New Brunch Beginnings In Mile End
Having been a Soho resident for quite some time (no, it's not as noisy and crazy to live in Soho as one can imagine!:) ), I often found myself in Foxcroft & Ginger, just off the famous Walker's Court, at the beginning of Berwick Market. The laid back all day dinning spot offers coffee that attracts London's most notorious coffee snobs (they use beans from Sydney based, The Roasting Party, Has Bean and Caravan), as well as serves great British food, made with locally-sourced ingredients and presented with a twist. Now that Foxcroft & Ginger has launched its second location in Whitechapel, there is a strong reason for any East Londoner to go an extra mile (to the Mile End spot) and enjoy a hearty brunch, just like a London blogger Sarah and I did.
Featuring the same quirky industrial-chic design principles made famous in the Berwick Street site, the new glass-fronted dining space occupies the ground floor of an iconic 20th Century building which is now the home of Central Working (expect a relax friendly atmosphere and high density of MacBooks and handsome geeky guys!). Don't be fooled by the chilled 'no-pressure' attitude in the cafe - the dining experience at Foxcroft & Ginger is taken very seriously!
With the food made with locally-sourced ingredients in-house, the menu is so well-designed, that my decision-making anxiety kicked in straight away. For a hearty Sunday brunch however I can totally recommend a super-delicious chorizo, peppers, slow roasted tomato, proper fried eggs and toast - not only it tastes great, it will fill you up for a busy day ahead and clear you from any signs of overindulging on alcohol you might have from the day before. ;)
As if the generous chorizo plate was not enough (talk about food envy and the amazing menu again!), to share, we ordered the mushrooms, slow roasted tomato, grilled polenta and truffled béchamel with sides of sourdough toast, smoked salmon and avocado. A very light, nutritious and delicious dish!
While our brunch choices featured sourdough, we did not feel bloated. All Foxcroft & Ginger breads are made using a sourdough base which means that no yeast is added to the mixture and hence makes the bread easier to digest. The sourdough takes 48 hours to make, which gives the bread a wonderful deep flavour that one coesn't find with standard bread.
With the food I also had ginger tea with lemon and honey (all teas are made from fresh tea leaves, supplied by Chash Tea, and fresh ingredients) with pieces of real ginger and lemon which is a perfect vitamin boost.
Our Foxcroft & Ginger experience with the amazing food, relaxed atmosphere and friendly immaculate service could not be any better - when Quintin Dawson, co-owner of Foxcroft and Ginger, kindly came over to our table to personally ensure we were having a great time. Being a 'family affair' (Foxcroft & Ginger are owned by Quintin and his wife Georgina), the cafe is a reflection of the couple's passion for great British food and drink.
Last but not least - even that the brunch might leave you full and happy, you might still be tempted to taste the cafe's pastries - that are conveniently laid out for you to grab. The picture below says it all! So delicious!
Being part of West London community, Sarah and I are still quite new to East London so we had Wheely driver to take us to 68 Mile End Road (no need to worry about weekend tube closures!). And Foxcroft & Ginger is really easy to find. Check the cafe's web-site for further details.
