Fusion breakfasts at The Providores
The hunt for the perfect breakfast continues and The Providores is possibly the place where I have been back to the most so it was time I wrote a few words about it.
The Providores, in the heart of foodie Marylebone, is actually two in one with a formal restaurant on the top floor and a “Tapa Room” downstairs. The Tapa Room for me is where it’s at. It is small and cosy with two long tables going across the room for people to share and a few tables along the wall. The decor is cool and quirky, I love the lamps particularly – large light bulbs with bright ornate filaments inside- and the walls are covered with large pieces of indigenous art from Down-Under.
Chef and owner Peter Gordon, originally from New Zealand, has created a fabulously varied menu to satisfy throughout the day. My favourite time though has to be breakfast. You won’t find the usual brekkie items here; the food is decidedly fusion and creative. My favourite dish is definitely the Changa Restaurant Turkish Eggs (£6.50), a bowl of two perfectly poached eggs, silky yoghurt, and hot chilli butter served with slices of granary bread. It is so addictive, I keep coming back for more as the flavours complement each other perfectly.
On a rainy cold day I’d recommend the sweet and scrumptious French toast stuffed with banana and pecans with grilled smoky bacon and vanilla verjus syrup (£8.80). Whilst those in search of good old breakfast classics will leave perfectly satisfied with the Tapa Room Fry Ups. Starting at £8 it including two eggs cooked any style with hot buttered toast and then choose from such favourites as smoky bacon, buttered field mushrooms, roast Stornoway black pudding and slow roasted tomatoes. Sides are equally innovative, particularly the delicious and rich smoky molasses Boston baked beans. Other top options include the hot smoked salmon with poached eggs and spinach served with Yuzu hollandaise and the grilled chorizo with sautéed Ratte potatoes.
Drinks are also worth a mention here. I love a good cup of coffee and here they do know how to make a great one. The beans come from the Monmouth Coffee Company, well known for their flavoursome blends, and the drinks are strong, silky and rich. The only downside is that they are served in very small cups but then again would it ever be enough? Coffee is not the only king of drinks here though, bellinis, mangolinis and Bloody Marys are also hard to resist and are perfect for special occasions, whilst the juices and smoothies are great too.
The service at the Tapa Room is friendly and super efficient – with the small number of tables and the inevitable queues at the weekend they really have to operate a very slick affair and they do deliver. Breakfasts at The Providores do not come cheap but they are worth every penny, the food is consistently excellent and fresh whilst so unlike what you may have at home.
The Providores and Tapa Room – 109 Marylebone High Street – W1U 4RX tel (+44) 020 7935. Breakfast is served from 9am til 11.30 during the week and from 10am until a generous 3pm at the weekend.
