Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings

While visiting London, my team and I came here for a group dinner. As my dining experiences had been thus far, I had an expectation of what this location would be like. But this place exceeded my expectations.
The H&B building was previously a residence in London. And while the overall layout has been changed to accommodate the restaurant flow, the charm and structure of the home remained intact. The main entrance way has been transformed into a gorgeous lounge and waiting area complete with a large antique bar area. Our party, being fairly large, sat in a room slightly off to the side that (I assume) served as the home’s patio/​porch. Above us was an array of hanging plants to continue the feel of being in a functional patio space. My favorite carry over, however, was the bathroom where you washed your hands in an old tub. So cool.
And of course the food was fantastic. Our group was ordered from a fixed menu due to our number, but the meal I had of lamb and curry was delicious.
The service here was also great. Despite our large number, there was always a member of the wait staff in close proximity to bring us some more bread (or in most cases, another bottle of wine).
This is not a casual dining affair. The ambiance and cuisine makes me place the restaurant into a slightly higher caliber to be saved for a special occasion or fancy night on the town. But I would highly recommend!

They launched their Below and Hidden cocktail bar tonight — and damn their cocktail are awesome. Go in for a twist on classics and their Peacock Suite, Still Life and Diamond drinks. Out of this world.

Part of the portfolio from Bourne & Hollingsworth, I visited Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings for a birthday party to sample a range of cocktails. I was already a fan of its sister cocktail bar Reverend J W Simpson so I had high hopes in Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings’ cocktails. The «Applegrass» had a great balance of sweetness, freshness and bitterness from the Polish vodka, apple and ginger. The drinks are overall fairy decent but lacked any wow factor or expectational quality, also location wise it is not easy to get to with no tube or bus stops nearby so unless you are a local, it doesn’t make much sense to pay a special visit to Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings.

Came here for brunch and unlimited bellinis on a YPlan deal a little while ago, they told us the latest time to book was 4pm, so we booked on the app, and over the phone at 4pm, and guess what? They don’t even serve brunch after 4pm, so we had to have crumpets. They told us we could have as many bellinis as we liked for two hours (although tbh, these weren’t bellinis, because they weren’t peach), but they tried to cut us off after an hour. They also didn’t have a table for us, despite us booking a week in advance, so we had to perch at the bar. Really poorly organised, but the actual restaurant and bar are very pretty and the manager was apologetic after the barman tried to tell us that unlimited bellinis aren’t unlimited. Don’t think I’ll be back!

It’s not that often, sadly, that when you go to a restaurant, the table is ready for you at the EXACT time you booked it, the management look pleased to see you, your waitress is pleasant and helpful, the atmosphere is buzzy and exciting, the food is excellent, you don’t have to worry about the bar bill and you leave thoroughly satisfied without feeling that you’ve been pick-​pocketed.
Highly recommend the bottomless brunch on a Saturday afternoon at this chic and trendy restaurant in Clerkenwell. Bloody Mary, followed by Eggs Benedict, followed by the streaky bacon and maple syrup on French toast (totally unnecessary but damn tasty!)
Excellent all round and would highly recommend.

I think it’s actually pretty good here but you have to make sure your expectations are set both at the correct level as well as in the correct direction.
I came in here wanting a neighbourhood cocktail bar where I could discuss my drink orders as pretentiously as I wanted with bar staff who knew their onions and had time to make sure I got something special.
Nope! B&HB may have the shop fitting of a boutique hotel bar, and a few staff behind the bar are seasoned drink makers, but the overwhelming vibe here is something that ticks the All Bar One box but for people whose job title is «creative». That means no one under 30, lots of hedonistic shot ordering (but beardy bourbon rather than sambuca) in the style of people who work hard play hard, and even the odd extra marital make out if you look hard enough. I mean you can spot one of you look hard enough, not that you can find one if you are looking for one. But then again, these people must meet somewhere and this is probably it.
As the gently ear stabbing crack of another post office hi-​five goes off next to me, I am grateful for the mixologist who talked me into their special West Indian gimlet, made with a house falernun that’s everything Taylor’s Velvet wished it could be but can’t because they have a (spit) mass market appeal. It is strong and needed a Curious Brew set to bring me back to reality.
Pretty bar full of rowdy bloody Londoners. Once you convince yourself that’s what you wanted, and you have the courage to try the weirder drinks on the menu, it’s pretty cool. Warning: Charlotte St this is not.

