LDNReview
photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli
Juliet’s Quality Foods
Included In
London, we need to talk. It’s time to take a long hard look at ourselves and ask, what have we done to brunch? Sweet, lovely, innocent brunch was once a pancake-fuelled upgrade to elevenses that constituted never having to confront the fact that you don’t know how to poach an egg. But then it all got out of hand. Unlimited 10am ’seccy, bang-average food hidden behind menus packed with puns, and the high risk of turning into a walking Bloody Mary with all the grace of a baked bean. That’s why we need places like Juliet's to remind us what brunch is really all about.
The thing is, Juliet's is making some of the best food in London. There, we said it. Oh ye of little brunch faith, get ready, because one bite of Juliets grilled pumpkin bread with cocoa nib praline and spent coffee butter and you’ll have to throw out all of your ‘brunch is silly’ stereotypes. Put them in the bin where they belong, along with your belief that you can’t wear socks with sandals. Free up that mental space to picture a world where How D’Ya Like Your Eggs In The Morning was remixed by David Bowie and, baritone voice boom-boom-booming, he sings ‘I like mine with whipped goat’s cheese and lemon salmoriglio, babe’. That’s Juliet's.
On a busy stretch of high street in Tooting, it’s open from 9am daily. For all of their big, balanced flavours and incredible attention to every hand-picked detail, this place looks pretty similar to countless other cool, unassuming coffee spots in London (read as: distressed wooden floors, indie soundtrack, bearded customer guarding an electric socket armed with a caffeine addiction and a MacBook Pro). And there aren’t any neon signs telling you to Live, Laugh, And Eat Bacon, or offers on the menu declaring that your lukewarm ‘Eggstream Avo Smash’ is free if you buy a mimosa. At Juliet's, the food comes first.
photo credit: Juliet's
This place is an exposed brick blank canvas that’s yours to fill in with a coffee and a huge spicy shrimp patty bun, whilst simultaneously eyeing up the homemade chocolate, miso, and pecan ‘nutzilla’ a toddler is nibbling on at the table next to you. Or you can come with a group of friends to try the changing seasonal specials and dissect the sweet details of last-night’s date over The Best Cake in London. Seriously, their pistachio slice is basically a one-cake manifesto for every reason you should really be eating more yuzu icing. And you will be, because Juliet's is a place you go to time and time again.
The only thing that we don’t like about this laid-back sanctuary of single origin coffee, natural wine, and grilled merguez, is that on most days they close at 3pm. But honestly, if anything is going to encourage us to finally sort out our weekend sleep patterns, it’s the thought of their crispy hash pork patty muffin with a couple of best mates at our side. No unlimited booze. No overpriced eggs. No funny business. Just seriously excellent food over feelgood chatter. Because really, that’s what brunch is all about.
Food Rundown
The Specials
photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli
The Original and the Best
photo credit: Juliet's
Scrambled Eggs on Sourdough
Hangover Sauce
photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli
Smoked Pumpkin Omelette
Poacher Hash
photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli
Pistachio Cake Slice
photo credit: Juliet's