
REVIEW: Brunch at Beagle, Hoxton
WHAT: Obsessively-made, beautifully presented, proper British food, served in a pared-back setting under the arches at Hoxton overground station. Simple exposed brick andwooden furniture let the ever-changing short menu and extensive wine, cocktail and digestif list do all the talking necessary – this is a truly superb spot, with only a slight air of achingly cool, East London pomp.
WHY GO? Brunch, brunch, and more brunch. Local coffee and bread (their tiny, excellent coffee shop serves beans from Workshop Coffee Co. and E5 Bakehouse send fresh deliveries in the morning) complement eggs served five ways – choose from the likes of fried with green tomatoes, yoghurt and chilli butter or poached with streaky bacon, hash brown and salsa verde. A side of avocado drizzled in lemon juice and salt is highly recommended – and if we’re recommending things, we’ll put a good word in for the salted caramel tart, too. This is the sort of restaurant where you Google the head chef afterwards, to find out where they came from (and how you might kidnap them to come and live with you full time).
HOW MUCH: OK, this place is pricey. It’s £9.40 for poached eggs, tomato and avocado, £10.20 for eggs scrambled with a (giant) lump of smoky chorizo. But everything here is special, from the golden yolks of the perfectly runny eggs to the homemade brown and tomato sauces you’ll keep asking for more of. Bowls of avocado are £4, yes, but they are *huge*. easily shared between two – and buttered toast from E5 bakery is the best £2 you can spend on a wine hangover. Check out the ‘worker’s lunch’ on a Friday, too – for £10 they offer a daily changing plate with a glass of wine or coffee. Save for a special occasion and we promise it’s money well spent – who said Saturdays aren’t special, anyway?
WHERE? 397-400 GEFFRYE STREET, HOXTON, LONDON E2 8HZ
WEBSITE: Beaglelondon.co.uk