17 Feb 2013

APERO

London, UK

I went for Saturday brunch at Apero, a relatively new Mediterranean restaurant in the Ampersand Hotel in South Kensington. I tried to book the week before, but it was completely packed. Curiously, this time they wouldn't even take our names down when we called as they had so much space. So we ate more or less alone in the refurbished cellar. The vaulted cellar is pleasant-looking; I can imagine it works well for dinners at night too. Considering we were practically the only people there, it took a while to get our brunch. The Eggs Benedict were well presented, with flambĂ©ed hollandaise sauce. This was a nice touch, but unfortunately made it a tad dry. The same goes for the waffles; they were in need of more melted butter, but otherwise very good. The Gin Bloody Mary was an interesting and successful drink. Overall, Apero finds itself lost in being in a ‘no man’s land’ territory in that it attempts to revive an East London vibe within the highly established neighbourhood of culinary institutions of South Kensington. I could recommend Apero, even though it doesn’t quite reach the standard of London’s top brunch spots; it is worth noting.