10 Brunches To Whet Your Appetite

BOSTON Rosebud, Somerville

?I have to go to a proper American diner!? begged Cara editor Lucy White to her Massachusetts-dwelling friends, who promptly sat her on a pristine, red shiny banquette in a refurbished diner car in Somerville (some 20 minutes from central Boston on the subway). Soon arrived ?a girth-busting griddled omelette, with kale, smoked gouda, Gruyere cheese and home fries,? forcing her into an elasticated waistband for the rest of the afternoon. Neat. (381 Summer Street, Somerville, +1 617 629 9500; rosebudkitchen.com)

NEW YORK CITY Fiat Cafe NYC
Spoilt for choice in New York, the Dundee-born editorial and visual artist Boo Paterson – and author of online magazine booyorkcity.com and e-book The Greatest Speakeasies in New York City – still has her favourites. ?Best brunch in #nyc?? she Tweeted. ?For me it’s @fiatcafenyc on Mott – friendly, laid-back & big portions.? Dishes at this popular Nolita Italian range from granola to gravadlax bagels to Hollandaisy classics. (203 Mott Street, +1 212 969 1809; fiatcafenyc.com)

AMSTERDAM Scandinavian Embassy
This is one of the best starts you’ll get in the city before a full day’s cycling/museum-hopping/canal meandering. How does sourdough with cheese, spinach – or traditionally made gravadlax – with espresso butter, washed down with incredible filter coffee sound? (Sarphatipark 34, +31 619 518 199; scandinavianembassy.nl)

WEST HOLLYWOOD Gracias Madre

Cara magazine’s deputy editor Eoin Higgins (who would like it noted, emphatically, that he is not a vegan) adores the brunch at this cult-following, meat-free West Hollywood eatery. ?The place to go for organic, farm fresh, locally-sourced food, chock-full of flavour and love – feel-good food, and damn good it is too. Start with a warm pumpkin scone, followed by the most incredible chimichanga you’ll try that side of the Rio Grande. A Madre Maria cocktail is an optional, but highly recommended, extra.? (8905 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood, +1 323 978 2170; graciasmadreweho.com)

TORONTO Lady Marmalade

Voulez-vous manger avec moi? Diets be damned – Crepe Croque Monsieurs and Breakfast Poutine are among the temptations on this menu. Free-range eggs, local produce and a buzzy atmosphere make for the perfect chow – unless, that is, you were hoping for a side order of Caesar, the Canadian brunch cocktail of choice: Ms Marmalade doesn’t have a liquor license. Merde. (898 Queen Street East, +1 647 351 7645; ladymarmalade.ca)

LONDON Granger & Co
This Aussie-run Notting Hill eatery is so hot that queues can last an hour – but it’s worth the wait. Assuage a sore head with Bill’s Beets juice (beetroot, carrot, fennel and apple) and feast on the likes of sweetcorn fritters, sharing plates and eggs cooked your way, with interesting sides including kimchi, and jasmine tea smoked salmon. Fortunately, it’s not just for West-enders either – there are Granger & Cos in Clerkenwell and King’s Cross also. (175 Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill, +44 20 7229 9111; grangerandco.com)

NEW YORK CITY Buvette

Small but perfectly formed, this French fancy from chef Jody Williams offers a tres jolie slice of Paris in Manhattan’s West Village. First-rate coffee is poured by servers dapper in their shirt and waistcoasts, with small plates including exceptional waffles, tartins and poached eggs with black kale. (42 Grove Street, +1 212 255 3590; buvette.com)

BARCELONA Picnic
Ex-Barcelona resident Eoin Higgins used to nurse the cava out of his system on Sunday mornings at the popular Picnic. ?Tapas is the perfect brunch food and Picnic has some of the most comforting tapas in the city. My go-to starter is fried green tomatoes with feta and corn salsa, followed by Huevos Rancheros Picnic – a consoling experience. Follow it with a leisurely row on the boating lake in Parc de la Ciutadella and the world is muy bien again.? (Carrer del Comer? 1, +34 935 116 661)

CHICAGO Longman & Eagle, Chicago

This Windy City hotspot is not just a fashionable hotel but also a brunch destination. Expect artfully presented comforters, such as French toast, pork belly Benedict – even an Irish Steak Breakfast, complete with potato boxty and black pud. And whiskey fans take note: there are more than 300 different types on their mind-bogglingly extensive drinks menu. (2657 North Kedzie Avenue, +1 773 276 7110; longmanandeagle.com)

Bibi’s Cafe, Dublin
A hipster magnet run by siblings Maisha and Geoff Lenehan, Bibi’s is a D8 treat. Their Gubeen cheese sambos, sweetcorn, jalapeno and coriander fritters with bacon and maple syrup are superb, and the menu changes regularly to keep even the most repeat-of-customer interested. (14b Emorville Avenue, Dublin 8, 01 454 7421; bibis.ie