Five Reasons You Need to Book This Michelin-Starred Brunch
Award-winning Michelin-starred restaurant Galvin at Windows has recently launched a brunch menu and of course being the brunch fans that we are, we needed no excuse to head to the 28th floor of the London Hilton on Park Lane to take on the menu.
It’s Their First
The Saturday brunch menu launched this September, some twelve years after the restaurant first opened and it may come as a surprise, as brunch is a staple of Londoners’ weekends, but this is Galvin at Windows’ first brunch. Rather than jumping on the band wagon, Head Chef Joo Won and his team took their time to perfect a menu of new exclusive dishes and also takes on old favourites.
You’ll Definitely Find Something On The Menu Because It’s Huge
Bringing together classic brunch dishes with French cooking and Korean twists, the menu has to be one of the most extensive I’ve come across. You’ve got breads and pastries, raw and cured dishes, sourdough toasts piled high with the likes of smoked mackerel pâté and raisin, carrot and cabbage slaw and different takes on eggs Benedict including the eggs deluxe which replaces the usual ham or salmon with a tempura lobster tail. More substantial dishes include fillet of salmon with teriyaki, kimchi risottos and buttered spaghetti with wild mushrooms and Parmigiano Reggiano. Puddings include Paris Brest with hazelnut cream and chocolate sauce and their take on an Eton Mess with strawberry sorbet, meringues and berries.
The Michelin-Starred Food
Galvin at Windows has now held its Michelin Star for nine years, with Head Chef Joo Won leading the kitchen, so visiting you’d expect great things and the brunch does not disappoint. From the first plump Spanish olive with a chilled glass of Champagne to the last mouth of the decadent chocolate fondant, the brunch was spot on. Fans of Coronation chicken will find the refined, chicken with curry mayonnaise and cabbage slaw on sour dough toast exquisite, we shared but if you’re hungry then I’d recommend ordering one each. We followed this with an earthy dish of sautéed diced beef with a rich onion jus and soft golden polenta and added a side of cabbage and bacon which is shaken up with garlic and ginger oil. Joo has also created his own taken on the full English – Joo’s Super Breakfast, not that you’ll find any grease. The soft polenta returns, but this time it is accompanied by Burford brown eggs, maple cured rib eye bacon, stir-fried chili oyster mushrooms and Anne Rose boudin noir – or to you and me, French black pudding. After an indulgent plate of strong Roquefort we somehow found room for the Coupe Chocolate, a decadent feast of chocolate ice cream, fudge, Chantilly and caramel popcorn.
The View Is Pretty Spectacular
If you’re after an enviable sure-fired success snap for your Instagram or you just want to appreciate just how impressive and green London is then Galvin at Windows is where you need to go. Sitting at the top of the London Hilton on Park Lane, the restaurant itself is sleek yet understated, it can afford to be, because the floor to ceiling windows not only flood the room with light but also provides incredible views out across Hyde Park, Green Park and Westminster. I’ve been lucky enough to eat at a lot of London’s sky-high restaurants and there is something still rather breath-taking about seeing the city sprawled out before you, it also just confirms how we are all like scurrying ants in this concrete wilderness.
The General Manager is Fred From First Dates
Ever watched First Dates and thought that the most dashing of the men is Fred Sirieix the silver fox maître d’? Well when he’s not match making, winning awards or celebrating front of house staff with the creation of National Waiters Day, Fred is the general manager of Galvin at Windows and he is every as bit as debonair off screen as he is on. Walking through the restaurant he was greeting guests as if they were old friends and whether they knew of his TV antics or not, everyone was lapping up his French charm. Of course, it’s not all about Fred, the whole of the team is charismatic, slick and make everything seem effortless. The service is exceptional.
Galvin at Windows serves brunch every Saturday from 12pm – 3pm at 22 Park Lane, Mayfair, W1K 1BE
