I must confess, I had actually wanted to go to The Breakfast Club in Angel for brunch. However, even at 9.30am on a Saturday morning, the queue was snacking up and around the antique stalls.
Tom patiently sitting through my photo. You can tell he’s sighing inside.
The Elk in the Woods seemed like a good compromise for brunch – it wasn’t crowded (we were the first ones in there) and I remember they did good cocktails. Not really what I was after for a Saturday morning but hey.
Whilst the menu at The Elk in the Woods seemed tempting, it was a little on the chilly side. And by chilly, I mean it’s cold enough to need to keep your hats, gloves and coats on (bear in mind, it was winter, but still…).
The food was a lot warmer though; my skillet (elk sausages!) was delicious. With generous portions of potato and pancetta, I was slightly worried how I was going to make it through boxing in a couple of hours. However, nothing felt greasy or heavy. The elk sausages were delightfully meaty and tasted wholesome. Sadly, the poached egg let it down – whilst the gooey yolk coats all the ingredients just nicely, it wasn’t properly cooked and there was a lot of dubious-looking clear, stringy bits. Tom complained it was bland, but for me, it was great.
The brunch skillet at The Elk in the Woods. With elk sausages. Sorry Mr Elk.
Tom’s choice was the Full English. This comes with the usual fried eggs, bacon, sausages, mushroom, baked beans, and toast. It was pretty darn good – especially the sausages which tasted like pork and apple. There were baleful looks when the mushroom was finished too. Again, the fried egg was marginally undercooked (ask for sunny side up!) but it wasn’t enough to totally kill Tom’s Full English enthusiasm. Disappointingly, the coffee was rather burnt, but at least it was hot!
Perhaps we went there too early, but the atmosphere was a little lacking. If I were to come again, I’d definitely come in the evening – I imagine it’s rather cosy when full and the dinner options looked rather dribble-worthy.
A sidenote: If you’re at all scared by horror films, watch out for the toilets. It would be the perfect scene for a ghost. Or murder.
The Elk in the Woods
How much? Brunch for two with drinks cost approx £20
Why go there? It’s a casual, chilled place for food with high quality ingredients and drinks with a twist
Where is it? 37 – 39 Camden Passage, Lonodn N1 8EA
Telephone: 0207 226 3535
www.the-elk-in-the-woods.co.uk
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