Berners Tavern
Filter Coffee
Stoneway Black Pudding
Butter Croissant, Pain au Chocolate, Raisin Snail, Sugar Brioche with Butter, Orange Marmalade, Blackberry, Strawberry Jam
Brioche French Toast and Streaky Bacon
Coming off a great nights’ sleep after dinner at The Dorchester my final day in London began in yet another of London’s “grand cafes” and having been floored by lunch at Pollen Street Social my expectations for the Jason Atherton managed Berners Tavern ran high. Perhaps a bit cliché at this point with “grand” seemingly synonymous to open floor plans, fanciful molding, and items gilded in gold it nonetheless bears mentioning that the with high ceilings and walls laden with art Berners Tavern is perhaps the most beautiful of the brunch and far less crowded than either The Wolseley or The Delaunay the scene, too, seems more refined – a respite from the work-all-day world as opposed to a place to begin it. Decidedly more limited in menu than its competitors and disappointing straight away with notes that crumpets were ‘yet to be delivered’ it was only after my server assured me that the rest of the pastries were made in-house that I finally crafted my order and although both the sugar brioche and snail were pleasant enough neither croissant was even competent, the lamination quite poor and the second nearly cocoa devoid. At this point sipping on coffee as I attempted to connect to free Wi-Fi it would be mere moments before my main course would arrive and although substantially smaller in portion than the versions offered elsewhere both the black pudding and custard imbued toast would prove quite delicious, the crispy bacon drizzled in pure maple syrup adding a porky top note to the later and generally saving an otherwise forgettable meal.
RECOMMENDED: French Toast, Black Pudding.
AVOID: Pastries, particularly the croissants.
TIP: Featuring a far more interesting menu at lunch and dinner I cannot definitively say Berners Tavern was a “bust,” but for a morning meal I’d definitely turn elsewhere.
http://www.bernerstavern.com/
