Rascals, London brunch review: Celebrity dressed entertainers and bottomless booze

Can a millennial brunch still be so even if there’s not an avocado in sight? With the help of bottomless drinks, Rachel Hosie thinks so

Stiff upper lip: long sharing tables are not always conversation-inducing for Brits

Brunching out...

Think of a millennial brunch and what springs to mind? Bottomless booze? House plants? Millennial pink walls decorated with neon signs?

All that and more is waiting for the Instagram treatment at Shoreditch restaurant, Rascals.

It’s the sister venue to popular adult ball pit next door, Ballie Ballerson. Which means its bottomless brunch (£40 for two hours) is never going to be boring.

The Shiso Fine cocktail is made of vodka, sake, nitro-muddle shiso, lemongrass and sesame

For starters, it begins at 3pm so it’s “brunch” in the loosest sense of the word. I go having already had breakfast, and struggle not to have lunch beforehand, too...

We arrive at 2.55pm, and there’s already a queue of millennial-age women (and a handful of men) snaking down the street: as soon as the hoards are let in, the party begins.

In the hope of encouraging socialising and a fun atmosphere, all diners sit together on large tables. While a noble idea, it’s not for everyone – there’s something to be said for having your own space, and being seated next to a stranger certainly doesn’t mean you’ll talk to them. This is Britain, after all.

What does help loosen up reserved Brits though is bottomless booze. Waiting on the table are mimosas, swiftly followed by espresso martinis too. It’s a grown-up twist on the classic breakfast drinks of orange juice and coffee: as drinkable as they are, it’s also slightly dangerous – exacerbated further by staff who are very good at topping up drinks.

But this isn’t where the fun ends: to accompany it all, there’s a retro soundtrack (think Spice Girls) and elaborately dressed entertainers walking up and down the tables with microphones, topped off with a Donald Trump lookalike emerging with a picture of Kim Jong-un while the Sugababes’ “Push The Button” plays. Some unsuspecting diners are even called up onto a mini-stage to play a game.

So, if you’re after a quiet catch-up with your mum this probably sounds like hell. But if you’re in the mood to party with a group of pals, it’s a lot of fun.

The most important element of any brunch is, of course, the food. And at Rascals it’s a three-course affair.

To start, it’s burrata with basil pesto and a parmesan crumb; divine, but it could’ve done with some bread or toast (especially considering how much everyone was drinking).

Next is a classic: spaghetti and meatballs. It’s not particularly overwhelming but fine enough – and by this point everyone has had too many drinks to care. We finish it off with a chocolate brownie; pleasingly uncakey, full of crunchy nuts and served with velvety vanilla ice cream.

Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free menus are available too.

While the food isn’t spectacular, it’s not really the main selling point at Rascals. You eat it, but you’re really there for the drinks, vibes and social-friendly pictures. If you’re partial to a Boomerang of two clinking flutes, you’ll probably love Rascals.

The irony is that in this most millennial of brunches, there isn’t an avocado in sight.

Rascals, 97 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3BS; 020 3950 2475; londonrascals.com; open Tues-Thurs 12-10pm and Fri-Sat 12-11pm

Brunching in...

Potato and mushroom omelette recipe from lovepoatoes.co.uk

Potato and mushroom omelette

Cook: 20 mins

Serves 4

2 medium-sized smooth potatoes (such as Desiree), peeled and thinly sliced (equates to 300g)
100g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
5 medium eggs
20ml milk
1 tbsp olive oil
10g butter
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Salt and milled pepper

For this recipe you need a 25cm non-stick frying pan, or a little larger. Place the sliced potatoes into a pan of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes, drain and leave until needed. In the frying pan add the olive oil and butter and cook the sliced mushrooms until soft, for about 5 minutes. While the mushrooms are cooking preheat your grill to medium.

In a bowl lightly whisk the eggs, milk, parsley and a little seasoning. Pop the potatoes into the pan with the mushrooms and arrange so the pan is evenly covered. Pour in the egg mixture and cook over a very low heat until the egg is setting around the edge, pop under the grill and continue to cook until set. Don’t have the grill on too high a temperature. Serve with fresh, crisp salad.

Recipe from lovepotatoes.co.uk