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Located in the heart of London we’re fortunate enough to be within touching distance of some fabulous brunching hot-spots. A second year English student at King’s with a love for dance, food and Instagram, Sarah lives for great culinary experiences with aesthetic instagrammable vibes we all long for. Having known her since First Year, I’ve been privileged to see the building of her insane Brunch Directory that is categorised by price, location, cuisine and trend. I recently sat down with Sarah over a coffee to talk about all things brunch, have a look at our interview below!
Hi Sarah, you’ve been building your list for a while but how did the Brunch Directory actually begin?
It started as a FOMO project really. Walking around London there are so many coffee shops, restaurants, bakeries (and bars) that I intend to visit and then forget about. On top of that there’s Snapchats, Insta-stories, and Facebook check ins which operate as the digital window shopping of brunch places – so rather than have a coffee at Starbucks every time, I thought I’d put together a list of more interesting, independently run places so that I could see the city I get to live in for the next 2 years.
How do you discover these amazing brunch places?
There’s a lot of insta-stalking involved, entire accounts dedicated to breakfast or brunch, I just have a scroll and note down the ones that look particularly interesting, have a themed interior or menu [and] aren’t too far away. Sometimes friends recommend places, and like I said, sometimes you can walk past a new coffee shop on the corner and note it down.
What makes a good brunch place?
A good brunch place needs a menu with some of the classics, something a bit different, coffee, a chilled out vibe and a free table (hopefully without too long a queue!)
What’s the best way to fully experience brunching?
With friends! Brunch is made by the people, whether it’s pancakes, eggs benny, or even fried chicken and waffles take some people who are down for a laugh. If they’ll try something a little different that’s even better – and never pass up the bottomless prosecco.
And finally, if you had to give your top 3 brunch spots what would they be and why?
As Ant and Dec famously said ‘in no particular order, the top 3 are […]’
The Barge House – Haggerston
A little trek out the back of Shoreditch but it’s completely worth it. This is a gorgeous restaurant on Regent’s Canal that is known for its breakfast in a bap, an entire English Breakfast layered inside a bowl of bread, sealed with an egg. It’s not the most aesthetic but 100% delicious! With only one warning: they don’t take bookings and do get busy at the weekend.
The Black Penny – Covent Garden
Coffee shop and brunch haven between Covent Garden and Kingsway (easy access for anyone at VWB). The menu is very diverse and caters for Vegans, Vegetarians, and Gluten Free without impacting taste or experience. The coffee is great and there is free Wi-Fi with a lot of plugs, always a plus. The food is fantastic from a Bubble and Squeak with BBQ sauce you’ll want to buy by the boat load, to the French Toast with poached rhubarb and vanilla ricotta.
Friends of Ours – Shoreditch
Classic Aussie style brunch, great range of juices if you’re that kind of person, poached eggs for the best boomerang in London and tables outside in the summer. It’s small but that means it’s easy to talk and the service is really fast. Food is seasonal so if you go at the moment you can still catch the Apple Crumble Hotcakes, otherwise there is always the classic Eggs Benedict and Smashed Avocado Toast.
As the popularity of brunch climbs higher and higher why not get involved and share your culinary adventures with @HerCampusKCL and discover new hot-spots instead of experiencing the food envy.
Thank you to Sarah for the stunning snaps that makes your mouth water simply by looking at them! Check out Sarah’s Instagram @sarahbowler1 to follow her journey of food and all things wonderful.