Beautifully positioned just off New Bond Street on a bustling cobbled corner of Mayfair, there lies a boutique lounge and eatery that has set out to make healthy sexy.
Despite it’s urban title, a drunken lunch won’t be on the menu here unless you bring your own bottle. Drunch is all about healthy, good-quality food washed down with antioxidant smoothies, detox juices and hot mint teas with honey. Proving that you don’t need alcohol to have a good time, this casual spot has attracted the attention of London’s coolest. Arrive late afternoon for a quick snack after work and you’ll find a string of beautiful girls in sky-high heels waiting in line for their detox fix. Turn up a bit later and you’ll find the cosy outside space lit up by portable flames and colourful shisha pipes – dominating the tables like fruity lava lamps. It’s where the health-conscious go to party.
Ten seconds through the door and my mum and I decided that we should try one of the deep purple smoothies that was drawing beautiful women through the door like flocks of perfect starlings. Turns out it was called a Beetroot Detox and contained a blend of beetroot, apple, cucumber, lemon, ginger and parsley. It was delicious. We also ordered a Cecelia Smoothie, which features apple, pear, kiwi, avocado, curly kale, mint and ginger. It’s safe to say that the curly kale really didn’t do it any favours. Unlike the bold, seductive colour of my Beetroot Detox, the Cecelia was more slime than sultry. Nevertheless, in the name of health we powered through. The menu is full of these delightful healthy blends, offering stress relievers, hangover cures and calming remedies among others.
Suitably convinced that I would wake up the next morning with a flattened tummy and a perfect bum, I set out to place my food order. My beetroot smoothie was obviously going to transform me into a picture of health so I could definitely afford to pile on a few calories. We went for garlic prawns and a dipping platter for our starters. I have a serious weakness for dips so this was like a little trip to heaven. I did manage to nab a couple of prawns too – much to my mum’s horror. The portion size was good and they were seriously scrumptious. Drunch claims to be a “lifestyle choice” as well as your average London dining spot, with a happy mix of comfort food and health kicks. That’s something I can definitely get on board with! The prices were also really surprising for a Mayfair hang-out, with prices starting from £8.50 for a hot brunch and heading up towards £12- £16 for a main.
Next up we went for a pan-roasted salmon fillet with crushed potatoes and pickled vegetables, and a char-grilled sirloin steak with Bearnaise sauce and chips. If i’d had my way, I would have gone for my absolute favourite – Butternut Squash Risotto – but unfortunately this wasn’t available on the day. Without a hint of doubt, the pan roasted salmon was the best I’ve ever tasted.
Absolutely stuffed and doubting the magical qualities of the detox smoothie, I persevered and ordered a chocolate brownie. Not so much a healthy desert, but one of their nods to towards comfort food. My mum doesn’t have the same relentless sweet tooth as I do, so she opted for a healthy mint tea instead. While we were relaxing post-meal with a cappuccino and a chat, the alfresco drinking spot was filling up with large groups of people looking for a chilled-out place to have a bite to eat with friends. The atmosphere is exactly that – chilled. The shisha pipes are so popular that they have their very own menu, so you can choose from a range of fruity concoctions. I love the sense of leisure that they’re bringing to the dining scene – everyone seemed to be indulging in Friday night freedom and it definitely felt like the place to be.
As well as the stylish outside seating and contemporary interior dining space, i stumbled across a downstairs lounge with private booths and dimly-lit lights, which looked as though it was preparing itself for a pre-booked evening. If the shisha lifestyle isn’t for you, then this exclusive lounge will definitely draw you in with its squishy sofas and sultry decor. I highly recommend this refreshing little eatery – I will certainly be returning for my second beetroot detox.
Drunch is open from 8am daily and it serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Check out their website here.
Have you visited Drunch recently? We’d love to hear what you thought!