together, so timely arrival is a necessity on this occasion.

Nearest tube is: Westminster/St James’s Park

Location: The Old Westminster Library, Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3BU

It has to be said that the most memorable part of breakfast at Chandos was hearing the story of the one-armed motorcyclist related in full at least three times in increasing volume from the neighbouring table.  As enthralling and illuminating as the anecdote was,  by the third time round it was distinctly underwhelming.

Nevertheless, to the food itself – as a quintessential greasy-spoon fry-up, it was the perfect contrast last month’s glamour and glitz at Simpsons in the Strand.  Mushrooms on toast proved to be a most satisfying heap of fried fungi

The breakfast special was a good value meal, of which the sausage was definitely the standout component – chunky, perfectly browned, and full of flavour.  Toast was provided in generous quantities and the bacon, although nothing to shout about, was not below-par.   The glistening mushrooms slipped down very nicely, and came in pleasing quantity and the egg was entirely adequate.

Overall, breakfast at Chandos was satisfactory with nothing to really let it down.  Its full English offering had little that stood out beside the sausage, but our experience suggests that the alternative options stand up well rather than simply being there to fill out the menu.

Breakfasting venue: Chandos Sandwich Bar

Date of Breakfasting: Wednesday 14th April

Time: As per usual – 7:30am – 8:30am, drop in whenever!

Nearest tube is: Charing Cross / Leicester Square

Location: 60 Chandos Place, WC2N 4HG

Breakfast at Simpsons in the Strand (SITS) was certainly an experience.  From start to finish.  Our intrepid new breakfaster confused the lady at the door immensely.  “Are you here for the British Venture Capitalists Association breakfast with Lord Myners?” she asked innocently.  Resisting the no-doubt overpowering urge to just say yes and head upstairs for a free nosh-up amongst the shiny suit brigade, our gallant new-joiner made his way instead to be seated in the Grand Divan.

Trying not to look to hard or too long at the prices, the group quickly demonstrated a range of appetites for risk versus reward.  The more cautious opted merely for the full English breakfast, comprising Cumberland sausage, scrambled egg, streaky and back bacon, Stornoway black pudding, fried mushrooms, baked tomato & Egg .  The aspiring venture capitalists among us calculated that the £2 further investment required in order to secure an additional lamb kidney, fried bread, bubble & squeak and baked beans was sufficiently modest to offset the risk of being unable to finish the platter.

An immensely well-dressed waiter materialised soundlessly at the end of the table to take our orders, and with these safely placed, the anticipation now began in earnest.   Now, while it is true that anticipation plays a key role in the ultimate enjoyment of a waited for pleasure, one thing that Simpsons might well consider is that it may actually be possible to have too much of a good thing.  In the case of anticipation for breakfast, anything over 10-15 minutes is definitely too much.  However what is really going over the top is, after that 10-15 minutes,  to bring out a platter of breakfasts, place them down at the waiter’s station in full view of your expectant eaters  … studiously examine the order sheet for two or three minutes, and whisk them all back to the kitchen again without a word.

To give credit where due, our waiting was punctuated by a fairly constant stream of toast (delivered warm and in proper toast racks), pastries (delectable array presented on a silver platter), tea, coffee, and orange juice (served gracefully and unobtrusively by the liveried waiter).  However there comes a point where even the most hearty devourer of morning-time morsels might begin to question whether indulging in such gluten-gluttony before gleefully galloping through the Ten Deadly Sins might not result in very down-to-earth repercussions.

It was also at this point that the individual among us who had opted to sample the Bircher muesli ahead of his ten deadly sins became the object of general envy.  To the unitiated (which included most of us), this is a special kind of muesli where the oats have been soaked in fruit juice overnight before serving.  Having had a taste, I can confirm that it is in fact supremely delicious.

Fortunately I can report that the breakfast proper, when it arrived, was similarly excellent.  A good, meaty sausage cooked just right took centre stage, and the bacon accompanying was tender and tasty.  The eggs were perhaps slightly overdone, being a little crispy at the edges – but had firm whites and splendidly runny yolks – just as should be.  The accompanying tomato and mushrooms were delivered to similarly high standard – and the all important black pudding was moist and well formed, not falling prey to that dryness that can afflict the lesser contenders in this field.

Those opting for the full sin-fest reported good things for the kidneys and fried bread – and the bubble and squeak proved somewhat unique, coming not in the usual slab but a spherical form, looking rather like a scotch egg.  Nevertheless, it was reported to be a fine example of this often overlooked breakfast delicacy.

So, although somewhat slow from order to eating, Simpsons did eventually redeem itself.  The quality of the food is certainly very good – but not really warranting the quite eye-watering prices.  You are paying at least as much for the service and the surroundings as for the edible portion of the experience.  A high-scoring breakfast, but one that won’t be repeated often!