Breakfast Wednesdays

This month we will be making ourselves the guests of the Law Society’s in house restaurant.  Passing over the rather unoriginal name (while I can admit some cache to naming a place, say “One Lombard”, by the time your address is numbered in the hundreds the rationale for adopting the numeral for your restaurant’s name is considerably hazier), it must be said that it looks very much up to scratch, and it’s menu is distinctly reasonably priced by the measure of such central London eateries. 

Breakfasting venue: 113 Restaurant

Date of breakfasting: 22 May 2013

Location: 113 Chancery Lane

Nearest Tube is: Temple/Chancery Lane

Given that we’ve been busy anthologising breakfasts across London for the past five or so years, it comes to mind that we are long overdue a visit to The Anthologist.  As such, October Breakfast, apart from being held a week late, will take place at the aforementioned establishment.

Breakfasting venue: The Anthologist

Date of breakfasting: 17 October 2012

Nearest Tube is: St. Paul’s/Bank/Moorgate

Location: 58 Gresham Street, London

Cold.

That is my abiding memory of breakfast at Brood.  Not the actual breakfast, which was served up perfectly hot – but the venue itself, which could comfortably give the Ice Hotel some stiff competition for the eatery with the frostiest reception.  What is not evident when scoping the place out after hours when the shutters are down, is that when the shutters are up the place is completely open to the elements one one side of the railway arches, and has a thin glass front on the other side.  There’s no real insulation to speak of, and heating is clearly deemed either unecessary or (more probably) completely pointless.

In any case, I sat with coat, scarf and gloves firmly on until the breakfast arrived – which I promply placed on my knees in an attempt to regain some circulation by conducting the heat of the breakfast into my legs.  All this is not to say that the food was bad – only that I can’t really remember much about it since my overwhelming desire was to get out as quickly as possible and back to the comforting swelter of the tube.

and to celebrate we’re warning you of the location of January’s breakfast more than a week in advance (this is almost unheard of) also next month’s is planned too*

anyway it will be at Caffe Amici which is in Aldwich, near the bottom of Kingsway (I’m not sure of the exact number, but it’s probably no.7) and will be on the 14^th of the month, which as an aside is the latest a breakfast can be, kicking off around 7:30ish or so

appologies for the poor quality, but it was cold this morning so I didn’t fancy stopping still and freezing to death for the sake of a less blurry pic

*it will be at Tiffin’s (24 Leather Lane, EC1N 7SU) on 11^th February; now that’s organisation!

Yes this is late notice (i thought everything had already been arranged – oops) but tomorrow, as we’ve had a request to go somewhere slightly more northerly than normal, we’re heading back to Alpino’s near Angel

never fear, breakfast will happen this month (this very Wednesday in fact) just not sure where yet – details will be posted this evening though so watch this space!

okay so it’s Tuesday now, which means I’m leaving this somewhat to the last minute – bad form I know. Anyway October’s breakast will be at the Exeter Cafe which is just off The Strand (1 Exeter St, London, WC2E 7DS) tomorrow at 7:30ish til some point later

Sorry Joel, I know you wanted to go somewhere further West than this but I kind of left it too late to sort that out, so this place it is

… he’ll have his head chopped off and served up on a platter as a garnish to a stupendous breakfast at the Cock Tavern, in Smithfields market.  Or so I am led to believe, anyway.  To find out the truth of the matter, this venue has been chosen for the next Breakfast Wednesday (10^th September), where the usual crowd (or should that be ‘unusual crowd’?  Hmm!) will trickle in sporadically from about 7.30am until 9am-ish to enjoy the sumptuous fare provided by this well-regarded caff.

Being bang inside the biggest fresh meat market in London (apart from possibly Carwash in Shoreditch on a Saturday night) should mean that our breakfasts will be made with the very best ingredients available.  And I have heard tell of certain special dishes on the breakfast menu here that are unobtainable anywhere else.

Before I post the obligatory picture of the prospective venue, let me preface by saying that I have been assured that it is most compelling example of the maxim that one should not judge an eatery by its facade.  With that said, here it is:

For anyone unfamiliar with the way this thing works, basically it’s just a bunch of people having breakfast.  If you think you can handle that, you’re welcome to come along!  We’ll be there from 7.30am (give or take 5 mins .. it quite early, after all!) and linger around until 8.30-9.00am whereupon we heave ourselves off to our various workplaces.

The location of the Cock Tavern is here (East Poultry Avenue).  It’s actually underneath the market, so you have to go down those steps you see in the photo above.  The nearest tube stations are Farringdon, Barbican or Chancery Lane.  See you there!

As August’s tender tendrils tentatively take root, the time for Breakfast tip-toes near once more. This month, the hallowed ground will be found at 57 Borough High Street, home to the estimable provider of provender, Cafe Rossi.

The usual rules apply. For the uninitiated, the rules are basically that you do what you like. We’ll be there from 7.30am till around about 8.30am – if you fancy coming along, just turn up at any point roughly in that span. Look for the Breakfast Wednesdays sign (if we’ve remembered to bring it – if not, just cast your eyes around for the usual suspects as evidenced in photos from past breakfasts), plonk yourself down, order your brekkie, and enjoy the scintillating conversation proffered by an ecclectic assortment of Londoners, stimulated by a fine breakfast and a strong coffee … or, if you prefer, just grunt and scowl in that early morning kind of way.  Either way, we’ll be glad to see you!

Here’s a photo and a map to help you find your way:

a quick edit: I’m sure you all know but just in case, the closest tube is London Bridge

Eh? That time already?! So it is!! July is fully upon us and tis time for Breakfasting once more. But where, I hear you cry! Well, as the ancient rhyme goes:

Sumer is icumen in,

Lhude sing cuccu!

Come along to Red Lion Square

And get your morning brew

You may of course have seen a slightly different version of this poem, but most modern scholars now agree that the alternate readings are a corruption of this true original. As such, we can hardly refuse its injuncture and will therefore be supping at the historic Park Cafe in Red Lion Square at the usual time 7.30am on Wednesday July 9. They do good cheap grub, and it’s a couple of minutes’ walk from Holborn tube so very accessible!

Hopefully the weather will be kind to us, but if not the seating is largely covered so a little rain shouldn’t be a problem. Here’s a handy photo of the kind of weather we won’t be having on Wednesday at the cafe: