Last weekend I thought I’d get beach body ready with a feast on everything I wanted to eat: London is probably the hardest city for a diet, but the best one for brunch. Here are my reviews of Beany Green in Broadgate Circle, the Boxpark Shoreditch’s Voodoo Rays and the marvellously decadent brunch at Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings. 
Beany Green – Broadgate Circle
The artisan Australian cafe Beany Green in Broadgate Circle made my tired Friday morning a little brighter with its lush healthy treats and its bright yellow, sunny decor.
Vodoo Ray’s at the Boxpark
For a slice of truly New York style pizza, head to Boxpark Shoreditch’s new pizza heaven, Vodoo Ray’s. Fresh of the success of its Dalston branch, Vodoo Rays might not be what traditional pizza looks like for Italians, but it’s definitely worth a visit. I’m still too Italian to experiment with some of their flavours – the Dusty Springfield special with bacon dust, ground beef, jalapenos, lime, coriander sauce, tomatoes and red onions might have killed me for good – but a slice of Porky’s, with cumberland sausage meatballs, took me back to NYC for an hour. So did the whole of Vodoo Ray’s decor, which looks like a proper Manhattan style late-night pizza joint.Â
What’s even better is that Vodoo Ray’s Boxpark is now serving the wonderful Lickalix ice lollies I so loved at Street Feast. Try the amazing Mango and Raspberry Swirl, or the Caribbean Twist with pineapple, mango and passion fruit. My commute back home just got better!
Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings
Everyone who loves a good brunch will fall in love with Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings’ weekend feast. I went in for the B&H Breakfast – choosing scrambled eggs on toast with bacon, bubble & squeak and roast tomatoes – and I went out struggling to walk after being tricked into ordering their decadent French toast as a dessert. I couldn’t really help it: everyone else was getting it and it just looked to good not to be eaten. 
Everything at the Exmouth Market restaurant and bar is absolutely flawless. The bottomless Bellinis and Bloody Marys are – however dangerous – a clever idea worth of the best brunches, while the service at B&H is impeccable: attentive but not in-your-face, and most importantly paced enough to help you digest all that goodness in good time. Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings deserves its place on TimeOut London‘s top ten of best brunches in town – although it should probably be named the best ever. With a bubbly atmosphere and an incredibly well thought-through decor inspired to a colonial estate, it doesn’t get any cooler than this. 
Per prepararmi alla prova costume, lo scorso weekend ho mangiato abbastanza per sfamare un bastimento. A Londra stare a dieta e’ dura: eccovi le mie recensioni di Beany Green a Broadgate Circle, Voodoo Rays al Boxpark Shoreditch e il fantastico, decadente brunch a Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings.
Beany Green – Broadgate Circle
Il cafe artigianale australiano Beany Green a Broadgate Circle mi ha aiutata ad iniziare la stancante mattinata del Venerdi’ con un sorriso grazie alle sue opzioni sane ma gratificanti e al suo arredamento giallo e allegro.
Vodoo Ray’s at the Boxpark
Per una pizza in vero e proprio New York style, fate un salto da Vodoo Ray’s al Boxpark di Shoreditch. Dopo il successo della loro prima pizzeria a Dalston, le pizze di Vodoo Rays non sono di certo quello che cercano gli Italiani piu’ tradizionalisti, ma valgono la pena di essere provate. Sono ancora troppo italiana per provare alcuni dei loro spicchi – lo speciale Dusty Springfield con bacon, manzo, jalapenos, lime, salsa di coriandolo, pomodori e cipolle mi ucciderebbe – ma uno spicchio di  Porky’s, con polpettine e cipolle, mi ha riportata a New York per un’oretta. L’arredamento di Vodoo Ray’s, che sembra uscito da un diner di New York, ha fatto il resto.
Per migliorare il tutto, Vodoo Ray’s Boxpark ora vende i buonissimi ghiaccioli Lickalix che ho mangiato a Street Feast. Provate il Mango and Raspberry Swirl, o il Caribbean Twist con ananas, mango e frutto della passione. Quelli si che migliorano il mio ritorno a casa dal lavoro!
Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings
Gli amanti del brunch s’innamoreranno del banchetto che Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings prepara ogni weekend. Pensavo di prendere solo la B&H Breakfast – uova strapazzate, toast, verdure fritte e pomodori arrosto - ma poi ho visto tutti gli altri avventori ordinare il decadente French Toast con crema, frutti di bosco e caramello e non ho potuto resistere.
Tutto al ristorante di Exmouth Market e’ assolutamente perfetto. I cocktail sono senza fondo (pagate il primo e poi potete “ricaricare” il bicchiere a vostro piacimento) e lo staff e’ impeccabile: attenti ma non assillanti, e soprattutto non troppo veloci… altrimenti come faremmo a digerire tutte quelle delizie? Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings merita il suo posto nella top ten dei migliori brunch di TimeOut London – anche se probabilmente e’ il migliore in citta’. L’atmosfera e’ allegra e vivace e l’arredamento si ispira ad una casa delle colonie inglesi di fine Ottocento. Meglio di cosi’…
Foto: Carolina Are
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