Scarlett Green
Antipodean
4 Noel St, Soho, W1F 8GB
££
Scarlett Green is just one of the Daisy Green collection. Now having 11 establishments over London, it has never been easier to get your dose of delicious Antipodean-inspired dishes. Most famous for its unparalleled brunch options, Daisy Green also dishes up healthy lunch options, before moving onto the grill for it’s evening sharing menus. In the evening, many of Daisy Green’s establishments ramp it up a gear and transform into a late-night bar, complete with live music, cocktails, and the largest Australian wine list in London.
For boxing day brunch, I was torn between the floating artwork that is Darcie May and Green – a pop-art painted narrow boat on Regents Canal, or the convenience and sophistication of Scarlett Green, it’s Soho-based sister. Due to the absolutely vile weather we were graced with that day, I went for the Soho option and bet on Scarlett Green to be my initial introduction to the Daisy Green family. Surprisingly the venue wasn’t that busy, customers were only seated upstairs and there were a few empty tables. Service was friendly, a young, Aussie-looking girl took our order with a smile and some general chit chat about how horribly busy Oxford Street was.
To keep in with the festive spirit, we ordered a bottle of £31 prosecco, as a glass of wine alone was upwards of £7 (a little pricey for this kind of vibe, I thought…) To eat, I ordered the Benny Boy (£13.6), which consisted of parma ham, comte, sourdough, kraut, poached eggs, lemon hollandaise and ferments. Basically, a seriously jazzed up version of a Croque Madame. It arrived looking every bit the part, and when I took my first bite into the oozing, crunchy toastie topped with a perfectly runny poached egg, I thought I may have died and gone to heaven. It was quite honestly that good. The parma ham paired with the comte was an original and upmarket version of your ham and cheese toastie, and the crunchiness of the perfectly greasy sourdough was a perfect component to the rich lemon hollandaise and eggs which perched on top of it. There was then glimmers of a sour kraut which was again a different flavour and texture to add to the mix topping off the prestige and status of the dish.
Matty went for the Fancy bacon roll (£12.5), which would have been my second choice. Poached eggs, crispy onions and bacon are nestled on a paratha roti and topped with “holy f*ck hollandaise”. This was also good, with an addition of spring onion and chilli, which gave the dish an Asian twist once you factored in the roti. The bacon was crispy, the hollandaise ever so slightly spicy with a bitter tang, the eggs were runny, it was going well. The only downfall of the dish for me was that the roti wasn’t as flaky as I had imagined, and once Matty had tried mine the look on his face said it all: I had won.
Whilst the Daisy Green Collection are a pricier brunch choice, I have to hold my hands up and say it is truly worth it. After the experience I had with my Benny Boy, there is no doubt in my mind when I say that this is the best brunch I have had in London. Will I be back? Oh God yes. With so many different establishments to try, I’ll make it my New Year’s resolution to sample a Benny Boy in each and every one.
OVERALL RATING: *****
https://www.daisygreenfood.com/venues/scarlett-green
