Brunching at the Buddha-Bar

This is not going to be your typical brunch.

Have you ever found a restaurant that you can’t help but rave about at every opportunity? Yes? Well I think it’s about time to let you in on a secret… because the Buddha-Bar has quickly become one of my favorites in London.

So let’s get one thing straight – it’s the Buddha-Bar brunch – you know it’s going to be extraordinary. A few weeks ago, I was invited to try out their Sunday brunch menu.

The Sunday afternoon brunch is ALL YOU CAN EAT. And in the name of journalistic integrity and reporting back on the dishes… we, well… we ordered everything. That’s right, our greedy eyes wanted to try it all. And try we did…

They don’t serve your typical weekend brunch menu. You won’t find pancakes or eggs, but you will find egg friend rice…

Let’s get started, shall we? We begin our meal saga with the Sea Salted Edamame.

It had been ages since I’ve had edamame. It’s a great healthy snack, and the perfect precursor to our meal. Since we ordered literally everything, we had time to relax before our starters came out.

Taking in the sights…

I love how elegant the decor of the Buddha-Bar is. It’s glamorous, but understated. You could turn up in a cocktail dress in the evening or jeans with a jumper in the afternoon.

The Buddha-Bar has an exquisite bar as well. And a highly impressive cocktail selection.

I asked our waiter which was the best cocktail to try out. He recommended the Bubble Wap.

Strawberry and raspberry purée, rose and raspberry cordial, Elderflower liquor and a touch of vodka and Champagne.

Highly recommended by the waiter, and highly recommended by me. This was a fun treat to accompany the many meals to come!

And then we spotted our starters as they came out. Tray after tray from the kitchen settled delicately onto our table for two.

We began with Shiro miso soup with shiitake mushrooms, tofu and wakame. The soup packed a powerful flavor punch, while remaining delicate and light. Even J, not a tofu lover enjoyed this dish.

After our soup, this is where things got a little crazy. It was a taste testing frenzy. Luckily, I brought a notebook to keep track of my thoughts.

Let’s start with our favorites. I couldn’t get enough of the chili and salt crispy baby squid. It’s buttery and a little spicy.

And the prawn ‘rock shrimp style’  with creamy spicy sauce. This is melt in your mouth goodness. These aren’t too heavily battered either, so you can truly eat your fill of these babies.

The squid and prawn dishes were similar, which is probably why we pegged them as our favorites. The squid is slightly on the spicy side too, so if you like your dishes with a bit of a kick to them, this is a must have.

Next in line vying for my top favorites were the vegetable spring rolls. Crispy and filled with vegetables and flavor. The Buddha-Bar does not mess around with flavor. Each dish is uniquely seasoned and has you wanting more.

J was partial to the beef satay skewers, which were cooked well. A little bit chewy, in a good way and paired with a delicious dipping sauce.

And while these were our favorite starters, you really can’t fault the other dishes either. The steamed seafood dumplings were delicious and cooked to perfection.

And the salad? Refreshing and light. The perfect cleanser to maintain eating stamina for the rest of brunch.

Our table looked like a feast fit for a large dinner party.

Nope, just a casual party of two.

The starters are probably enough to satisfy your hunger for the entire day. However… we had a few more foodie rounds to go. It was time for sushi.

What an absolute beauty of a plate. The sushi platter has something for everyone. Well constructed spicy tuna maki rolls… I loved the spicy flavoring of these.

Crunchy sushi was J’s favorite. (Can you spot the theme in his favorite dishes??)

I was also partial to the salmon and avocado. But everyone knows I’m a sucker for anything with avocado.

As well as the avocado and cucumber and the mixed vegetable circles…

Chopsticks ready, we forged ahead. I’ve always been a massive lover of sushi. When I met J four years ago, he’d never had sushi in his life. And look at him now!

The way the Buddha-Bar prepares your dishes is like a form of art. Each and every inch of food is delicately constructed, creating a beautiful product.

Our mains proved to be the most impressive of all.

Chili tofu with shiitake mushrooms and shichimi pepper. Beautifully prepared, the tofu is an absolutely eye opening dish. Eye opening in the sense that most of us don’t view tofu as a main… but trying this leaves you thinking. I personally, love trying out new dishes and am up for anything. I was glad J agreed that he actually might like tofu after all… but only at Buddha-Bar!

Then onto the mini burgers and fries. Interesting to see burgers at the Buddha-Bar, these were seasoned wonderfully and a delight to try.

And an absolutely stunning green chicken curry. I loved this dish. Smooth and creamy, it exudes elegance. The taste lives up to the beauty hype too.

And oh, just ALL of the side dishes you could ever want. Egg fried rice, wok fried egg noodles with vegetables, and wok fried beef with udon noodles.

The fried beef with udon noodles… J was a big fan of this.

The noodles with vegetables… I loved these. In fact, I’m still thinking about these.

And the egg fried rice… A classic dish, and one that I’ve had before at the Buddha-Bar. The egg friend rice is a must for your side dishes.

In conclusion, we had unreal amounts of food. We talked, we ate. We took deep breathes. We ate more. It was an absolutely gluttonous afternoon brunch, that we thoroughly enjoyed to the fullest. (Pun, sort of intended.)

There are key reasons why the Buddha-Bar is amazing at brunch. Price? It’s all you can eat for £38 per person. You can order every single thing off their set brunch menu.. a few times over. And that’s allowed. So a table for two will cost you £76. Additional costs, of course, if you spice it up with afternoon cocktails or order something not included in their brunch.

It’s well worth it for a luxurious afternoon of culinary indulgence.

The staff also know exactly when to bring your dishes. Each course is spaced out with plenty of time for you to relax and digest, before bringing the next round. I think that’s the only way we could possibly have eaten as much as we did.

By the end of our brunch, we were actually pondering dessert. Seriously. Instead, we remained sensible and opted for coffees. An Americano for me and a cappuccino for J.

Essentially my entire afternoon was comprised of what dreams are made of. It’s another rave in my eyes. The Buddha-Bar in London truly cannot do any wrong.

Every single time I am in the restaurant, I know that it’s going to be a great experience. Their dishes are lovingly prepared, focusing on powerful flavor and immaculate presentation.

Sunday brunch at the Buddha-Bar is a smash success. So if you’re looking to impress, book yourself a table ASAP. And if you’re looking for a dining partner… well, let me know because I’m ready to get back there in a hurry!

Kelly xox

Buddha-Bar London
145 Knightsbridge
London SW1X 7PA
+44 203 667 5222