brunch is without doubt my favourite meal of the day, a time to savour sumptious food, sip good coffee, and catch up with friends. it can also provide the perfect hangover cure after a heavy night on the town. after spending eight months in la and sampling plenty of the options on offer here is a little guide to the best breakfast/lunch eats in town.
head to toast on 3rd on the weekend and not only will there be a line of supercars parked up outside, but there will be a loooong queue of fashionable peeps waiting patiently for a coveted seat inside the café.
toast bakery cafe
banana pancakes, toast
angelenos appear more than happy to wait on a table for an hour or so, which seems crazy given the number of places that have incredible food.
what is even weirder is that many of the patrons don’t even eat anything, believe me i’ve been watching. they seem to order almost everything on the menu, but little food is actually consumed and while this goes for the majority of people, it appears an almost universal rule for women.
geoffrey’s malibu,
cocktail with a view, geoffrey’s malibu
i would never consider asking for a doggy bag in britain, but in la you always take at least half the meal home. when I say ‘you’, i really mean ‘them’. i can’t resist eating all of the huge portions of delicious pancakes, scrummy scrambles, or whatever mouth-watering dish has taken my fancy.
as well as toast my favourites spots on 3rd include joan’s, and doughboys - all well worth a visit or two.
pancakes and syrup, tart
scramble, tart
for guaranteed celeb spotting geoffrey’s malibu is the perfect place on the weekends, particularly because it has so many famous neighbours. (pamela anderson and adam sandler have had homes right next door don’t you know!) smarter than the 3rd street eats it’s ideal for a special occasion. they do excellent cocktails, the food is superb, and even if you don’t see a celeb during your visit the stunning sea view is worth a trip alone.
if you are near the grove make your way to tart just across the road on fairfax. there is a large outdoor space which is particularly favourable for sun-worshippers and i highly reccomend their make-your-own scrambles. should you fancy a liquid lunch, bottomless mimosas are also a very la and tart is offers the tipple for just $15.
eggs salmone, urth caffe, santa monica
urth caffe, santa monica
organic coffee and huge breakfasts can be found at my personal favourite urth caffe, but it seems to be everyone else’s too so be prepared to queue. the salmon and eggs are delicious, but you can also enjoy hearty soups, massive sandwiches and the oreo cheesecake to finish, if you have room.
should you fancy a trip to the seaside i suggest going to shutters on the beach hotel and heading to coast beach cafe and bar. ask for a table on the beachside patio and enjoy the view of the sands and the sea of santa monica. happy brunching!
shutters on the beach
chicken club sandwich, coast at shutters on the beach
{additional pictures from toastbakerycafe.net }