Step Twenty-Four: brunch at Caravan, Exmouth Market

Brunch. My favourite meal of the day.

I’d been meaning to go to Caravan for ages to try their infamous brunch, but never quite got round to it until last weekend. The place has been around for a while and so popular that I deemed it “unbloggable”, but after seeing how photogenic the food was, I just had to share. The owners opened another resto in Kings Cross last year, but we headed for the original in the more picturesque Exmouth Market.

Caravan seems to be one of those places that is perpetually busy, and although we went for a late brunch at 2pm, the restaurant was still heaving. We luckily didn’t have to queue but I’ve heard of waits of at least half an hour if you go at peak times.

The best thing about the menu is its originality. At first glance, it might look like the standard muesli, toast and spreads, hearty fry up and omelette fare, but the further down the menu you look, the more exciting the choices get.

The menu is well-travelled and very original. There are bits of Spanish influence here, bits of French influence there, and just when you think you’re getting normal maple sauce, the chef adds a kick to the dish and throws in the “house” paprika maple sauce instead.

I had the ham hock hash with poached eggs, hollandaise sauce and petits pois, while my friend ordered the cornbread French toast, streaky bacon, rocket and avocado. Both dishes were beautifully presented, although I did get food envy at the Spanish morcilla on grain toast and fried egg passing by, and I don’t even like black pudding that much.

The other dishes I was tempted by were the coconut bread with strawberries and lemon curd cheese, and the baked eggs and chorizo with Greek yoghurt.

It’s definitely a more alternative and interesting take on brunch, and the pairings were quite unusual, but they worked. The coffee, which they roast in the downstairs “roastery”, was also just what I wanted for that cold, rainy day.

Next stop: Caravan King’s Cross.

The details:

Location: 11 Exmouth Market, Angel/Farringdon tube.

Opening times for brunch: Sat-Sun, 10am-4pm.

Price: mains around £9.

For all food menus, click here.