Brace & Browns is known by some as “the best Sunday lunch in Bristol,” to others as the place to go for all-you-can-eat tapas on a Monday and to others still as merely the place next to Brew, never ventured. But all that’s about to change. Unbeknownst to most students, Brace & Browns have introduced a “Bottomless Brunch” offer over summer, and it is truly spectacular.
For just £11, vegetarians and meat eaters alike can indulge in as many of Brace & Browns’ tapas-style brunch dishes as your waistline will allow. I say “tapas-style,” but each dish is in fact generously portioned, with some of the dishes, such as the honey-glazed bacon chop with scrambled egg and toasted focaccia being big enough to fill up someone less endowed in the appetite department. There is also the option to have two dishes for £7 instead of going for the bottomless option (but where’s the fun in that?!) as well as the option to add “bottomless fizz” for a special occasion.
Luckily for you, along with two other hungry brunchers, I checked the place out, accepting the arduous task of trying every one of the 11 dishes on the menu (ok, some of them we ordered twice…) Initially, I ordered the bubble and squeak with wild mushrooms, topped with a poached egg, and the Portobello mushroom stuffed with smoked salmon and creme fraiche.
Although the brunch is bottomless, Brace & Browns do not scrimp on quality and definitely push the boat out by providing great twists on brunch classics: the bubble and squeak had a subtle hint of parsnip, making a departure from the standard (not so sophisticated) potato and cabbage combination.
Other dishes we tried included scrambled egg with chilli and avocado on toast, (something of a classic on Bristol brunch menus) grilled halloumi, tomato and garlic focaccia, (a bit different and so good it warranted a second order from us) truffled mushrooms with spinach and Mr Brown’s very own homemade baked beans on toast, topped with a fried egg. For those with a sweet tooth there were American-style pancakes on offer, either with blueberries and maple syrup or bacon and maple syrup, as well as the most delicious Greek yoghurt adorned with fresh berries, toasted almonds and oats.
Every dish was served with great humour from our friendly waiter, who told us that they had started the deal in summer but are keen to build it up into a sort of “brunch club” that happens every week now that the students are back. At the moment, it is served from 10.30 am – 12 noon, Friday to Sunday, but you won’t find it advertised online just yet as they are in the midst of a website overhaul. So my advice to you is to get down there A.S.A.P before it becomes as packed out as their Sunday lunch service.
Photo credit: Annie Avery