Pure indulgence: Testing an impressive brunch and bottomless prosecco – all without leaving the hotel bed
10.55am on a Saturday morning wouldn't normally find me decadently lounging in a white robe and slippers, awaiting an 11am knock on the door that would herald the beginning of a bottomless brunch delivered to my bedroom. Think beautifully presented dishes on stone-grey plates – tart gin and tonic-cured salmon; shakshouka eggs – accompanied by an ice bucket of prosecco, and the welcome aroma of fresh coffee.
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This new London brunch experience is a real pull for millennials. It is provided by The Eastway Brasserie, located in self-described ‘lifestyle’ hotel Andaz London Liverpool Street. The hotel offers a unique ‘bottomless brunch in bed’ package that includes an overnight stay on Friday or Saturday, in-room brunch for two and a late 4pm check-out.
Brunch itself consists of unlimited prosecco and a selection of six dishes, of which there are four starters and two main courses, which you select the night before. Guests are provided with a spacious room as creatively put together as the brightly coloured food. Ours was high-ceilinged and the picture of contemporary design, with dove-grey carpets, curtains and walls, and an yellow-ochre leather headboard. Coils of light blue and lime green flowers climbed out of the paintwork as too, disconcertingly, did a woman’s face.
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Andaz London Liverpool Street has one foot in trendy Shoreditch and the other in the bustling City. The glossy design hotel has refurbished rooms and teems with architectural creativity. Its new (ANDAZ) RED Suite was designed by Sir Terence Conran, with proceeds from bookings going towards fighting AIDS with the (RED) charity. The hotel also has seven individually themed restaurants and bars, from Lady Abercorn's Pub & Kitchen serving delectable roasts complete with bottomless (again!) Yorkshire puddings, to Miyako, an authentic Japanese dining experience.
It was in this culinary epicentre of London that we slowly made our way through the Matisse-like landscape of food before us, complete with colourful rainbow bagels from nearby Brick Lane. It was the blood orange breakfast pot starter, laced with mint oil, greek yogurt and granola, that really won us over, along with the shakshouka; poached eggs in a spicy tomato sauce.
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However, this is where the enjoyment began to wane. What was seemingly a lot of food proved to be too little for two people. The portions, although beautifully presented, were small, and by the time we got to the mains, they were cold. The two-hour prosecco window introduced further stress, our sips turning to glugs the further through it we progressed.
I found myself wishing for a regular, bustling brunch for the sole reason that, although having breakfast in bed seems like the ultimate luxury, a limit on time is a limit on enjoyment. I’d rather have one hot, indulgent main course, and enjoy my time spent slowly sipping prosecco (or other breakfast cocktails), than end up emerging onto Liverpool Street, blinking groggily in the afternoon sunlight, still slightly hungry and quite unaware of where my day had gone.
Read the full review: Andaz London Liverpool Street
The Bottomless Brunch in Bed package at Andaz London Liverpool Street starts from ￡259 for a queen room and includes an overnight stay, 4pm late check-out and brunch for two people (six dishes and two hours of bottomless prosecco).