i'd been hearing all about the hoxton-based dead dolls club pop-ups for a while before charlie let us know about a time out brunch deal for the restaurant's newest home in islington. for £20 we were promised unlimited mimosa, two dishes each from the brunch menu, and two hours to consume it all in. we bought the tickets, we booked the table, and then made it up to islington on the first weekend of summer. and dear lord, let me tell you all about it...
for starters, the decor is way cooler than i remember it being when i was throwing up in the loos upstairs, after too many drinks at the wolf's head - the building's previous name, and where i lost my "urban club night virginity" about twelve years too late. fresh ferns and hand-stencilled wall art decorate the main restaurant area, with a group of disco balls of varying sizes hanging above our bay-window booth for ten. so far, so pretty! i love me some fresh foliage and victoriana vibes, so this new look in the old wolf's head was very much to my liking. plus: blue suede booths - ain't nothing wrong with that.
the menu was pretty impressive too. it didn't have any of those classic brunch favourites like buttermilk pancakes, or eggs benny, instead favouring a pretty varied menu. it was full of super tasty-sounding dishes like a sweet potato and spring onion hash, served with a fried duck egg and yoghurt (£12), a cornbread pancake served with smoked salmon, poached eggs and some greens (£12), and a spinach, potato and parmesan frittata (£9) that had me questioning my love for chicken and waffles, with maple and bacon (£14) the minute i eyed it on the menu. you can't beat a trusted winner though, so naturally, i went with my heart.
i did, however, choose a side dish that turned out to be the real mvp of the day. barbecued broccoli. yep, you read that right: barbecued broccoli (£3). i figured with the amount of naughties in my main, my side deserved to be something mildly healthy, and, well - who doesn't love a bbq? the broccoli was delightfully crunchy (just the way i like it!), but also burnt around the tips giving it a really nice, charred flavour. plus: seeds! seeds make everything tastier, so yeah: this three quid dish was my highlight of the day. plus the bottomless mimosas (£15 for a two-hour sesh), of course.
so, by my reckoning, £20 for all of that was a pretty banging deal - even if the meals were a tad small by brunch standards. everyone seemed really happy with their meals, and we're always happy with mimosas. would i go back? heck yes i would. have i tried and not-yet succeeded to make bbq'd brocoli at home myself? shamefully, yes i have.
you can find out more about the dead dolls house here.
