it's impossible to keep up with the london brunch scene, so it's not an over-exaggeration when i say that i had been wanting to head along to the bloomsbury hotel's dalloway terrace for, well, years. i follow the brand on instagram, and even if i didn't, it would appear in my feed regularly from season to season, thanks to it's floral exterior; perfectly dressed, no matter the season, and perfectly picturesque. it turns out i wasn't alone, because when i floated the idea to both jasmin and katy as somewhere we could have a belated birthday catch up, they both jumped at the idea.
we started with a bottle of prosecco, to cheers the multiple birthdays, and made our meal choices. i went with the buttermilk blueberry pancake stack, which came served with lemon curd, maple syrup, and an optional bacon (which i naturally chose too) - all for the simple price of £12. compared to the £42 for the bottle of bubbles, i was certainly pleased the food was affordable enough! the girls both chose the smoked salmon dish, which came out served with guiness bread and creme friache, with optional eggs. and to start, we shared a plate of burrata and cherry tomatoes on grilled sourdough - because, you can never go wrong with burrata!
the starter was verrrrrry small for three people, with legitimately three cherry tomatoes and three slices of grilled bread on the plate (and for £15!), yet a whole sphere of burrata. don't get me wrong, i love me some cheese, but with nothing to spread it on it was a little disappointing. to call something a "sharing plate" and then only provide enough for one or two people, is a bit.. rough. it made me nervous for the pancakes, but i needn't have been as when they arrived, i was in heaven.
the menu didn't specify how many pancakes would be in the stack, so i was stoked to discover three on my plate. not only that, but the toppings didn't disappoint either. there was lashings of homemade lemon curd on top of the stack, with fresh berries and a dusting of icing sugar to boot. the bacon was well cooked, and on the side, and the portion - again, was more than i was expecting. you get used to restaurants short changing your sides, but dalloway terrace really delivered on this dish. and all for £12? 100% would order it again. i devoured the stack so quickly, that i barely offered anything to the conversation, and the table next to us even commented on how tasty the dish looked. i definitely made the right choice there!
the staff were friendly and attentive, and never let our glasses get too empty before topping them up - the real sign of excellent service, no? we weren't rushed in any way, and in fact were so enjoying our time on the terrace that we even ordered a second bottle.. despite the price. i think that's how you know you're in both good company, and a great restaurant - when you don't mind paying the prices because you're enjoying yourself too much. now that i've seen how affordable the terrace's food options are, i know i'll definitely be back - i think probably once a season, to keep up with the changing foliage seems fair, right? especially with the art deco coral bar to tempt me back too...
find dalloway terrace at 16 great russell street, bloomsbury london, wc1b 3nn
