Weekend Brunches: Lantana Cafe

Happy Sunday everyone! It's a stunning winters day out there in London today, very cold but the sun in shining and the roofs are white from the overnight frost (no snow yet this winter..) and with this sun streaming into my cosy bedroom while I'm enjoying breakfast in bed I have to say it's a pretty lovely start to my day!

Yesterday I ended up checking out a cafe in London that had been on my brunch-places-to-visit list for a while now. So I rugged up in my leather jacket and a warm tartan poncho/scarf and hopped onto my bike to meet my friend in Fitzrovia for one of my favourite weekend past times; BRUNCH :)

Lantana is a bustling little café tucked down a laneway off Goodge Street in central London. This Aussie-run place proves once again that when it comes to brunch the Antipodean's do it best. The downside to it being such a popular brunch spot is that you are going to have to be patient to get a table. Note to self get there early or be content to wait. My friend actually arrived around 11am and annoyingly was told she could not get a table until I had arrived and was asked to wait outside (in -1 temperatures I might add) until I got there to be seated. Not such a brilliant start to the day for her.... 

She in the end managed to convince the staff to give her a table and ordered herself a coffee and banana bread until I had made my way over through London traffic. 

The menu at Lantana changes regularly but staples include sweetcorn fritters, poached eggs and Cinnamon french toast. Everything on the menu looked rather tasty but I went for my usual poached eggs on grain toast with smashed avocado and smoked salmon. 

The eggs were poached perfection and I always love myself some avo + smoked salmon but only thing that bugged me about this dish was that the bread wasn't really toasted and I have to say I prefer my bread nice and crunchy!

My friend had the corn fritters stacked w streaky bacon, fresh spinach and slow roast tomatoes served w an avocado chilli lime salsa and crème fraiche.

Wearing my new 'NOIR embellished' T-shirt from ZARA (link)

Even though I really didn't need it, I couldn't resist ordering the toasted banana bread with spiced mascarpone and fresh passion fruit as my brunch 'dessert'!

I loved the cinnamon spiced mascarpone and the passionfruit tangy twist with the sweet banana bread. And yes I finished all of this.......

Overall I'd say Lantana is a great brunch spot in central London; delicious food, good coffee and a buzzing laid-back Aussie vibe. Oh and if you are in a hurry, or can't be bothered waiting in line for a table there’s a takeaway counter next door selling tarts, salads, sandwiches and oh-so-delicious-cakes....

 Crack cake anyone? Haha ;)

Lantana is open 7 days a week, serving breakfast and lunch Monday to Friday and all day (9am-5pm) brunch on the weekend. 

Lantana Cafe, 13 Charlotte Place, Fitzrovia, London W1T 1SN 

www.lantanacafe.co.uk