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Sunday brunch at the Green Bar @ the Hotel Cafê Royal

by Jeanne Horak on April 27, 2015 10 Comments in London restaurants

CafeRoyalBrunchMenu

 

Isn’t it funny how some words in your language can evoke such strong feelings?  A friend of mine recently asked her Facebook friends what their favourite English words are and the variety was quite astonishing.  Some words are obviously pleasurable to roll off the tongue: sibilance, bibulous, scintillate, onomatopoeia or molybdenum.  Some seemed innocuous enough on paper but made people want to wash out their mouths:  Scunthorpe, pustule, gargle or squirt.  One of my best friends wants to break out in hives if she has to say “moist” – which just goes to show how individual tastes can be in these matters.

 

One of my favourite English words is louche, which carries connotations of an activity which is both decadent, indulgent and just a little bit disreputable or rakish.  To me, it harks back to the upper class life of the 1920s and always brings to mind breakfast in bed, pink gin on the terrace in the mid afternoon, absinthe evenings in smoky jazz bars, and restorative brunches, taken in a slightly delicate state wearing sunglasses and an elegantly rumpled outfit.  I wasn’t in a particularly delicate or rumpled state when I recently went to sample the new Sunday brunch menu at the Hotel Café Royal’s Green Bar, but it still feels pretty louche to step out of the hustle and bustle of Regent Street, through the hotel lobby with its glorious original Grade I listed floor and stained glass, and into the cool, modern interior of the Green Bar, so called not only for the green Absinthe that they serve, but also for the rather gorgeous outsized green glass tiles that cover the walls.

 

CafeRoyalWindow

 

CafeRoyalFloor

 

CafeRoyalBrunchRoom

 

CafeRoyalBrunchBar

 

The most challenging thing that you have to do once seated is to choose which of the freshly-made bottomless Bloody Marys you wish to sample first: the classic; the Oriental made with ginger; or the Breakfast Mary made with beef stock reduction. I sampled the latter and it is really quite addictive if you are an umami addict like me, but for a fresh, zingy burst of flavour, my money is on the Oriental.  Having polished off our first bloody Marys we headed for the bar counter where the food (a menu created by executive chef Andrew Turner) was set up buffet-style.  There was a collection of antipasti-style nibbles, including bocconcini; dips; olives; addictively good cheese straws; cheese brioches; mini bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon; mushroom velouté and Piccadilly buns; salad and roasted vegetables; and mini terracotta flower pots containing vegetable crudités, hummus and fab little spheres of olive oil.

 

CafeRoyalBrunchBloodyMary

 

CafeRoyalBrunchBloodyMary2

 

CafeRoyalBrunchMakingBloodyMary

CafeRoyalBrunchCounter

 

CafeRoyalBrunchCheeseBrioche

 

CafeRoyalBrunchCruditesBocconcini

 

CafeRoyalBrunchBread

 

CafeRoyalBrunchPastry

 

CafeRoyalBrunchBagels

 

CafeRoyalBrunchPlateOfFood

 

Next up were two warm dishes, namely chicken and mushroom pie; and a big tray of BBQ pulled pork with bell peppers that you could spoon into your own milk buns to make a pulled pork sandwich. It’s hearty, rib sticking stuff and there is no chance of your leaving hungry! Dessert consisted of a beautiful mango and pistachio tart as well as a basket of sweet pastries – and if you were still not full, there was always the cheeseboard with grapes and membrillo paste to choose from.

 

CafeRoyalBrunchWarmFood

 

CafeRoyalBrunchPulledPorkRolls

CafeRoyalBrunchDesserts

CafeRoyalBrunchCheese

 

Denise and I spent a very relaxed and unhurried few hours over our brunch, going back to nibble at the food and maintaining a fairly constant flow of bloody Marys.  Staff were impeccably trained and very friendly throughout the afternoon.  But the best part?  The fact that the brunch is so well-priced.  Considering that it is easy to pay £8 for a bloody Mary in central London, £25 for the Green Bar brunch including bottomless Bloody Mary’s (or a half  bottle of Prosecco) is a total bargain. My suggestion?   Book a table before word gets out as to what good value this is! The brunch menu is available every Sunday from 11h30-14h30.

The Green Bar
Hotel Café Royal
68 Regent Street
LONDON
W1B 4DY
Tel: +44 (0)20 7406 3333
E-mail:  restaurants@hotelcaferoyal.com

DISCLOSURE:  I enjoyed this meal as a guest of the Hotel Café Royal but received no further remuneration to write this post.  I was not expected to write a positive review – all views are my own and I retain full editorial control. 

If you enjoyed this restaurant review, you might also want to have a look at my other restaurant reviews.  You can also find me tweeting at @cooksisterblog, snapping away on Instagram, or pinning like a pro on Pinterest.  To keep up with my latest posts, you can subscribe to my free e-mail alerts, like Cooksister on Facebook, or follow me on Bloglovin.

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  1. Elizabeth says

    April 27, 2015 at 2:45 pm

    Everything on their menu sounds absolutely perfect – and bottomless bloody Mary’s… goodness, I’ve suddenly got a craving for tomato juice…. looks like a wonderful place for a leisurely brunch!

    Reply
  2. Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

    April 27, 2015 at 3:16 pm

    Looks like a great selection – love the look of those cheese brioches!!

    Reply
  3. Krista says

    April 28, 2015 at 4:30 am

    What a fantastic place!! If I lived anywhere near there, I’d be visiting for brunch in a hot second. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Sally - My Custard Pie says

    April 28, 2015 at 9:24 am

    So true about words and the reaction they provoke. I cannot stand to hear people say the word ‘puckered’ – I can’t imagine why!
    A menu of Bloody Marys? I could be louche for that.

    Reply
  5. Andrew says

    April 29, 2015 at 5:49 pm

    My kinda place! Simply must stake a claim to a regular table!

    (oh and moist happens to be one of my fave words… at least after a cocktail or two)

    Reply
  6. Lovisa says

    May 1, 2015 at 12:00 pm

    Wow this place looks amazing – definitely have to pay a visit there soon! x

    Reply
  7. Simone | Simone's Kitchen says

    May 7, 2015 at 10:54 am

    I have a confession to make; I don’t know any of the words you mention in that first bit! God, I need to polish up on my English I guess… 😉
    As for this place; maybe we should go there next time and have bloody mary’s instead of outrageous cocktails at the Ritz!

    Reply
  8. Torn @ FantasticOven says

    May 11, 2015 at 2:26 pm

    That’s a vibrant place! One of my favourite for a buffet style brunch and a few shakes of Bloody Mary’s at the evenings. Good choice for a venue, cooksister, I am always impressed by the richness in taste of their meals.

    Reply
  9. Kit says

    May 12, 2015 at 11:48 am

    A scintillating and bibulous experience indeed! I had a friend you got the shivers from the word ‘moist’ too. I’ve never been able to see it in the same light again!

    Reply
  10. Jennifer says

    May 12, 2015 at 4:41 pm

    I love your food blog! Please check out mine and let’s connect?

    Reply
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Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

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