Best Eats This Week: Seeded Scone with Vegemite Butter (Grain Store, London)

As much as I love London's prolific food scene, the sheer number of options for a simple meal can be painfully overwhelming. Take brunch, everywhere does brunch, and everywhere serves the same pancakes, fry-ups and porridge. So when convenience and cost are taken out as factors, how does one choose? Restaurants must make themselves stand out with something different, some imagination, something that makes your eyes light up in anticipation --- and with Grain Store, its brunch menu was just a beautiful list of exciting and original dishes.

Instead of your average pancakes, on the menu is Yogurt and chickpea pancakes with avocado, tomato and jalapeno salsa, or Potato pancake with sour cream leeks, poached duck egg and Tobiko wasabi caviar. Not just granola but Quinoa granola with olive oil and fennel pollen and goat’s yogurt.  Even their baked beans aren't Heinz but homemade, which is what my companion had ordered and it’s got a rich and smoky depth. The cocktail list has been given just as much thought, with that day's specialty including a sweet potato bellini – a bit doubtful as I overheard some mixed reviews from other guests but I applaud the creativity.

I had ordered the Seeded scone, Vegemite whipped butter, herb formage frais, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. The scone was warm and light, studded with earthy herbs and crunchy seeds -- sensational when spread with creamy umami Vegemite butter that was not love-it or hate-it, but simply love-it by all. The scrambled eggs were perfectly creamy, the smoked salmon had these fruity and woody notes, and then all was accompanied by the cool formage frais laced with chopped dill to balance it all.

My friend had the Grain store baked beans, scrambled eggs and Toulouse sausage - simple, rustic, with just four components and all was done exceptionally well from the perfectly textured sourdough to the smoky beans and sausage.

With a menu that boasts originality and a beautiful interior set in a Victorian warehouse, the brunch experience was made even better with the phenomenal service. I say phenomenal because it was not only efficient and helpful, but the staff was just the right amount of friendly - warm and cordial, enough to make you smile and feel welcomed but not so much so that they're trying to be your friend. It's difficult to achieve that right amount of friendly.

Grain Store
Granary Square
1-3 Stable Street
London
N1C 4AB
020 7324 4466
http://www.grainstore.com