My weekends literally revolve around the big question “Where am I going for brunch this Saturday?”. My mission (of which I chose to accept), is to try somewhere and something new; Crab Tavern certainly ticked the criteria - and so did the Brunch Menu with a very tempting 1.5 hr unlimited bar for an extra £10. How could we possibly resist?
Wholesome and worth gorging, the Crab Tavern brunch is one of the very best in the city.
Located on Broadgate Circle, I’ve never known there not to be a sea of city folk congregating en-masse during the week, but much to my delight Saturday was nice and calm in comparison. Finally making my way into the glass paneled venue (third door lucky), I stepped into a New York city styled wooden ‘shack-esque’ venue with happy go lucky orange crabs painted on the ominously dark back wall. The venue was styled with high top tables, booth seating, a chic front facing bar – ideally positioned to bring in the crowds and as I quickly and fondly found out, to serve superb Espresso Martini’s – a must have for the Saturday morning pick me up.
We certainly weren’t the only ones indulgently enjoying an early afternoon at Crab Tavern, with groups celebrating and friends catching up. The vibe was certainly still to relax but also with an air of ‘yay, it’s the weekend’ vibes. We soon settled into our spacious booth ready to wine, dine and chill out, and were conveniently positioned with a view of the glass doors to watch the world go by.
Platter up, platter up. Crab Tavern serve the ultimate in seafood morsels come brunch time.
With my friend not the biggest fan of seafood and at that point thinking she was allergic to crab (risky business this), I of course had full dibs of all the crab, fish and prawns piled high on the Sharing Platter full of Fried black pepper squid, Tavern pork belly ribs, dressed crab Caesar subs, crab and waffle, jerk fried shrimp, prawn cocktail, and crispy white bait. This delightful mound of beautifully golden, nicely seasoned seafood and sticky, glossy ribs kick-started our 3 course weekend treat, packed full of flavour and gluttony. Hazarding a guess, I opted for the crème de le crème of main courses – the Soft Shell Crab Burger, with Red Pepper Jelly, Shiso and Old Bay Fries. Brought out to me with what I’m sure could have been a smile on its face was a full soft shell crab fried to a crispy perfection and placed within a brioche bun.
If you’re not the biggest of seafood fans, don’t let the name fool you. Crab Tavern also caters for the meat eaters and herbivores of the world, with salads, a range of brunchy egg dishes and as my friend describes ‘a mouth watering’ Hanger Steak. So give it a go, start your weekend off how you mean to go on… full of tasty, Instagram worthy food and merry on the wine.
Looking to get in on the action? Snag your tickets to the infamous Luvin Feeling Brunch at Crab Tavern right here.
