Gather the squad and banish those January blues with a bottomless brunch at Vauxhall’s chic brasserie Counter. Just don’t spread the secret too quickly…
Restaurant: Counter Vauxhall Arches
Location: Vauxhall, SW8 1SP
Blowout or budget: Bottomless weekend brunch – £25 for two courses and unlimited bubbles
The fundamentals:
Ninety minutes of free-flowing prosecco (or virgin mimosas if you’re doing Dry January like me) accompanied by two dishes from the brunch menu. This is weekend fun with friends at it’s finest.
The low-down:
Shirking off a cold and wet Sunday last week, Vanessa and I headed to the arches in Vauxhall to sample a selection of Counter’s breakfast plates. With marble tables, warm orange lighting and chic grey leather booths to hide away in, we welcomed a couple of hours out of the rain to catch up and enjoy some good food!
Warm, dry and cosy with a drink in hand, we perused the French-American inspired menu before deciding to start things off savoury.
First up was the tartiflette which is brand new to Counter’s menu. For those wondering what tartiflette is, let me explain… It’s a French dish made with potatoes, reblochon cheese, lardons (chunky bacon bites) and onions. Doused in double cream and then baked in the oven to create a gooey pot of deliciousness, this plate is perfect for warming those winter chills. If you’re anything like me and love cheese, you need to try this.
However Vanessa tells me the spiced avocado, eggs, sourdough and bacon was just as spectacular. Lovingly presented, this dish will satisfy hunger pains and cure any hangover from the night before!
Not knowing if there was enough room for seconds, we took a breather to catch up on all things Brunch n Grind whilst enjoying the never-ending flow of bubbles (and in my case orange juice).
Timed to perfection, our pancake stack (complete with maple syrup and almonds) and banana stuffed French toast arrived. It didn’t take long for the sweet aromas to ignite our appetites again, we pushed on and found space in our tummies to devour BOTH plates. With Vanessa having just run seven miles and my calorie-saving booze ban, this went down guilt free. It was the weekend after all and we’re complete advocates of training hard but brunching harder!
The verdict:
Vauxhall might not be the first place to spring to mind when planning a boozy brunch with friends, but take it from us the arches and its surrounds are populated with new trendy bars, restaurants and now this smart edition to breakfast hangouts. Offering seriously good bang for your buck, book in quick before the secret gets out.
With such a vast menu and attentive table service, I’ll be gathering the girls and heading back as soon as the booze ban is lifted!
Kat x
To reserve your bottomless brunch spot, head to counterrestaurants.com and give them a cheeky follow @eatatcounter for the latest and tastiest news.