The Gun, Docklands

Address: 27 Coldharbour, Isle of Dogs, Docklands, London, E14 9NS
Nearest Tube: Supposedly Canary Wharf but get the Docklands Light Rail to Blackwall, its easier.
Ph: 020 7515 5222
email: info@thegundocklands.com
www.thegundocklands.com
View StreetMap.co.uk Map

Location, location, location. Sitting on the outside deck of The Gun and looking out over the water across to the old London docks and the Millenium Dome, is a very special London experience. When it gets too cold outside you can go and sit by the roaring log fire in the pub's 'sitting room' or head to the front bar for a glass of red wine or one of their many English ales. However if it is brunch you are after, head straight to the dining rooms which were once frequented by Sir Admiral Nelson and his mistress.

Our large group was easily accommodated and for once everyone arrived at nearly the same time as each other... though this is probably because we all got lost trying to find The Gun and turned up at least 40 minutes late for our reservation - which the Gun staff were really nice about.** As it was our Christmas BBC, and it was more like lunch by the time we had all arrived, most of us went for the Roast Beef - it was the only roast on the menu and the breakfast options were quite limited. Both meals were quite nice, though Sally said her monkfish ossobuco was dry. The veges on the other hand were superb. The potatoes were crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside, the greens were luscious and juicy and the parsnips.. oh the roast parsnips! We then all moved onto desert. I opted for the apple and blackberry crumble which came with ice-cream. Annie & Alison went for the Lemon brûlée with sable biscuit which they raved about. We then finished the meal off with teas and coffees before swapping Christmas presents and paying the bill (£30 each) and then heading off to try and negotiate our way back to our respective train stations - with a few drinks under our belt mind. In summary, great gastro pub, great location (once you find it), great ambience, nice food, amazing parsnips!

**Note: I later read in the TimeOut Eating Guide that The Gun is popular with the city workers from Bank and Canary Wharf who arrive in a 'procession of black cabs' every lunch time. Note: they all get cabs. Not a bad idea considering that trying to find the place from Canary Wharf tube station is a logistical nightmare. Hence my advice to get the Docklands Light Rail to Blackwall and walk from there, as it only takes about 5 minutes.


This London Brunch Review was by the Brunch Book Club London. We like to visit great breakfast cafés and brunch restaurants around London and provide independent brunch reviews. We only make recommendations for good brunch places in London such as The Gun, Pub & Dining Rooms, Isle of Dogs, Docklands, near Canary Wharf.

Fig & Olive, Islington

Address: 151 Upper Street, Islington, N1 1RA
Breakfast & Lunch: 10:00-18:00
Phone: 020 7354 2605
Nearest Station: Highbury & islington Tube (Victoria line)
View Streetmap.co.uk Directions

Situated on Upper Street, Islington's foodie mecca, the Fig & Olive faces some pretty steep competition from the likes of Ottolenghi, Carluccio's, and Mr Christian's Deli for brunch. But there is something about the Fig & Olive that makes me walk through its doors everytime... could it be the Mango & White Chocolate Cheesecake cunningly displayed in the window perhaps? They serve a great brunch menu including croissants, pastries, toasted panini's, smoked salmon scrambled eggs, wraps, salads and freshly squeezed juices. The "Big Breakfast" is a treat for £6.50 where you get fried eggs, smoked bacon, mushroom, tomato, sausage, beans and hash brown. They also cater for vegetarians with a "Veggie Quesadilla" and a "Vegetarian Breakfast" which includes fried eggs, vegetarian sausage, beans, mushroom, tomato, grilled halloumi and hashbrown. But if you are hung-over (like we were), on a Sunday (like it was), then you can't go past their roast carvery. The servings are massive, the meat tender, the roast veges flavoursome and the yorkshire puds just scrumptious! Even though we were all completely full from our brunch-come-lunch (we were all late again) everyone still managed to fit in one of the amazing passionfruit creme brulees before rolling home. A contemporary minimalist interior with a few decadent touches - like candelabras, a large gilt-edged mirror and glass atrium - make the Fig & Olive a nice place to spend a Sunday. And if you have a large group, the long wooden dining table at the back of the restaurant seats up to 12.

This London Brunch Review was by the Brunch Book Club London. We like to visit great breakfast cafés and brunch restaurants around London and provide independent brunch reviews. We only make recommendations for good brunch places in London such as the Fig & Olive Brunch Restaurant, Upper Street, Islington, North London.