Breakfast Wednesdays

Spring has sprung, and in particular the second Wednesday of May has sprung upon us rather more quickly than I had realised.  A hasty decision on tomorrow’s breakfast venue is therefore required.  I have thus determined to return to another fabled breakfast venue of yore – the legendary Cock Tavern. 

The entrance is rather unassuming (see below) so don’t miss it.  For reference, the write-up of our previous visit way back in ’08, is here

Breakfasting venue: The Cock Tavern

Date of Breakfasting: Wednesday 8th May

Time: 8:00am – 8:45am

Nearest tube is:  Farringdon / Barbican / Chancery Lane

Location: East Poultry Avenue, Smithfield, London, EC1A 9LH

This month’s breakfasting location is a well-established establishment, having been around since 1757.  Despite this, it has strong claim to being more modern than our last eatery – being the first such place to employ female waitresses at the turn of the 19th Century.

Besides which, several other aspects make it a necessary visit – for a start, how can you not go to a place that resides at number thirty-eight and a half?  Not to mention that we’ve been for lunch there and it’s outstanding.  Stewed cheese for dessert … mmmm!

Breakfasting venue: Simpsons Tavern

Date of Breakfasting: Wednesday 18th April

Time: 8:00am – 8:45am

Nearest tube is:  Bank

Location: Ball Court, 38 1/2 Cornhill, Bank, London, EC3V 9DR

If ever there was an argument for reclaiming modernity from the graveyard it was consigned to by the arrival of the brave new world of post-modernity, then The Modern Pantry is surely it. There’s no meta-narrative in the menu, the architecture and decor thankfully free from deconstructivist tendencies and the food itself – like the building, the tableware, and the staff – is well presented, interesting and high calibre.

What’s more, it successfully melds the non-negotiable elements of good breakfast with streaks of inspiring originality. This is maybe more important than you think – there’s nothing worse than a place so self-consciously devoted to ‘creativity’ that the core of the breakfast experience is lost. Likewise no heart will ever be lifted by a plate loaded with all the right ingredients but thrown together without care or attention.

But at the Modern Pantry you need have no fear of such a fate. Our intrepid breakfasters took a sample of fare from across the whole menu. I opted for the closest approximation I could find to a full English – two fried eggs, toast, grilled chorizo, caramelised plantain fritters, slow-roast vine ripened tomatoes (with a side platter of halloumi). My compatriots respectively took the sugar cured New Caledonian prawn omelette (with green chilli, spring onions, coriander, smoked chilli sambal) and a polenta and avocado pancake with bacon and maple syrup.

Service was prompt and friendly, the coffee hot and musky and the food was pretty much exactly as good as it sounds – which is always the way it should be. It’s all terribly boho-cum-hipster in decor and style, and typical patron seems to reflect this. If that’s your thing then this place will be like a second home to you – but even if not, the food more than stands its own in the London breakfast arena.

Let’s start with the obvious – you can’t go for breakfast in the Grand Cafe Bar without being impressed by the surrounds.  Housed in one of London’s most venerable buildings, you are treated to sumptuous architecture and a cavernous, echoing hall of the sort that will probably never be built in the centre of capital again.  Not to mention assaulted by vast arrays of eye-wateringly priced jewellery as you make your way through the massive wrought iron gates.

For the breakfast itself, it is fair to say that you will have to be a little patient – although packed at lunchtimes, the Cafe Bar is almost eerily empty at breakfast, and the staffing level is correspondingly thin.  This might work well for a tiny little diner, but when the sole waitress has to serve individuals seated up to 40 feet apart then it’s a bit more testing.  That said, there was little room for complaint about the breakfast itself.   Double sausages smile up at you, perched atop a generous rasher of juicy bacon.  A succulent mushroom peeks out from behind a fresh fried tomato, and the aesthetics of the plate are expertly managed with a perfectly fried double-egg on one side of the plate counterbalancing the row of buttered toast slices, which themselves are laid out in alternate white-brown order.

So the price – well, as you would expect, it’s not cheap.  And good though it is, it doesn’t quite match the quality of similar priced breakfasts at, say, Roast or Cinnamon Club .. however you are partly paying for the incredible setting, and for that there is no real competition.  Definitely one to try out.

