A Landmark Brunch

When it comes to celebrating special occasions taking afternoon tea in London is a delicious solution. This year I was looking for something a bit different, in fact I’d had my eye my on the Sunday Champagne Brunch at the Landmark for a while so we booked it early, as with so many of these things booking months in advance is required.

So, what makes Sunday Brunch at the Landmark so special? I honestly don’t know where to start to answer this. The setting is beautiful, of course, you would expect no less from a 5 star hotel in London. The palm trees that stretch up to the natural light that floods the Winter Garden and centre of the hotel create a light and airy atmosphere, immediately transporting you away from hustle and bustle of the dusty city streets. If that wasn’t quite enough we enjoyed live music on both a piano and at the end a harp which even included a pretty version of Lady Gaga song. Delightful setting? Check! But let’s face it we came for the food…

Have you ever stared at a menu and been torn between 5 different dishes on each course and wished you could just try each one? Well here that is exactly what you get to do and not only that you get to enjoy as much Champagne as you can drink, in a lady like manner of course! The tables are arranged so that you can see the brunch options sparkling close by. The variety seems endless and I doubt anyone could try everything in one sitting. We started with the breakfast which included delicious eggs benedict and eggs royale, smoked salmon, sausages, bacon, cinnamon toast, maple syrup and so much more. I could have filled up on breakfast alone but I’d already seen the roasts, salads and desserts nearby so I forced myself to hold back and save room.

While there is no escaping that this is essentially a buffet, it will be one of the best buffets you ever have. There is no rush, you have plenty of time to chat with your companions and enjoy the live music , the food is constantly refreshed right to the end and the champagne glasses top up as if by magic.
We followed our breakfast course with a salad and fish course, there wash sushi and langoustine and a wonderful variety of vegetables and salads to refresh your appetite before gearing up for another trip up to buffet. You can try the food in any order, heck if you wanted to eat only dessert you could, we tried the roast dinner next, where again you can try each cut of meat if you fancy it. Quiches, pasta, rice, baked fish and a variety of sides were also available.

By this point I was ready for a sugar hit and made my best effort to try each thing available. The sticky toffee pudding with sauce was divine and I felt like a child in a candy store picking and choosing each of the mini deserts. I especially enjoyed the mini spoon shaped crème brulees which came in different flavours.

As we savoured the last sips of champagne and waited for our coffee the pianist played celebratory music and personalised cupcakes with candles were delivered to tables celebrating special occasions. The perfect ending to a delightful meal and while I had believed I couldn’t possibly eat another thing there really wasn’t much cupcake left on our departure!

We had a wonderful time, left full and in need of a walk which was available in nearby Regents Park. We met diners who were enjoying the brunch for nth time and even some who make it an annual event. I don’t blame them and hope to go back myself but I’d have to try their afternoon tea next I think!

http://www.landmarklondon.co.uk/

A side note for those with allergies. My father, who joined us, is a Coeliac and as such is unable to eat gluten as it makes him really sick so we made sure to advise them of this at the time of booking. The staff at the Landmark did their best to accommodate him and even made him an eggs Benedict on gluten free bread however it didn’t seem they were entirely geared up for diners with allergies and simple changes would have made this much more enjoyable for us all. For example as each dish had a label to tell us what it was a small symbol to indicate if it was gluten free, dairy free, etc would have made a huge difference. We did make this suggestion before we left so I hope this will have helped them improve the already wonderful service and experience they offer.