FULHAM BRUNCH

STRAP IN FOR SOME BELTING BRUNCH SPOTS

Brunch means different things to different people: some want as much avo as possible, others detest the stuff. To us, coffee is key. To others, coffee can do one; booze is king. And make it bottomless whilst you’re there.

We’ve tried many a brunch in fulham and whittled our favourites down to the list below, featuring artisan coffee, wagyu on toast (yep, we know), brunch classics and places that are just perfect to hang out with friends.

Let us know if you visit any and what you made of them.

Chairs & Coffee

FIRST-RATE COFFEE WITHOUT PRETENCE

“Coffee roasters… in a wine bar” – this adorns the awnings of Chairs & Coffee, and it’s very much the café’s mantra. But whilst there’s a level of pretentiousness synonymous with top-tier coffee shops and wine bars, Chairs & Coffee manages to dispel it via friendly service and silly decor (chairs hung high on walls? But of course).

So, what’s Chairs & Coffee all about? Well, if you haven’t already guessed, they know a thing or two about coffee – and this isn’t a flippant comment about serving a decent flat white, but rather a doff of our caps to their passion for the process. You see, 80 Stone Coffee Roasters roast the coffee used. Fun(ish) fact: that’s also them.

Owners Simone & Roberto dedicated a small area of Chairs and Coffee for roasting their own beans, and quickly began distributing. They bought their first roaster – it weighed 80 stone – and, voilà, 80 Stone Coffee Roasters was born. As everyone and their mums seem to say, the rest is history. All in all, this convoluted paragraph is our way of saying they know what makes a good coffee. So, coffee fiends, you’re in good hands.

As for food, this is where most first-rate coffee shops fall flat, but not Chairs & Coffee.

Serving house favourites such as poached eggs on hash browns with a beauty of a red pepper sauce; avocado and feta sourdough (which I adored); Canadian-style toasted banana bread; and, well, whilst the menu isn’t huge, we could go on.

Put simply, chairs and coffee have got brunch in Fulham nailed down. It’s easily one of our favourites.

TL;DR: Coffee in a wine bar. The very definition of hipster. But that’s not what Chairs & Coffee is about. They care about coffee. And their food, whilst simple, is the perfect companion to the hot stuff.

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The London Butler tip: The cafe isn’t huge, so there may be a wait come busy times; Laptops are banned on weekends; The v60 pour-over is sensational.

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512 Fulham Rd, SW6 5NJ; Chairs & Coffee
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An earthy eatery hosting instagrammable dishes that actually deliver on taste? Manuka Kitchen’s completed it.

Rustic is an overused adjective but it’s aptly applied here; there’s a down-home feel at Manuka Kitchen – understated comes to mind. You won’t find neon-powered quotes adorning the walls, instead, you’ll feel a sense of connection via earthy tones, use of wood and minimalist touches. A connection to what? Well, nature and company (unless you’re dining alone – in which case, a connection to yourself?)

With a central focus on responsibly-sourced ingredients, expect Kiwi-inspired twists on dishes that’ll satisfy brunch mavericks and traditionalists alike. (We feel a need to point out: Kiwi = New Zealand).

Firstly, the french toast with spiced honey. Seriously good stuff. It’s something we expected to lack substance when it arrived (purely because it looked so good), but it was genuinely delicious – there’s probably a life lesson in there somewhere.

For the mavericks among you, there’s wagyu mince ragu on toast with a poached egg on sourdough – not your typical Fulham brunch item, but one we’d like to see more of.

All in all, Manuka Kitchen delivers on its promise: a relaxed place to hang out with friends and enjoy food you’d struggle to replicate at home. Minimalist in nature; maximalist in flavour.

The Hive

FEEL LIKE A LOCAL

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“The Hive SW6 is an independent local cafe…” – this description is from The Hive itself, and though seemingly basic, it’s spot on.

Whilst many cafés today position themselves as experts in all things coffee, juices, brioche, etc (so much so they’re hardly differentiators), The Hive go back to basics: community. And this was evident the first time we stepped in.

Located in the heart of Fulham, Parsons Green, the café itself is bright and airy, spacious yet cosy, lending itself to many a conversation. This isn’t a place trying to be a coffee shop come Interior Design Award winner, but rather a space for locals to meet with friends, eat good food and relax.

And on the topic of food, when we say go back to basics, we’re not suggesting anything boring. You can expect hearty, laid-back dishes with a focus on simple ingredients. What does this actually mean? Things like poached eggs on toast with wilted spinach (these guys know how to poach an egg); a classic eggs benedict; breakfast burritos; colourful salads and fresh juices made to order.

