Brunch at Gusto Albert Dock...

I love going out for breakfast or brunch, it is a fairly rare treat for me as work takes over during the week and I am not generally known for being a morning person on the weekend! I was therefore so pleased to hear that one of my favourite restaurants in Liverpool, Gusto Albert Dock, was introducing a brunch menu which launched this weekend. When I received an invitation to sample it I could not wait. It was a beautiful sunny morning as we arrived at Gusto and took our seats at a table with excellent views of the Albert Dock.

Of course, we just had to start off with some coffees, a smooth latte for me and a double espresso to wake up my dining companion! We perused the menu at length, tempted by choices including oven baked waffles with crispy bacon and syrup, eggs Benedict, full English breakfast and bacon or sausage sandwich on toasted tiger bread. Decisions, decisions...! Alongside the great selection of brunch dishes, there is also a choice of breakfast cocktails and smoothies on the menu. I chose a very berry smoothie, a mix of strawberries, raspberries, cherry preserve and cranberry juice blended with ice.

This was a burst of summer, so sharp, sweet and refreshing. My dining companion had the tropical smoothie, with peach, passionfruit and pineapple. This was aptly named as I could have imagined drinking it on an exotic beach in the shade of a palm tree.

 I love having pancakes for breakfast, so I chose the warm buttermilk pancakes with fruit compote, honey and yogurt for brunch. The pancakes were fluffy and light and the berry compote and honey added sweetness whilst the yoghurt balanced the decadence out nicely.

My dining companion ordered the full English breakfast, he chose to switch the eggs for extra sausage instead and the plate was groaning under the weight of smoked bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans, sausages and toasted rustic bread. Judging by his silence as he devoured every morsel, I assumed he was enjoying it, an assumption he confirmed after he finally finished.

There is nothing like a hearty full English breakfast made with great ingredients and this was the ideal breakfast and lunch hybrid. We sipped Mimosas garnished with a twist of orange as we enjoyed the views.

There was a further treat still to come as we were presented with the dessert menu. We chose the Bombolini, a favourite of mine at Gusto (along with the Nutella and mascarpone calzone which is amazing) these house made mini doughnuts are served with whipped cream and chocolate dipping sauce and they are ideal to share. I ended up sampling a few even though I initially declared I was too full...well a girl can change her mind when faced with a bowl of sugary doughnuts! 

We really enjoyed brunch at Gusto and I think this will quickly become a firm favourite on the Liverpool dining scene. There is something for everyone on the menu, from a simple toasted sandwich to a full English and I think this is the perfect way to either start or finish your weekend in style. I am really pleased that more restaurants are now offering breakfast and brunch, one of the things I always love about visiting America is the popularity of going out for breakfast and I am pleased that it is more readily available in restaurants now. I love the idea of a leisurely meal, reading the newspaper over a table heaped with delicious brunch dishes and drinks. I felt so relaxed after brunch and we headed across to the Tate gallery to see the Matisse in Focus exhibition which was fascinating with some incredible pieces on display.

Please watch my vlog of brunch at Gusto:

What do you all think, do you like going out for brunch and which of these dishes would you order? As always, I cannot wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post!

Gusto
Edward Pavillion,
Albert Dock,
Liverpool
L3 4AF

http://gustorestaurants.uk.com/restaurants/liverpool/

Until next time, 

Camille 

xo