Brunch on Saturday: Granary Square Brasserie, review – a huge menu that reinvents the classics

Forget BLT, halloumi is the new bacon here, where chips are mandatory with eggs benedict

With beautiful interiors designed by the team behind The Ivy, brunch is a refined affair

Brunching out...

As soon as I walk into Granary Square Brasserie in King’s Cross, the interiors scream at me: “The Ivy”. And my senses are correct.

The restaurant, which opened in mid-December, has been designed by the team behind The Ivy family spreading across London and beyond, with its latest openings in Cambridge and Guilford.

Here, it’s the blue and yellow colours; the cosy, low cocktail chairs; the huge, art-deco style bar and most of all, the framed flora and fauna prints on the teal-coloured walls that give it away. If it wasn’t designed by the same creative thinkers, then it would be one almighty rip-off (flattery, in this case, doesn’t get you anywhere).

The eggs benedict, which comes with chips (Paul Winch-Furness) (Paul Winch-Furness / Photographe)

Inside the Grade II-listed building, the huge restaurant is a sophisticated, all-day dining spot that attracts small groups, birthday parties and even young families. Brunch is served on weekends between a very leisurely 11am and 4pm, when a DJ also plays. But don’t be put off by this, it’s not unwieldy loud tunes with a heavy bass, it’s more a gentle and upbeat hum in the background that creates a real weekend atmosphere.

The brunch menu is extensive. And I mean extensive. It begins with nibbles, like zucchini fritti (£5.75) and truffle arancini (£5.50); then starters, with classics like seasonal soup (£5.50) and Thai spiced mussels (£7.50); then there’s the 20 mains and the desserts, of which there are 10…

I had the HLT (£9.75); a grilled halloumi open sandwich with avocado, black olives, red peppers, tomatoes and baby gem. Just like the menu, it’s large. And thankfully doesn’t have a top on it – you’d be forgiven for thinking this dish would be light, but it’s quite the meal and certainly requires a knife and fork. But it’s a refreshing take on both a veggie option and the classic BLT. It’s something I’d go back and even attempt to recreate at home.

What’s also slightly different on the brunch classics side is that the benedicts (ham, salmon and avocado) are all served with chips, which my companion went for. They’re the thick-cut, crispy kind of chips that lure you in even when it’s 11am, and gave me more than a little food envy.

But if it’s the lunchier side of things you crave, this menu equally will not disappoint. From fishcakes to steak tartare, roast salmon fillet, a hamburger and steak, egg and chips, it’s all there. It’s rather exhausting to read and makes me feel full just mentally ingesting it, so much so, there wasn’t room for desert.

1-3 Stable St, Kings Cross, London N1C 4AB; open daily; 020 3940 1000; granarysquarebrasserie.com

Brunching in...

Courgette, basil and feta baked eggs

Serves 2

Prep: 35 mins
Cook: 5 mins

2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
3 medium courgettes
2 cloves garlic, crushed
100g frozen spinach
4 eggs
3 tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese
30g feta cheese
Salt and black pepper
Handful of basil leaves

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the onion to the pan with a pinch of salt and cook until softened – about 5 minutes. Slice 2 of the courgettes into coins about 2mm thick. Add to the pan with the softened onion and another pinch of salt, then sauté on medium-low, until golden all over – about 15 minutes.

Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 3 minutes, just until cooked through. Remove the contents of the pan to a 20cm pie tin (or oven-proof frying pan) – you’re going to be baking the eggs in this.

Return the empty pan to the heat. Coarsely grate the last courgette and add that to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes just to soften then add to the pie tin/frying pan with the other vegetables.

Return the pan to the heat and add the frozen spinach with 60ml of water. Cover with a lid or large plate and leave for the spinach to defrost on a low heat for 5-7 minutes. Remove the lid (careful of the steam!) and take the pan off the heat. Spoon the spinach into the pie tin/frying pan containing the other vegetables.

Make 4 little wells in the mixture and crack the eggs into each well. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper and the grated parmesan. Place under the grill in your oven until the whites are just set and the yolks are still slightly runny, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the oven and crumble over the feta cheese. Sprinkle on more black pepper and the basil leaves. Serve immediately with toasted bread for dipping.

Recipe by Heritage Breeds (heritagebreeds.co.uk) and Izy Hossack (topwithcinnamon.com)