I went here a few weeks ago and immediately signed up two different girlfriends to take along to bottomless brunch, that’s how great it is!
I was such an airhead and during the week I had given my friends the address, little did I realise it was the wrong one, and at 12.30pm when I arrived they phoned to check where I was, and sure enough they were in W1 and needed to be in EC1, soooo silly!!!
So sheepishly I went in to tell the front desk that my friends were running late, and what are the chances were of us still having a table. The place was packed out, and I wasn’t very confident we’d still get brunch. I waited outside for my friends, whilst the super friendly waitress «worked her magic». 10 minutes later she greeted with the great news, she had shuffled some things around and we still had a table and still had 1.5hrs to eat and drink, woohoo!
So we had a table, and we had our first mimosa. The thing I love about this place is that they aren’t stingy on the drinks. I don’t think there was one moment my drink wasn’t almost full, exactly what you want in a bottomless drink.
The food is simple, but super delicious. Last time i have the french toast with bacon and maple syrup and it was AMAZING. This time I had eggs with chorizo and bernaise sauce, also super delicious.
Even though all the wait staff, chefs, bar staff were all super busy and run off their feet, they were still really friendly and attentive.
Even though I messed up, they made me feel like it wasn’t a problem in the world, and they moved everything to please us.
Will definitely be back again, and will be telling everyone, as I have been for the past few months!

The coffee was yummy, the setting itself is a dream… the white wooden floorboards! The plants! The quirky shelving and lights! Oh, and the conservatory, swooooon.
I ordered the B&H breakfast with sourdough toast, poached eggs, sausages, portobello mushrooms, beans and a side of avocado. The portobello mushrooms were served on the side, and the avocado was a bit too mushy for my liking (I was expecting sliced).
We had a table booked for just after 10am and the place was still quite quiet — I was a bit worried (due to its popularity) it would be heaving with loud groups but was absolutely fine.
Next time I’d like to try a cocktail and go in the afternoon/​evening, as the ones at their cocktail club by Charlotte Street are pretty amazing.

I’m torn between two and three stars here… I’ll explain.
I reserved dinner for a friend’s birthday after having run by and seen the very-​cool white chic décor. That, at least, was a success: the interior was interesting, light and refreshing. Very pleasing natural light.
The food — pretty universally we agreed it was good. Burgers, ox cheek, starters — all quite tasty.
Ah but the service… I personally have a hard time giving a bad review for service, simply because I think it’s often more dependent on the server you get more than anything systemic. But the service was absurd on all accounts. Offences include: forgetting to bring one of the drinks we ordered, more than once. Steak was ordered medium rare, and came thoroughly well done. They took it back promptly, and promptly brought another steak that was medium (i.e. the barest trace of pink at the centre). We didn’t complain again since everyone else had finished their mains! Last, not during the entire meal did they clear away a glass. That means some of us had a 1) water glass, 2) cocktail/​whiskey glass, 3) wine glass, 4) bottle of beer/​glass of beer. That’s a lot of glassware on the table!
It wasn’t even busy…
Please, B&H, improve the table service, because I’d love to love you.

Super cute café… love the location for breakfast! :) the french toast is amaaaaaazing. :) and the fruit cocktail is really super fresh :)

The building itself were very quaint and a good atmosphere for brunch and catch up with friends. However, I’m rating according to the service and food. The food was at a pretty good price, bottomless bellinis and Bloody Mary (not bad). However, they forgot part of the meal and did not bring the honey with the drop scones and they were tasteless, the drop scones were actually pancakes and the French toast was so sweet it became bitter. Lastly, the crispy potato hash with smoke salmon with bearnaise did not go at all! The service was so bad, it took us 45 mins to even pay for the bill to get out. If you go there just to drink their cocktails and catch up with friends then that’s fine I would go again.

I think this place is better known for their bottomless brunches, but it suits normal brunches quite well too. I came here with a friend for a catch up, and even though she arrived 20 minutes late, we did not feel rushed at all. We were seated at an unconventional dining table, with an arrangement more similar to a living room with two chairs and a coffee table in between them. I ordered a coffee, which seemed to take a good 15 minutes to bring over, but when we ordered the food, that came relatively quickly. I got the huevos benedictos version of eggs benedict, and my friend got the eggs royale. My dish was served with chorizo, avocado, and bearnaise sauce. It was good, but not very memorable. I think my friend felt the same, because she devoured hers in about 5 minutes. There’s nothing on the menu that I’m dying to try, but I would come back here to try the drinks offering. The décor is very nice and it’s a great atmosphere to relax and catch up in, as long as you are ok with a potential living room seating arrangement.

Went here with a large group (15) for brunch for my birthday. The décor is really lovely — bright, white and airy with loads of plants. You wouldn’t expect it to be there as its near a relatively residential area, so it’s a really nice surprise when you step inside. We were sat at the back in what was essentially a greenhouse, was very pleasant! We had the bottomless brunch (either bellinis or bloody Mary’s) and a sharing platter of toast, scrambled eggs, avocado, salmon, mushrooms tomatoes etc. great place for brunch and good for groups too. Food was good and the waitress kept filling up the drinks! My partner asked to bring a cake which wasn’t allowed (often the case) but they did bring me some birthday pancakes with a candle which was nice! Liked the use of a bathtub in the bathroom as a sink. Would definitely go again.

