Last weekend Mark and myself went into the Travel Health Clinic to get our jabs for Thailand. We decided we might as well make a bit of a day of it so I booked Whitefriar grill for brunch. Since it’s been named the best brunch in Dublin by Lovin Dublin I was really excited to give it a try. I booked a couple weeks in advance as I assumed it would be busy and it was. If you want to try it out definitely book in advance to avoid total despair. Too dramatic?
A couple of months ago I went to San Lorenzo’s with a few girl friends so below is a bit of a comparison. Who will be the winner?? Read on and find out!
The Staff
Anyway, jabs done and lollypops awarded, we headed over to the restaurant. The first thing I have to comment on is the WFG staff. I had been here for the early bird before also and both times the staff have just been so nice. I think it makes such a difference to the meal, especially for me, as I enjoy a bit of random banter. The staff in San Lorenzo’s were perfectly nice but I think in this case WFG steal the point!
The Décor
On the interior both places are really nice. San Lorenzo’s is much brighter which is great for brunch but I’d like to see how they set the mood in the evening. WFG is pretty dark which is perfect for evenings and I guess it’s good for cosy winter brunches too. I’m going to call a tie here.
The Food
On to the important business – the food. In WFG I ordered chicken parmigiana on ciabatta with sausage, melted mozzarella, rocket and fries. I find I always go for poached eggs or huevos benedict so I’m trying to broaden my horizons. The first thing to mention is the waitress laughing at my look of sheer horror when the food arrived. My sandwich was MONSTROUS! I don’t know how everyone else feels about this but I really think if there are sandwiches or burgers on a menu they really should be small enough to fit in your mouth! A big stretched jaw bite kind of size is perfect but this was so big I couldn’t even eat it with the top piece of bread taken off. And my mouth is not small! On the taste side of things it was fine. The sauce was good but it kind of reminded me of an Italian pasta sauce. The chicken was nothing to get excited about and the chips were pretty plain without a sauce. I ended up giving the end of it to Mark. He had gotten toasted sourdough w/ tomato fondue, smashed avocado, asparagus, chilli jam, poached eggs and said it was nice but nothing to lose your shit over!
In San Lorenzo’s again I tried to break from my norm and I got brunch tacos – Jerk chicken with avocado salsa, fried chorizo, red pepper mayo, iceberg lettuce, coriander, chili and lime. Straight away when the tacos arrived they looked so gorgeous and colourful! The meat was juicy and the toppings were perfect. It had a good kick, which is exactly what I wanted. I hate when you order a spicy dish and it’s got sweetness to it but this was just fiery perfection. The avocado worked really well too. Is it just me or are avocados suddenly totally en vogue? You’re no one if you’re not eating avocado at brunch! Everyone was really impressed with their dishes so we left very full and happy!
All in all it’s clear to see that San Lorenzo’s have won this round and, as the food really is key, they have won the battle! Really there is no competition, San Lorenzos’s wins hands down! The food is just absolute perfection and is probably the best brunch I’ve ever had.
I, by no means, want to shit all over WFG. The food was nice and I think I ordered wrong. I would try it again and get the heuvos rancheros but, with so many other places to try such as 777 and Taco Taco, I think it’ll be awhile before I’m back.
What’s your favourite brunch spot? Let me know in the comments below, follow me on Twitter – @Shlawlor and add me on instagram – @lovefoodbaby
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