Just when I thought a bottomless brunch couldn’t get any better… Old Compton Brasserie go and throw drag queen Velma Celli into the mix. Armed with bottomless prosecco, cocktails and a playlist of Gaga, RuPaul and every 90s pop classic you could think of, this shady lady made the usually swish Soho restaurant her stage.
Velma will serenade her guests, whether they like it or not.
We were all ready and prepared for what was about to go down. Just moments prior, I filled up on a satisfying plate of crushed green (£8), a simple yet fresh was to kick things off. Combining avocado, green peas, an earthy avo tahini, seeds, cherry tomatoes and a generous drizzles of chilli oil, it was an elevated take on the classic that came together nicely. For my plus one? A pair of eggs benedict (£10), cooked to the perfect level of gooey-ness, perched upon a bed of spinach and two fluffy English muffins. These were accompanied by a long glass of prosecco each, which were topped up continuously throughout the experience.
As she sashayed through the venue, Velma and her signature powerhouse vocals serenaded her eagerly anticipating audience. Meanwhile her guest and co-host for the day, Portia de Fosse, gassed up the audience further and took the occasional turn on their makeshift runway with a ballad of her own. Gliding from table to table, Velma took a moment between songs, or during, to remark on her audiences lack of participation or sub-par singing.
The cocktails and 'secco just wouldn't stop coming.
To really help liven the mood? She was accompanied by massive jugs (take your mind out of the gutter) of cocktails. The refreshing yet deadly Spring in Soho (£30) blended Finlandia lime, Cointreau, 8 brio verjus, rhubarb syrup and lemon, and went down as easy as fruit squash.
Follow this with the Riesling Rumble (£30) bubbly blend of Riesling, Aperol, grapefruit and more prosecco, and before you know it you’ll be chiming along while Velma looks down at you with an unimpressed snarl… not that I’m speaking from experience.
Velma had us in the palm of her perfectly-manicured hand.
The DesignMyNight Digest
Bottomless brunches are usually a pretty subdued way to get pissed in the daytime and eat breakfast food, but Old Compton Brasserie go one step further. Velma Celli's stellar vocals and cutting humour made this Drag Race superfan’s Saturday afternoon a surprisingly raucous experience.
