Stumped for Mother’s Day ideas? The OXBO at the Hilton London Bankside has you covered.
Mother’s Day might come but once a year, but mothers – and mother figures – play a special role in our lives every single day. Recent research shows that top of the Mother’s Day wish list, at 84% of mums, is the desire to make memories with their loved ones. So the Hilton London Bankside has stepped in to help you make them, with a luxury bottomless brunch offer at its stunning OXBO restaurant.
Brunch at OXBO is not a meal, it’s an experience. That is what we discovered when we headed south of the river to try out the restaurant’s tempting menu. Now, I am what you would call a “seasoned” bruncher, having spent many hours whiling away the weekend over bottomless mimosas and avo on toast. Yet I can tell you that, on this occasion, I was totally blown away.
The first thing you need to know about bottomless brunch at OXBO is that it by far stretches the definition of “bottomless”. I’ve been to brunches where the term applies to prosecco alone or, at more hospitable brunch spots, a 3-4 course menu. Yet never have I been to a brunch that consists of no fewer than 4 courses, with 3 of them seemingly offering an unlimited flow of mouth-watering dishes.
Starters
It begins with a healthy buffet of Mediterranean appetisers, fresh sea food, grilled veggies, and delicious meat morsels on cocktail sticks. Take your pick from the unlimited offering on the chef’s Trader Tables.
The Open Kitchen
Order as many dishes as you like from a selection of brunch favourites, including Eggs Royale, Eggs Benedict, Egg Florentine, three-egg omelettes, malted pancakes and fresh waffles. Feel free to choose your own toppings for the pancakes and waffles!
The Main Event
The only restricted dish on the menu. I used the term “restricted” loosely. This sumptuous sharing platter changes every week, offering a succulent meat dish, delicate fish dish and colourful vegetable palette. There’s plenty to go around and you won’t be disappointed.
Dessert
If you have room in your ‘dessert stomach’, return to the other Trader Table for a divine assortment of sweet treats, from fresh exotic fruits to imaginative mousses and homely cake bites. The prosecco jelly really hit the spot!
As if that wasn’t enough, our experience of OXBO was full of inventive surprises and superb trimmings to complete the service.
Surprise #1: The vast array of free-from options. Anyone with dietary requirements won’t go hungry. We were pleased to see several clearly labelled options of gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and nut-free delights on the buffet tables, making it so much more welcoming for people with additional health needs!
Surprise #2: The super friendly service and calm kitchen staff. We had our booking during peak time on a Saturday. I’m so used to seeing a kitchen buzzing with activity and staff panicking over orders, but the atmosphere at OXBO was far from chaotic. The staff making our waffles even took time out to chat with us!
Surprise #3: My favourite bit – the Pimp Your Prosecco stand. In case I didn’t make it clear, OXBO’s brunch menu does in fact include free-flowing prosecco. I’ll also admit that I have no idea how many glasses I consumed because the attentive wait staff topped us up well before we ever noticed our glasses was only half full. Yet the Pimp Your Prosecco stand has to be one of the most genius ideas I’ve ever seen. This quirky feature invites you to add a delicious compote to turn your prosecco into a Bellini, complete with summer fruits on a cocktail stick for added effect. A truly interactive drinks experience!
Surprise #4: The price. The entire brunch experience costs just £45pp. An absolute bargain considering everything included. Bookings last two hours and believe me when I say this is plenty of time to indulge on the variety of dishes and enjoy the warm, industrial style surroundings.
What’s more, as a special treat for Mother’s Day, anyone booking OXBO’s bottomless brunch will also receive a goodie bag filled with handmade artisanal chocolates, crafted by OXBO’s very own pastry chefs. Mummies and quasi-mummies (that’s grannies, aunties, carers and guardians too!) can take away a gift bag containing solid chocolate lollipops and a sumptuously dark chocolate bar, flavoured with raspberries, honeycomb, pistachios and popcorn. The stuff of memories.
To book and enjoy the great vibes of the hotel’s OXBO restaurant, see here. Bottomless brunch bookings cost £45pp and include 4 courses over 2 hours. Brunch bookings are available from 12pm to 4pm every Saturday and Sunday.