Breakfasting venue: Sauterelle (http://www.sauterelle-restaurant.co.uk/restaurant)

Date of Breakfasting: Wednesday 8th February

Time: 8:00am – 8:45am

Nearest tube is:  Bank

Location: The Royal Exchange, London, EC3V 3LR

Rucola, for those who are not acquainted, is the new name for the longstanding and revered eatery that used to be known as the Grapevine.  Of course, when it was revamped and threw open its doors once again, we had to test the breakfast fare.

Well, we were not disappointed – Rucola rustles up some good grub.  Every element on the plate was done right, from the just-lightly-charred tomatoes, to the succulent bacon, the sausage straining the confines of its skin, the hot, gleaming white plates and every egg perfectly cooked.  While some may beg to differ, the absence of beans confirmed to me that yet another purveyor of quality breakfasts has seen the light – may the gospel of beanlessness be spread far and wide.

Unfortunately I have to deduct one mark for taunting me with the presence of black pudding on the menu, when in fact they did not have it.  That aside, there’s nothing really to fault.  The staff couldn’t be friendlier, and the ambience is superb.  Definitely worth a visit – we’ll certainly be back!

Breakfasting venue: Rucola (www.rucolarestaurant.com)

Date of Breakfasting: Wednesday 11th January

Time: 8:00am – 8:45am

Nearest tube is: St.Paul’s

Location: Foster Lane, London, EC2V 6HH

Due to a combination of seasonal pressures, and a memory lapse concerning photos (which I shall attribute to the lack of sleep induced by the arrival of Little Baked Bean), I’m afraid I can only offer a rather perfunctory review of our visit to Moorgate Buttery.

What it offers via promising facade and inspired title, it unfortunately rather fails to live up to in the quality of fare, which just about tips the balance in favour of “above average”, but certainly no more.

A lengthy menu offers various combinations of essential breakfast elements, but if you actually want a full English, you pretty much have to piece it together yourself – somewhat bizarrely, none of the set options gives you everything.

This then inevitably pushes the price up – which would be fine if it were truly outstanding fare, but is somewhat uncomfortable when it’s really quite middle of the road.

Upcoming breakfasts

December 14th (this Wednesday!):  Moorgate Buttery

This is just round the back of Moorgate tube station – access made a little trickier by the construction work currently blocking the most direct route from the tube station, but if you go up the stairs/escalators to the Moorfields Highwalk and head towards the Thames, you’ll be able to see it below you after about 50 yards … then head down the staircase ahead of you to get back to it.

All the rest you probably know, but just in case …

Breakfasting venue: Moorgate Buttery

Date of Breakfasting: Wednesday 14th December

Time: 8:00am – 8:45am

Nearest tube is: Moorgate (funnily enough)

Location: 5-6 Fore Street Avenue, London, EC2Y 9DT

Readers of the last entry may be disappointed to hear that Little Baked Bean will not be able to make it to December Breakfast.

Getting ahead of ourselves, we can announce that January breakfast (11/1/12) will be at Rucola, Foster Lane.

So, you may have wondered what happened to November breakfast.  Perhaps the more cynical and jaded among you may have supposed that it was overlooked – or maybe had become yet another victim of the all-consuming financial crisis.  Not so!

As it happens, November breakfast was a little late, however certain pressing duties undermined suitability of the generally designated day on this occasion – namely the arrival of the newest member of Brekmeister’s family.  Given the distinctly orange tinge to her head covering, we shall refer to her henceforth as the Baked Bean.

Of course, as the good book advises, “Direct your child onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.”  Well I hardly needed more excuse than this to get little Baked Bean out to breakfast as quickly as possible.

November breakfast was duly held in Frankie and Benny’s … who offer a jolly good platter, and would get a hearty thumbs up in general from the Brekmeister, were it not for their misguided policy of only opening at 9am.  You serve BREAKFAST, guys!!  It should be available at BREAKFAST time!!   That gripe aside, they give a good menu,with the obligatory full english – but also a few American stapes (pancakes with bacon and Maple syrup …)