Lady’s Review of The Folly Brunch in London

Today I want to share a review of brunch in London with you. I was invited to experience The Folly brunch in the City of London, and here’s how the meal went.

Brunch in London

I love brunch. When I lived in San Francisco, my weekend routine always included a big Sunday brunch. When I moved to the UK, I was surprised to learn that brunch in London wasn’t really done.

Instead, menus usually focused on the full English breakfast, Sunday roast, and other classic English dishes. I was bereft.

But over the years I’ve discovered a few restaurants in London that serve brunch.

From Christopher’s, the classic American restaurant in Covent Garden, to The Modern Pantry, the excellent brunch place in Clerkenwell, there are a number of establishments at which I can get my brunch fix.

The Folly Brunch in the City of London

Recently I was invited to try The Folly brunch at a restaurant and bar in the City. The Folly is an enormous space with two floors of tables, bars, and lounge areas. The large windows let in lots of light, and the decor is modern, clean, and funky.

I arrived on Saturday morning and sat down at my table to wait for my brunch companion. A server promptly brought me a menu.

“You look t…” I could tell he was about to say “tired”. If I hadn’t had the flu all week, I would have been really insulted. He caught himself, continuing with “Have you had a busy week?” Well, busy with the flu. I guess.

The Folly brunch menu was full of the classics. I ordered the brioche eggy bread—I think it was a fancy way of saying “French toast”—with maple syrup, caramelized bananas, and fresh strawberries.

My brunch companion ordered the baked three-egg omelette with sun-ripened tomatoes, mushrooms, and English cheddar.

As we waited for our food, I sipped a fresh mint tea and he an Americano. The Folly wasn’t very full when we arrived at 11am, but by the time our brunch was served, there was a decent crowd enjoying smoothies, eggs, and coffee.

Our food came in good time, and I started in on my brioche. There were three slices of it, each of a different thickness. The flavor was good, but I would have preferred the bread to be of a uniform width. The thickest one was by far the best.

My partner-in-brunch’s eggs came in a tiny cast iron skillet, which was unique. The omelette tasted good from the small bite I wrangled from the plate, and the eggs were served with plenty of toast and butter.

When The Folly brunch was over, I headed down to the restrooms. As I went to put soap on my hands, the dispenser projectiled the liquid all over my stomach. I ended up with a giant soap stain on my shirt, which was embarrassing.

I told my brunch companion about it when I met him upstairs. He laughed and showed me an equivalent soap stain from his trip to the gents. At least we were in it together.

The Folly Brunch in London: The Verdict

We left The Folly brunch feeling pleasantly full. I could have done without the waiter telling me I looked “t…” and the soap dispenser shooting me in the stomach, but otherwise I had a good experience.

This weekend my quest to find brunch in London continues at a new restaurant in Seven Dials. I look forward to seeing how it compares with The Folly brunch and the other brunch places I’ve enjoyed in the city so far.

Find this post helpful? Buy me a coffee!

New here? Join thousands of others and subscribe to the A Lady in London blog via email.