When home alone I confess to being a half-hearted breakfast eater. It’s not that I am not craving a tasty start to my day but let’s be honest, who wants to make a meal when the old eyes are near closing and the bus will arrive in ten minutes. Yes, it’s a slice of toast, and yoghurt if I feel noble. But I always do fancy that elusive big breakfast. Spice Market for breakfast was tempting me.
So the truth is out. I only make a cooked breakfast at weekends or when we have friends staying over. A traditional English fried breakfast is popular for very good reasons: it’s hearty, comforting and delicious. It has endured as a favourite with both tourists, who are mostly under the misapprehension that we eat this every morning, and us locals who wish that we could.
But there are other cooked breakfasts that are just as delicious and make a flavoursome change. Spice Market offers a striking menu for lunch and dinner, and its breakfast bill of fare is just as imaginative and eclectic. Most of the morning guests are from the adjoining W Hotel and they come from every corner of the globe and enjoy the wide range of items on offer …after the novelty of the great British fry-up has worn off.
Eggs of your Choice, Potato Rosti, Egg White Omelette with Herbs, Eggs Benedict, Scottish Smoked Salmon, Toasted Brioche, French Toast with Sautéed Apples, Pinhead Porridge with Raisins and Brown Sugar are some of the cooked dishes, but there is also a buffet that caters to those who can only manage a sweet pastry. Northern Europeans can graze on cheese, cold meats, smoked fish, and fruit.
All very nice and I would have been delighted to indulge along with our Continental cousins, but there were other breakfast treats that are unique to Spice Market. Cornish Crab and Egg Scramble, Smoked Paprika and Puffed Rice sounded intriguing and savoury. I couldn’t quite imagine what this was going to be. Perhaps some rubbery concoction served over a bowl of that famous cereal that snaps, crackles and pops? Surely that could not be right.
The reality was a delicate scramble laced with white crab meat. There was a hint of chilli that gave a suspicion of heat and the puffed rice was in the guise of a wafer. Lime added a spike of citrus vibrancy. A well-rounded dish that would be enticing for those looking for a brekkie with an Asian slant. It was a substantial portion, but a rugby player could always add a side of hot buttered toast.
Coconut Pancakes, Maple-Lavender Syrup and Pomelo is a lighter but equally exotic option. The small pancakes were as fluffy as one would hope and the pomelo was refreshing and summery and a foil for the rich sweetness of the maple syrup. This is an indispensible part of any American pancake breakfast but it’s important to choose a dark syrup that offers real taste rather than just sweetness. The Spice Market breakfast balances all elements. Nothing more needed than a cup of tea, although a “cuppa Joe” would be the beverage of choice for those visitors from across the Pond.
Opening hours:
Breakfast:
7:00 am – 11:00 am Monday-Friday
8:00 am – 11:30 am Saturday-Sunday
Lunch – Dinner:
12:00 noon – 11:00 pm Sunday-Wednesday
12:00 noon – 11:30 pm Thursday-Saturday
Bar:
12:00 noon – 12:00 midnight Monday-Sunday
Spice Market London
10 Wardour St, London W1D 6QF
Phone: +44 207 758 1088
Fax: +44 207 758 1080
Visit Spice Market here
Restaurant review by Chrissie Walker © 2018
Read reviews of other Breakfast restaurants here