We’ve long been fans of the original Bourne and Holingsworth in Fitzrovia. While the new location is dramatically different, its style is still strong enough to seduce us on our first visit. From the logo (fresh illustrated green palms) to the slightly incongruous location on an Angel backstreet, Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings gets it right – no surprise to us since it came from the people who brought that original basement bar, still one of the few genuinely original, independent drinking spots in Central London.
If there’s one rule to follow in life, it’s that when someone offers you an all you can drink brunch date, you take it. And take it we did. And drink. Plenty. Sampling a selection of food from the brunch menu: pancakes, maple syrup and crispy bacon (to start!) followed by eggs Benedict (a true yard stick with which to measure a brunch spot), we were impressed. The portion of pancakes was generous, the bacon properly crisp and it all came swimming in a healthy (it comes from a tree) puddle of maple syrup. The Benedict was… fine. It was your classic eggs Benedict done to a standard that was satisfying but not quite enough to dispel the coveting of the hash with duck egg that sat in front of someone else. Oh well, you can’t have it all… except you can. You can drink all of the bellini, well, all that you can drink in an hour-and-a-half. And that happened to be quite a lot – just be up on your waiter-beckoning game.
This is a refined brunch spot and restaurant that pleases with the food and drink and seals the deal with its aspirational white washed interior, liberal spattering of plantation, country-house chic, eye-catching statement bar and plenty of furniture you’d be happy to own yourself.
