Kent’s Best Spots for Brunch
Brunch – literally the meal between breakfast and lunch, usually eaten instead of either – was started in England in the late 1800s. At this time it was more of a buffet-style meal, served in large houses to keep those who had risen too late for breakfast fed and happy. The Americans took up the idea in the 1930s after it began to fall out of favour in the UK, and it soon took hold, becoming a regular mealtime. Over the past decade or so, the Brits have fallen back in love with brunch, and it has become part of the British way of life. This is a good thing; brunch is the perfect excuse to enjoy something delicious.
The Vine, Sevenoaks
This friendly, relaxed restaurant that overlooks the famous Vine Cricket Ground in Sevenoaks is all about refined, exquisite food.
Top three brunch dishes:
Smashed avocado on toast with chilli and soft poached egg
Croque Madame with fried duck’s egg
Eggs Arlington
The Swan, West Malling
The Swan combines a sophisticated cocktail bar with a beautifully designed restaurant, a lounge bar and three private dining rooms, all serving gorgeous food.
Top three brunch dishes:
Eggs Benedict
Severn and Wye smoked salmon on sourdough with scrambled eggs
Salt beef hash with grilled mushrooms and a fried egg
Graze Kitchen & Bar, Tonbridge
Live music, fancy cocktails, a varied menu, and all right next to a castle with a view out across the Medway… Graze Kitchen is a lovely place to spend some time.
Top three brunch dishes:
Roasted vine tomatoes on sourdough
Toasted Belgian waffle with maple syrup, fruit compote or Nutella
Eggs royale
Googies, Folkestone
Homemade food with handpicked ingredients from local, quality producers make eating at Googies a memorable (mouth-watering) experience.
Top three brunch dishes:
Smoked mackerel on sourdough with a side of avocado, spinach and grilled vine tomatoes
Eggs Benedict
American grand slam (three American style pancakes with sausage, bacon, egg and a side of maple syrup)
Oscar & Bentleys, Canterbury
Oscar and Bentleys specialises in producing exquisite dishes made with special dietary requirements – such as those with gluten or dairy intolerances – in mind.
Top three brunch dishes:
Bacon hash (sautéed potato, dry cure streaky bacon, onion and free range eggs)
Welsh rarebit with crispy bacon and spring onion
Smoked salmon and eggs
Bojangles Coffee House, Dunton Green
A small but perfectly formed independent coffee shop in the village on Dunton Green that offers homemade food and is the perfect place for a brunch-time treat.
Top three brunch dishes:
Sausage, bacon and mushroom baguette
Mozarella, pesto and tomato panini
Chicken Caesar salad wrap
Samphire, Whitstable
Open for brunch (and breakfast and dinner) seven days a week, Samphire is a bistro that offers a showcase of Kentish ingredients.
Top three brunch dishes:
Eggs Forrester
Lambs fry and bacon with field mushrooms
Smoked haddock with poached egg, spinach and toast
Saltwood On The Green, Hythe
Saltwood is a picturesque village near Hythe, and Saltwood On The Green is its centrepiece, offering superb food and drink throughout the day.
Top three brunch dishes:
Huevos rancheros with black beans, avocado and charred tomato
Frittata with roasted onion, goat’s curd, potato and avocado
Poached egg with duck hash and mustard aioli
The Grasshopper on the Green, Westerham
Situated directly on the green in the centre of beautiful Westerham, The Grasshopper on the Green is a focal point for the village, serving excellent food made with care and attention.
Top three brunch dishes:
Floured herring roes on garlic toast with a salad garnish
Home breaded brie slices with cranberry sauce
Baked flat cap mushroom with spinach and homemade pesto, topped with grilled stilton
www.grasshopperonthegreen.co.uk
Royal Harbour Brasserie, Ramsgate
Using only the freshest of Kentish produce to create high-quality, wonderful food, the Royal Harbour Brasserie enjoys an unparalleled position with beautiful views.
Top three brunch dishes:
Swedish hash with chorizo, sausage, bacon, onions and Worcester sauce topped with egg
Smoked salmon with scrambled egg on granary toast
Smoked Brogdale bacon or sausage sandwich
www.royalharbourbrasserie.co.uk
Brunch… Dover
As the name suggests, this independent restaurant is all about providing superb brunches using seasonal ingredients.
Top three brunch dishes:
Brie and bacon toasted sandwich
Veggie breakfast (veggies sausages, baked beans, mushrooms, hash browns and grilled tomatoes)
Ready breakfast (bacon, egg, hash brown, baked beans or grilled tomatoes)
Tom At Twenty-One, Minster-on-Sea
Tom himself cooks everything here, and all he wants is to make people happy and feed them good food; he succeeds, and then some.
Top three brunch dishes:
English hash (fried potatoes and soft onions with spiced beans, bacon, sausage, cheese and a fried egg)
Bubble and black (a stack of bubble and squeak, bacon, award-winning black pudding and spinach topped with a poached egg)
French toast rolled in cinnamon sugar with fruit and crème fraiche
The Hop and Huffkin, Sandwich
The Hop and Huffkin is relaxed and informal, serving contemporary food in a gorgeous setting.
Top three brunch dishes:
Kippers with flat mushrooms, poached egged, granary toast and hollandaise sauce
Eggs Benedict
Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs
The Black Dog, Tunbridge Wells
The Black Dog is a little slice of Australia in the heart of Tunbridge Wells, and it is here that you can sample some truly original cooking.
Top three brunch dishes:
New potato, kale and wild mushroom hash with avocado and harissa dressing
Breakfast stack (bacon, avocado, roasted tomato, baby spinach with feta)
Smashed avocado with pancetta, a poached egg and rocket on sourdough toast
Popup Café, Deal
The Popup Café is all about providing the best quality dishes, offering speciality coffees, freshly baked bread, and locally sourced ingredients.
Top three brunch dishes:
Bacon, avocado and eggs on toast (served with sriracha (chilli and garlic sauce))
Chorizo, avocado, harissa and eggs on toast
Bacon and avocado sandwich
