The Good Egg brunch review: When Israeli food meets Insta-worthy interiors

Rachel Hosie finds traditional Israeli cuisine in Soho's buzzing food court

Pop into the Kingly Court’s branch and expand your culinary horizons

Brunching out..

What started out as a celebration of Tel Aviv’s street food scene and Jewish delis has merged with the café culture of California and Australia to become a firm favourite on the London brunch scene.

The interior of the Kingly Court branch is fun – baby pink meets turquoise. There’s a hint of retro American diner, and of course, there’s a light-up “Good Egg” sign behind the bar – so naturally the place was brimming with millennials.

It’s busy. We wait a while for our order to be taken, only for our mains to arrive before our starters.

The house labneh is worth trying and goes perfectly with the flatbread

When it does arrive, our Jerusalem breakfast sharing plate is delicious and is made up of an amalgamation of various starters (perfect for both the indecisive and hungry). The crispy halloumi drizzles with honey is a stand-out feature, as are the runny boiled eggs.

We love the labneh with lots of olive oil and seeds, the whipped feta with mint and the velvety beetroot dip, all of which was scooped up with a fluffy, warm flatbread.

The aubergine – served with pine nuts on top of silky smooth tahini hummus – is sensational, but let down slightly by the little serving of salad which is uninspiring.

We couldn't get enough of the crispy halloumi, and of course, the runny eggs

Then we get to our mains: the grain bowl (£11) is a colourful feast for the eyes (and an Instagram winner), consisting of mixed grains, dreamy cinnamon-roasted squash, more halloumi, al dente red cabbage, tangy pickled cauliflower, kale with crunchy chickpeas, parsnip and purple carrot, another boiled egg and yet more fantastic tahini hummus, which was the perfect consistency for drizzling.

We also have “Oded’s Granola” (£6.50), which is just as equally beautifully presented: a generous serving of luscious thick yoghurt topped with nutty granola, aniseedy-cooked rhubarb, grapes, edible flowers and a delicious date compote. The spices and flavours make for a delicious twist on the standard yoghurt-fruit-granola combo.

To finish, we can’t resist sharing a slice of date and pecan babka (£4). It’s squidgy, moist and just a little bit boozy.

If you’re a fan of Middle Eastern food and – god forbid – a bit bored of avocado on toast, expand your brunch horizons at The Good Egg. Just don’t go if you’re in a rush.

Ground Floor, Kingly Court, Kingly St, Soho, London W1B 5PW; 020 3911 2000; open daily: thegoodegg.co

Brunching in...

A quick and healthy brunch to top up your taste buds

Broad bean, air dried ham and lemony ricotta toasts

Serves 4

1kg broad bean pods, or 250g podded beans
250g ricotta
6 mint leaves
1 lemon
8 slices of sourdough
85g air dried ham
25g pea shoots
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (larder)

Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Pop the beans from their pods and boil in the water for 4 minutes. Drain the beans and cool. Peel off their skins and discard, and place the beans in a bowl.

Pour half of the broad beans into a food processor with the ricotta, mint, the zest and juice from 1/2 the lemon and salt and pepper. Blitz briefly to form a coarse paste. If you don’t have a processor, finely chop the mint then mash into the broad beans with a fork, before stirring through the ricotta, lemon and seasoning.

Toast the sourdough or pop under the grill for a few minutes. Spread with the ricotta mixture, then top with curls of ham, the leftover broad beans and finish with the pea shoots and a drizzle of your favourite extra virgin or flavoured olive oil.

Recipe from Farmdrop (farmdrop.com/london/recipes)