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Heroine In Heels is a top 10 London lifestyle blog aimed at the modern day woman. Covering things to do in London, restaurant reviews, hotels as well as where to go in the world when you want to escape London

La Dolce Vita - Theo Randall Brunch

Wednesday 2 August 2017

So we've hit midweek and now all I’m thinking about is how close the weekend is. Some people like nothing better than to lie in at the weekend, or just doing nothing and hanging out in front of the TV. But me? I love heading out to Brunch. Brunch food is the best food. There is no denying that. It’s sort of an everything goes. Pancakes. Check. Fries. Check. Dessert. Check. Champagne. Check check check. 

So I’ve got a goodie of a new brunch recommendation for you today, and you’ll be very glad to hear its all you can eat AND drink. Yes thats right. It’s a bottomless brunch. It's possibly the most indulgent brunch in London. 


Theo Randall at The Intercontinental is a upmarket Italian restaurant near Park Lane. Now never having been to Italy I can’t be sure on their brunch status, but I feel like brunch foods would be really good in Italy and so with a touch of the Park Lane luxury, I had high hopes. 

The restaurant doesn't open till 12:30 (not strictly brunch time...) and I arrived 15 minutes early so I had an espresso martini to keep me occupied whilst they set up. Well it is my favourite drink of all time.


The brunch is called La Dolce Vita, and let me tell you, the concept is so much food it’s enough to feed a small army. Like I said, indulgent is the key word.

‘La Dolce Vita’ brunch menu is inspired by the Italian tradition of friends and family gathering together around a table and sharing food “family style” . It’s a 4 course brunch; antipasti, primi, secondi and dolci and with bottomless prosecco or Bloody Mary’s. The first course, it is help yourself at the communal table. Next a small pasta dish, followed my a main off the menu and then it's back to the communal table for desserts. 


The set up is gorgeous, and they have gone to a lot of effort to make the antipasti table as fresh and inviting as possible. 


The antipasti table really was a feast. Colours, textures and smells burst out. I have to hand it to to them they really have made an effort with presentation. The dishes ranged from cold cuts and cheeses, salads, vegetables, breads and fish.

It's really easy to pile your plate high but I tried to be a little restraint as I knew there was many courses still to come.  


The antipasti selection was just the right amount and gave enough choice for everyone to enjoy. It tasted fresh and full of flavour and I would just be happy to do a brunch purely from that table. 


The pasta course was a small plate of spinach ravioli which whilst small was really delicious. Creamy  and light, it was a nice contrast to the rich flavours of all the salads and cold cuts. 


Now for secondi, and buy are portions big here. Well I say big. They are normal main meal sizes, but having ate 2 previous courses, I do wonder if this is normal for Italians, as how do they stay so slim? But for a special treat, it really is a treat. The guinea fowl was lovely and gamey and fatty which I personally love. The cream and mascarpone sauce is a welcomed addition to cut through the rich meat, although it does add to the rich overall richness and heartiness of the dish. 

However my favourite was the fontina cheese baked souffle with zucchini and spinach. So light and cheesy, and you know me, I adore cheese. Never having fontina cheese before, its sort of like gruyere as it's a good melting cheese. 


Finally dessert time. Now what I wasn't expecting is that they actually bring out a trio of desserts before you can head up to the dessert table where there is more cake and pancakes! If this isn't he most indulgent brunch in London, I don't know what is?

The flourless chocolate cake is an absolute must from that trio. Its dense and fudgey, and sticks to your mouth as you lick it off the spoon. Personally the fruit cake was nice, but very much like any other fruit cake, so I'd say pass and head over to this table instead...   


A build your own pancake station. Once a fresh pancake has been made to your order, its up to you how healthy or unhealthy you make it. There is fruit, cream, chocolate sauce, honey, nuts, everything you could want. 


Having plugged away at the dessert table, I actually felt like I might roll out of the restaurant (I did infect have a nap when I got home). La Dolce Vita by Theo Randall really is a luxurious treat and I loved the concept, setup and way they don't rush you and in fact encourage you to take your time and chat. If you are looking for an indulgent, bottomless brunch in London, I highly recommend. 


6 comments:

  1. What a treat! I don't usually like buffet's but this looks perfect and really delicious. Got to try this one!

    Reena
    www.lifestyleenthusiast.co.uk

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  2. Yum, it all sounds so tasty. I'd be there for ages wanting to try all the desserts - my fave part of any meal.

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  3. I love Theo Randall! I still need to try the brunch :)

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  4. Ohhh my goodness, this looks insanely good. Might have to book train tickets to London for this weekend!!! As far as I saw from my time in Milan, they don't really do brunch as much as we do but when we did go, it was more of an all-you-can-eat buffet affair similar to the evening aperitivo (and boy did I eat all I could, especially where the 1kg jar of Nutella was concerned...) As for them staying so slim, it's so annoying right? But I think it's in portion size and the quality of the ingredients... the primi will often be pasta/risotto (so carbs) but a smaller portion compared to what we would serve ourselves in the UK and cooked al dente which I think makes a difference. Then the secondi will be mainly protein and veg so all in all, it's quite a balanced and reasonably sized meal! xxx
    Lucy @ La Lingua | Life, Travel, Italy

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  5. Oh my goooood that make your own pancake station sounds amazing! I would definitely make mine really unhealthy haha. This place looks really lovely otherwise too, and I love how colourful everything is from the food the the crockery! xx

    Laura // Middle of Adventure

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  6. Oh wow, this sounds amazing! I'm always on the hunt for new places to try when I head down to London and this sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing :)

    Ruth // www.ruth-writes.co.uk

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