Best Brunch in Fulham and Parsons Green
We moved to Parsons Green around six months ago and, even though we loved the convenience of Kensington and my commute to work is not as great, Fulham is full of adorable little restaurants with great personality and tasty food. I look forward to Sundays, when we usually go to pilates at Heartcore and then walk to one of the cute brunch spots in the neighborhood. I think by now we have covered all of the cafes and I feel properly equipped to write a review of what they offer and why we choose each place. So, who wins the title of Best Brunch in Fulham and Parsons Green?
Hally’s
No doubt Hally’s is the cutest spot in the area! We go there when we want to show the area to friends who have never visited. On the other hand, Hally’s usually has the longest lines and, despite the gorgeous cakes at the entrance, we actually have come to love the food at other places even more. But Hally’s has a great menu with lots of good options; go for their tasty avocado toast or either the full English or vegetarian breakfast—both are well executed. Their cheerfully green matcha latte is delicious and it’s hard to get away without taking a pastry to go…but the banana bread from Chairs and Coffee is better! If you’re looking to get you drink on in the morning, Stewart (aka hubby) thinks Hally’s has the brightest cocktails for your eye opener. I also have a full review here: Hally’s Parsons Green.
Adorable setting and good people watching at Hally’s Parsons Green
http://www.hallyslondon.com/
Little H
Hally’s wee sibling located kitty corner across the street. More casual and a faster option for an easy lunch; great prepared salads (I do take-out sometimes and eat them at home in the evenings), smoothies and freshly squeezed juices.
Healthy products at Little H Parsons Green
Chairs and Coffee
Finally, our favorite! The menu is limited (everything’s rustled up directly behind the coffee counter), but everything is well executed. We love their toasts, such as the scrambled eggs with taleggio and mushrooms or the more indulgent one with eggs, chorizo and blue cheese (Stewart’s favorite). Their banana bread is killer good and their staff is very friendly and happy (say ciao to Simone and Roberto)! Click on Chairs & Coffee for full review.
Killer good toasts at Chairs & Coffee Fulham
http://www.chairsandcoffee.co.uk/
Boma Green
We sometimes go to Boma when Hally’s is packed. Nice ambiance for brunch and tasty food. Interestingly we’ve tried BG for dinner but found it not nearly as good. Their breakfast burrito is the best brunch choice. Of the options, BG definitely has the deepest bar; I bet they’ll be packed for Pimm’s Cup before Polo in the Park.
The burrito at Boma Green
GAIL’s
Gail’s makes great cakes and pastries, but their brunch didn’t blow us away. I ordered the Turkish baked eggs, but they were too dry. Stewart’s mushroom and eggs on toast were also just average, as the bread was not well toasted (eggs on limp, warm bread?) and the poached egg was overcooked. I strongly suggest the flourless chocolate cake as a take away when you commit to bringing dessert to a dinner party; it’s always a hit, even more so when we serve it with hubby’s specialty – vanilla & bourbon whipped cream.
Turkish Eggs at Gail’s Fulham – they look better than they taste!
http://gailsbread.co.uk/bakeries/parsons-green/
St. Clements
At this cute café across from my favorite food shop in PG (http://www.bayley-sage.co.uk/), they have a small menu of current classics, such as avocado on seeded rye toast with soft boiled egg. You pay and order at the counter and they bring the food to your table when ready. They don’t seem to be very flexible with changes and, while the food is good, we once again prefer the food and java at Chairs & Coffee. The nice thing about St. Clemens is their front patio—it is the best place for brunch in PG when the weather is nice (to be fair, we’ve not tested Eelbrook with their stunning setting on the common). At Chairs & Coffee they have a few tables outside, but they’re set along Fulham Road–not very scenic; more like bus fumes and coffee.
Lovely outdoors seating at St. Clements Parsons Green
http://www.stclementscafe.co.uk/index.php
Manuka Kitchen
Right next to Chairs & Coffee, it’s a more pleasant space but the food not nearly as good despite more options. The place is cute and the menu has some great sounding dishes, but, when we went, service was spotty and the food was just average. So we haven’t been back for a second try. Perhaps we’ll get lured back one evening to try their gin bar…
Quinoa and avocado with poached eggs at Manuka Kitchen Fulham
http://manukakitchen.com/
Barossa
Australian café on New Kings Road. They serve Caravan coffee which is always a plus. I usually eat their vegetarian version of a full English, which has haloumi, steamed spinach, grilled mushrooms, tomatoes and poached eggs. Of course Stewart usually goes for their meatier version, the Bondi Brekkie (the chipolata sausage is killer—crispy skin, umami heaven inside). Food is solid, but the vibe is not as cute as Hally’s (sit in the front room or out back beneath the trees). Service is straightforward, but can be hit or miss.
Coffee at Barossa Parsons Green
https://barossafulham.com/
Shot
Not a proper brunch place, but a coffee shop worth mentioning. Shot is an adorable place for a perfect cup of java and perhaps a simple, tasty sandwich which they can heat up on the panini press. sister spot across the street called Ice & Slice has the best gelato in London!
http://www.shotespresso.com/
Across the cobblestone street, their equally narrow and adorable sister serves killer gelato (always get the espresso, so it’s a matter of what goes alongside it… pistachio with crushed nuts on top?) and reasonably good thin crust pizza.
http://www.iceandslice.co.uk/
They also have a third spot closer to Parsons Green called Bistro by Shot. We sometimes pop in for coffee, but we didn’t love their brunch food. My omelette wasn’t impressive and service was haphazard. But we should give it another go.
Harwood Arms
And, if your definition of good brunch equals a Sunday roast, there is no better place than the Michelin starred Harwood Arms. I didn’t use to be a big Sunday roast person (shhhhhhhhh or I may get my work visa revoked), but their meat extravaganza has tuned me into a fan. It is still not something I indulge in regularly, but on a damp London Sunday, it is the perfect option. See my full review of Harwood Arms on the blog, but plan to go for pints or bubbles followed by roasted meat and superb pudding.
The Sunday Roast at the Harwood Arms is the best in London
In sum: get your Sunday off to a proper start! Fulham and Parsons Green are fantastic areas for brunch; diverse offerings and cute independent spots that offer different options for each occasion. Who wins best brunch in Fulham and Parsons Green? If we had to choose one… it would be Chairs & Coffee for brunch, Hally’s for the people watching, St. Clements for a tipple in the sun, or, if we are using the British definition of a Sunday Brunch, the Harwood Arms for roast and a pint.
Here are loads more pictures of the various spots!
Chairs and Coffee
Chairs and Coffee Menu
Coffee roaster at Chairs & Coffee Fulham
Hally’s
Little H:
Adorable small Little H
Healthy foods at Little H Parsons Green
Menu at Little H Parsons Green
Boma Green
Boma Green Parsons Green omelette with feta and peas
Main dining area at Boma Green Parsons Green
Boma Green bar area
Manuka Honey
Outside at Manuka Honey Fulham
St. Clements
Scrambled eggs on toast at St. Clements Parsons Green
Healthy breakfast at St Clements Parsons Green
Barossa
Pancakes at Barossa parsons Green
GAIL’s
Gail’s cinnamon roll
Harwood Arms
Close-up of the roast at The Harwood Arms Pub
Sunday Roast menu at The Harwood Arms Fulham
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