HGAT Brunch Series – Christopher’s
Covent Garden has to be one of my favourite places in London. Every single day of the year, it is packed full of people, market stalls, and street performers of all kinds. There’s also something romantic and serene about walking around here in the evening with the cobble stone streets and the old English style architectures. Amongst the several theatres, Covent Garden also happens to be home to a variety of restaurants; from tourist traps to hidden gems, there’s bound to be something you’ll find!
Christopher’s is a classic American restaurant that is open 7 days a week serving lunch and dinner; brunch is only served on the weekends. I had called 48 hours in advance in order to request halal beef but don’t think it stops there, you can even order halal chicken and lamb for any meal of the day! The restaurant itself matches the prettiness of Covent Garden. With a grand spiral staircase that leads upstairs to the dining room full of chandeliers and large windows, it is the perfect setting for an early afternoon brunch with your mum or even a close knit of friends.
Once we were seated, the kind waiter informed me what the halal beef options on the menu were, and in pure Halal Girl manner, I had to try most of the items.
Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice [£4.00], Berry Smoothie [£6.00], and Detox Smoothie [£6.00]
I opted for the orange juice and it was deliciously sweet.The detox smoothie was made of apple, beetroot, carrot & ginger. There are also other interesting drink choices on their menu such as strawberry cheesecake milkshake and a triple chocolate shake (oh my gosh, how yummy!!).
Watermelon, Blueberry & Spinach Salad [£8.00]
We all had entered Christopher’s with the mantra of being healthy and so decided to stay away from anything fried. With this in mind we started off with a refreshing salad. The cool and sweet watermelon balls, tangy blueberries, sharp onions, soft spinach leaves and velvety feta cheese all went together perfectly and it wasn’t before long that our taste buds took over as we worked our way through the menu. Our plan to be good was heading for an epic fail.
Christopher’s Hamburger w/ Cheese [£14.00]
Oh yeaaaah, of course I’m going to order the wagyu burger, cooked to a deliciously healthy medium and topped with a layer of gooey, melty cheddar cheese. It was an easy to handle burger for one person, but seeing as BW and I were sharing, I had to eat my half and sadly say goodbye *sob*. The beef was well flavoured and a rare touch was that instead of being served in a brioche bun (like everywhere!), it was sandwiched between a soft and slightly toasted floured bun.
Steak and Eggs [£16.00]
A 6oz medium-well cooked juicy rump steak topped with two fried eggs that had a runny yolk. It was a simple dish, decent, but by no means show stopping. A good option for anyone looking to bulk up!
Eggs Florentine Starter Portion [£8.00]
The waiter kindly came out to inform us that the hollandaise contained white wine vinegar and so to avoid any abuse from some of my more opinionated readers (I later researched and found out that white wine vinegar is okay to eat!), I decided to have a blue cheese sauce instead which actually made a lovely rich, tangy twist to the dish. The eggs were well poached so that they burst with runny yolk at the touch of a fork.
Truffle Fries [£5.00]
Thin and crunchy fries topped with shavings of black truffle.
The other two diners had opted for a hamburger [£12.00] without cheese, and a lobster club sandwich without the bacon [£22.00].
Milk Chocolate Brioche French Toast [£10.00]
Now this was beyond indulgent. This was something else. A thick layer of oozing melted hot milk chocolate was sandwiched between two sweetly fried brioche toasts so that every time you cut through, the milk chocolate would burst out of the sandwich. It was then further topped with creamy vanilla ice cream and a generous amount of cinnamon sprinkled on top. This masterpiece was served with both liquid milk chocolate and sweet maple syrup on the side. This is definitely one for those with an advanced sweet tooth.
The final bill amounted to approximately £131.00, excluding service, for 5 people so approximately £26.20 per person. A slightly more expensive brunch option than others however we had ordered multiple drinks. Also, their menu was really vast, and we were completely spoilt for choice as to what we could order. There was so much to cover that we barely made a dent in their large menu! The food did take a while to be delivered but everything had come at once, and the service was really attentive and helpful.
A relatively casual dining experience in a sophisticated venue – somewhere mum would really love, or even a bunch of friends would be ideal! Mmmm, this brunch series really is making me hungry!
Halal status verified by restaurant and certificates available upon request. Be sure to pre-order the halal meat 48 hours before your meal.
Address: 18 Wellington Street, London,WC2E 7DD
Telephone: 0207 240 4222
Website: http://www.christophersgrill.com
Nearest Station: Covent Garden underground station
Closest Parking: Outside the restaurant
Lets not forget the little competition I am currently running for you lovely readers. Don’t worry its not too late to enter!
As I will be visiting five brunch places, the lucky winner will get an opportunity to win a £50 prepaid meal to take their other half, best friend, mum etc, at one of the five and whichever one of the five you like most!
All you have to do is answer this super simple question and you will be entered into the draw!
So are you all ready?
In the UK, what name is used for the strips of bread used to dip into half-boiled eggs?
Leave your answer, name, and email address in the comment section below and I will pick one lucky winner at random. As well as leaving a comment, liking this post on the facebook page, retweeting this link on twitter with #HGAT, or posting this page on instagram tagged @halal_girl or #HGAT, will get you an extra entry! The competition closes on Tuesday 2ndDecember at 5pm and the winner will be announced on 7th December!
Be sure to share with your friends on facebook, twitter and Instagram!
Good luck!
Terms and Conditions
Please let me know when you would like to dine at the restaurant of your choice out of the 5 so I am able to book this meal for you. The pre-paid value of £50 can be used for any item from the brunch menu and will be taken off the final total. It is non-transferable and cannot be substituted for cash.