Oh, and it’s bloody good value.

This is a local favourite and for good reason; a place that delivers on brunch and community spirit – a lost art these days.

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The London Butler tip: They’ve recently opened up a new outdoor seating area, a beauty of a spot come hot summer days.

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670 Fulham Rd, SW6 5RX; The Hive
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At the time of writing, we’ve not seen a guide to Fulham brunches mention this sweetheart.

Located in the vast conservatory (hence the name) of The Palace Gardener, Fulham’s own garden centre, Glasshouse Coffee takes everything you know about garden centre cafés and turns it on its proverbial head: a visit here can’t be summed up as mediocre-to-poor coffee and barely-a-sandwich sandwiches. This is first-rate food and excellent coffee (supplied by Caravan the last time we checked).

Being situated in the iconic conservatory building, it’s probably stupid to highlight how bright and airy the space is – it’s got a glass roof, ffs – but it’s an absolute beauty in the heart of Fulham.

Onto more important matters: sourdough toasties. My god, they’re insane. I plumped for ‘The Chorizo’ on my last visit: Chorizo, Red Leicester & Coriander melted between perfectly toasted, buttery sourdough bread. Mmm, a game changer. The other London Butler had a bacon sarnie – apparently one of the nicest they’ve had. I can’t vouch for it as I didn’t try it, but reviews don’t get much better than that.

If it’s not immediately obvious, we love this place. As my old headteacher used to say, “consistency is key”, and Glasshouse has this nailed: we’ve been back numerous times and always had a fantastic experience.

All in all, this is a great spot for brunch in Fulham, in an environment you wouldn’t expect to find in Fulham. It’s also not that well known, so you can give yourself some kudos for finding it.

bonbon

ALL THINGS SWEET

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bonbon: sweet by name, sweet by nature. There’s guaranteed to be a selection of sugary sensations ready to be snapped up. They were serving snickerdoodle cinnamon cakes the last time we were in, and these weren’t even the star of the counter. And, yep, they tasted bloody good.

As for the brunch side of things, specialty coffee is taken care of, as is a care for produce (everything comes from small artisan and organic food producers from Italy, France and the UK).

Our picks of the brunch bunch include their banana bread sandwich, lightly grilled and layered with mascarpone, fresh berries and drizzled in honey, or, for those that prefer something a little lighter, burrata and fresh tomatoes with olive oil and sourdough. And they’re available all day. Win-win.

bonbon has grown and grown since its launch and firmly established itself as a staple for brunch in Fulham. You can’t go wrong here.

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129 Wandsworth Bridge Rd, SW6 2TT; bonbon
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Let’s face it, if you’re after a bottomless brunch in Fulham or, take it back a step, a vegan brunch in Fulham, chances are Megan’s has been recommended.

Mediterranean in style (loosely), Megan’s brunch range is pretty extensive meaning most will fancy an item or two. If someone in your party doesn’t, well, enjoy that one.

Whilst the service has been impeccable every time we’ve visited, we have found the food to be somewhat inconsistent across locations. That said, we have been to two bottomless brunches in their Fulham branch, and every one of us has had a great time. The beauty of booze, eh?! They’ve just opened a new site in Fulham as the other wasn’t big enough, so they must be doing something right.

FYI: bottomless is available on weekends and bank holidays; unlimited prosecco currently costs £25p/p.

70 Parsons Green Ln, SW6 4HU; Megan’s
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Shot Espresso

A SPECIAL SHOUTOUT FOR THIS BEAUT

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Like an espresso, this place is small but mighty. Their name gives a less-than-subtle hint at their devotion: coffee making. And believe us, they’ve made it to the upper echelons.

Shot Espresso is a Fulham mainstay: the place coffee aficionados come to. In fact, people travel across the city to give it a blast.

So, if you’re coffee fiends like we are, this is a must-stop on your Fulham brunch travels.

We can’t get enough of it.

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11 Jerdan Pl, SW6 1BE; Shot Espresso
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Let us know if you have any of these Fulham brunches!

See our guide via: Google Maps | Apple Maps

And if you’re after more advice on the area, check out our guide to the best pubs in Fulham, bars in Fulham, and for those that need somewhere to stay after a night on the town, our curated list of Fulham hotels. We’ve also got a guide to our favourite Fulham barbers, if that’s your thing.