Caravan – Brunch in Exmouth Market, Clerkenwell

Caravan

No 11-13

Exmouth Market

London EC1R 4QD

Excellent

I’d read a lot about Caravan.  In one magazine a while ago, I saw that they had won the Friendliest Staff award or something like that.  I checked it out online. The menu didn’t really appeal for dinner, and anyway it seemed like a brunch place so one Saturday we headed off to check it out.

The location in Exmouth Market (which is a lovely little street) is a fair size, but still intimate.  It’s been done up very nicely, and we loved the décor.  There’s a bar area where you can wait for your table (no reservations) and you can watch the staff at work.  They appear to make their filter coffee by sticking a filter of coffee in a container over the mug, and then pouring water through it.  It was very unusual and produced some excellent results.  In fact Caravan produces some of the best coffee in London (apparently – I am not a coffee expert but this is what I have read from various sources!).

The service was friendly without being overly chatty, and we felt well looked after.  The brunch menu is quite unusual and offers a wide variety for everyone.  I had the cornbread french toast with bacon, rocket and avocado.  It was a savoury french toast, which I had never had, and I thought it was great.  My dining companions tried the blueberry muffin (excellent), ‘two crumpets and too much butter’ (no joke it was literally sopping in butter but excellent as you would imagine), poached egg with hollandaise and bubble and squeak, and the fry up.  Everyone was very happy and we did not feel rushed to leave.  Nothing on the brunch menu comes in at over GBP9, and for 4 of us with all that food it came to GBP52 including service.

The atmosphere is great, the staff are friendly, the food is fantastic and interesting, and the prices are very reasonable.  I felt at home, and relaxed which is what I want at brunch.  I would definitely recommend it to anyone.  Caravan represents a great leap forward for the London brunch scene and I am sad to leave it.

Decor: Cozy, trendy, rustic.

Prices: Excellent – not ultra cheap but they are not over the top.

Food: Great – inventive dishes, but also classics with little twists.

Good For: A lazy Saturday morning with friends.