My new favourite brunch spot in London is 36 floors up, above the Sky Garden at the top of the Walkie-Talkie with a relaxed, all-day atmosphere, a dramatic glass roof and floor-to-ceiling windows with stunning views overlooking the Thames. Darwin Brasserie has been open since January and serves seasonal British dishes from breakfast to dinner and on Sundays they do a great brunch menu for £38 per person, which comes highly recommended by yours truly.
There's a DIY bloody mary station alongside fresh fruit juices and milkshakes and large buffet tables in the middle where diners help themselves - I had the excellent asparagus vinaigrette with truffle, peas, broad beans and crumbly goat's cheese, a fresh heritage loom tomato salad (you can't beat good quality, simply dressed tomatoes), olive and artichoke in lemon dressing, glazed honey roast ham and cured meats with pickles and smoked salmon with red onion and sour cream.
After you've eaten a couple of servings from the buffet (it's hard to hold back when everything looks delicious) your main dish arrives. There are all the brunch classics from eggs benedict, full English breakfasts and pancakes but we opted for the grilled lemon sole with garlic and parsley butter and the tasty salt beef brisket with pickled white cabbage, new potatoes and sweet mustard.
The dessert buffet is dangerous territory for those with a sweet tooth as there's a huge selection of goodies: waffles with berry compote and vanilla ice cream, Eton Mess, crème brûlée, chocolate and walnut tart with salted caramel, pain d'epices with sweet butter, fresh berries and bitter marmalade, fresh jam doughnuts, blueberry swirl cheesecake and a plate of British cheeses. I was invited by the restaurant the first time I visited, but I've been back a couple of times since as it's one of the best brunches in London - let me know if you've tried it!
Darwin Brasserie, Sky Garden, 20 Fenchurch St, London EC3M 3BY