This place is a mix of right and wrong. On the right side: beautiful open light space. Great little conservatory, piano converted into a hostess table, cool greenhouse, big windows. Also on the right side – great cocktails, great bartenders. They scrapped the menu and made me a tequila old fashioned. Impressive and delicious. The cocktails on the menu sounded divine and are really innovative.
Wrong. Service. Really really poor on all accounts. Wrong – food. Blah. Fried cod tempura was fish and chips that was dry and bland. Parsnip chips were decent and lamb skewers OK. The portions on the mains were lacking for the price, and avocado cheesecake was borderline gross. Wrong was also the crowd – loud groups of people getting absolutely wasted that ruined the atmosphere. Now I realize that can’t be controlled, but it just showed the type of people this place is attracting. Be fair-​warned!

After two boozy brunches with Bourne and Hollingsworth, I think i’m ready to give my verdict.
Location: Just great — I love the building right off the park but escaping the hustle of Exmouth Market while still being super reachable. The building itself is like stepping into Manhattan and whether or not it is a gloomy London day it feels light and bursting with Spring inside. Perhaps the best part of the whole visit it getting a chance to hang out in this amazing space.
Service: Hit or miss. On my first visit we had an amazing English guy who was quick to come over at every turn and even offered us one of the kitchen’s mistakes after we spent quite a long time in conversation with him about various items on the menu. My second visit with girlfriends we had a woman that seemed a bit out of it — she would go from really friendly to a bit aggressive depending on her stress levels at any given moment she came to our table.
Food: I wouldn’t say the best brunch in London, but certainly worth a try. The drop scones (otherwise known as pancakes) were delightful and I would suggest everyone to get the scones with clotted cream and berries as a side dish to share with whatever else you are having. I may be back to try the Huevos Benedictos as it has been gone each time I try and order it!
Boozy: If the highlight of getting over here is to partake in a big boozy brunch, this may not be your best bed. After about 8 drinks each we didn’t feel even a little bit woozy (and at 5’2 — after about 3 drinks i’m usually light headed and feeling the love) — definitely not a bang for your sunday morning buck.

A little random location but beautiful décor! Food is good but nothing extraordinary… Bottomless bloody mary are great though! Definitly a lovely brunch please but not particularly out of this world.

Oh, B&H…What do I do with you? I loved the décor but the location wasn’t massively convenient. The cocktails were great (and tasted like alcohol, hurray) but the food was a bit of a miss…
I’ll start from the beginning.
I got a last minute reservation here last Friday. We were seated promptly on the terrace which is mega cute for a date night. Funky patterned armchairs, greenery hanging from every wall and ceiling fixture, candles flickering… So lovely!
We started with some cocktails. These took a little while to arrive. But, when the drinks don’t taste like someones been watering down the booze AND it’s about 40% cheaper than cocktails elsewhere in London, the wait is a privilege.
We moved on to food, which *just* didn’t get to the 4 star rating. We split a mushroom tart appetizer which was pretty underwhelming. It was served chilled, but tasted like it had been in a refrigerator for a while. Meh.
Then, we ordered some mains. They were out of the burger. I understand this happens, but there weren’t a ton of choices on the menu anyhow, and it was only 8pm. No matter, we got a chicken curry and the lamb. It was okay. Nothing was a disaster, and it was served relatively promptly, and warm, but it just wasn’t particularly memorable in any way. I actually had to look the menu back up just now to remember what we ordered.
Overall, probably a great place for drinks, and I’ve heard good things about the brunch. If you’re planning to be out in the area, dinner might be fine. We could have just caught them on an off night.

Went here for a brunch on a Sunday morning. The staff and atmosphere were fantastic but unfortunately the food was bad. I had the B&H breakfast with bacon and a hash brown and it tasted like it was a few days old. I felt sick after it actually.

The drinks were very good. Well made, stiff and served quickly once ordered. Sadly the staff serving them weren’t great. The head barman was clearly drunk and the service dipped as a result.
Drinks were being made in front of us when we sat at the bar yet we weren’t acknowledged for about 5 mins, not even a nod, a pass of a menu or a glass of tap water. Which is a bit shoddy in my opinion, first impressions and all that.
Décor is alrite. Bit played out if you ask me but they’ve clearly spent a few bob. Definitely one for the girls.
Look I enjoyed it but that was more down to the drinks and the company rather than the place itself.

I am not stranger to the cocktails of B&H and the joy that comes with them, so when I heard they were opening up another spot, it made it to my list to check out at once. And I was not disappointed.
B&H Buildings is an an all-​day modern brasserie, complete with murals of soldiers on horseback, glass fireplaces and an enclosed garden patio complete with hanging plants.
We came at about noon and it was empty. And I don’t mean one or two people, I meant the whole thing was ours. By the time we left, people had started filling in though so it’s clearly a later lunch kind of place.
The area is quiet and comfortable and the menu small but delicious. Most dishes run about £15 a pop so a little more than your average spot but not by much. I got the steak frites which came with veggies or fries and was well cooked and tasty. I also got the crab salad which was beautifully presented and very flavourful.
The service is slow. Our waitress was casual in checking on us and the food did take a while to come. But we were not in a rush and things were solid all around. I would come back without a doubt.