As dates go, Saturday 28th April came round extremely fast! And what better way to round off a great month than meeting with The Brunch Club Ladies? April showers did not disappoint and showed up in full force as we made our way to the Electric Brasserie on the trendy Portobello Road, in the heart of Notting Hill.
Booking
For those of you reading this who I have been in contact with, you will remember how busy the month of April was for me. From birthdays to trips, meetings, assignments and everything in between, no two days were the same. And so when it came to booking the restaurant, it was a close call! Luckily, I had the Electric card up my sleeve. I had booked the venue a few months back, and although I didn’t end up up going, it stuck in my mind as a great place to take The Brunch Club. Once I called up, and confirmed the reservation, it was a done deal. Nice ‘n’ easy!
Gist!
SO! The afternoon was extremely eventful and to be honest, I’m not sure where to start. Is it the lateness of some of our ladies(!) or the stolen handbag saga? I guess the only place to begin is at the beginning so here goes…
Don’t be tardy for the Party Brunch Club! Ladies, ladies, ladies! I used to be so guilty of this crime, that if I was to pay £1 for every time I kept someone waiting, I would be certified bankrupt! I will swiftly use this platform to apologise to everyone reading who I have kept waiting in the past. Sowwwy! But this year, I made myself a promise. Wherever I had to go, I would at the very least, be on time and if I could push myself that bit further, I would be early. So far, it’s been working and I haven’t broken my promise (well maybe by 5-10 mins, but nothing later!) And so by becoming a punctual lady, I thought that this was the general consensus and everyone lived by these same rules. Be on time and it’s all good, right? WRONG! Knowing that the restaurant might be a little sticky with table turnover for such a large group, I emphasised the importance of everyone arriving on time to ensure we made the most of our wonderful afternoon together. However, my ex affiliate tardiness reared its head and for a change I was the one kept waiting. Whilst the vast majority of the Ladies arrived on time, a few arrived 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours and the latest up to 3 hours late! Yes 3 HOURS!!! Needless to say at that point, food had been eaten, bill paid and we were preparing to leave. I have grown to love each one of the Ladies Wot Brunch, and we were recently coined Brunch Club Sisters. So sisters, please take heed: please please please pretty please be on time!!!
Hair done, nails done, everything did! In between the conversations and raucous laughter, I couldn’t help but notice two things: beautifully manicured nails and deliciously assembled hair. Fantastique! Stories were shared about the several hours spent on personal grooming and the money spent to look good. It is not a cheap pastime! But just look at these girls in the slideshow below: isn’t it money well spent?
The handbag that got stolen… and retrieved within 72 hours! Yes, you read correctly! It was an emotionally trying afternoon, but thankfully, all ended well. Amidst the chatter and jokes, we did not notice when an unfortunately disgraceful piece of filth (yes, I am not this thief’s fan) entered the restaurant, placed his coat over one of our Lady’s handbag and swiped it. It was only when it was time to pay up that we realised what had been happened. The police were called, a report was filed and CCTV tapes were watched. As the criminal was on the police’s radar, a known thief and drug addict, once all the paperwork had been completed, we followed in the direction the thief had gone in the hope of locating the discarded bag. From what we gathered in the CCTV footage, he had gone right when leaving the restaurant and if he was only after drug money, he would have dropped the bag. But despite our efforts, a large group of handbag searchers hitting Portobello Road en masse, it was to no avail. What had started as a wonderful day, ended up on a bitter sweet note. But as women of faith and believers of speaking positively and employing our faith in all situations, we prayed that the bag would be found, and everything intact. And whadduya know, our God who has never failed to date, came up trumps yet again! At 20:59 the following Monday, a lady called to say the handbag had been left in her back garden, yards away from the restaurant! And when the bag was collected, EVERYTHING was inside it! Including bank cards, house keys and personal documents. A valuable lesson is to be learnt here: in all situations, no matter what, we must remain positive and whenever things go missing, no matter how small or large, pray this simple prayer – “there shall be no loss”. It always works!
Food
Well, there was certainly plenty of it! The menu was simple and with one page’s worth of meals to choose from, simplicity was the order of the day. Many of us opted for the Full Electric, which comprised of pretty much errrrrting! Bacon, sausages, beans, mushrooms, toast, black pudding, tomatoes and as if it wasn’t enough, a few of us finished it off with a side of hash browns. I can’t tell you whether it was Electric’s particular blending of these staple full English breakfast foods, or whether it was the appetite that the nasty glum weather outside evoked, but I lapped up everything on my plate. EVERYTHING! The vegetarian full electric also looked and tasted good as did the sea bream and macaroni cheese. The fresh juices were also delish! The food is not pretentious, despite the restaurant’s chic location and celebrity guest list. Good grub, good prices, yummy in our tummies!
Service
Despite our prime time Saturday afternoon sitting, the restaurant staff were very friendly and attentive and despite what we had been advised, we were not rushed out. Food arrived promptly and the Ladies who joined us later were also served swiftly. Even after the stolen handbag debacle, the manager came out, personally attended to us and offered her assistance. My only comment would be regarding the warning that they give out regarding theft in the area: there should have been one!
Overall
In short, the afternoon was lovely. Despite the damp weather, and dim, daft, dumb thief we had an enjoyable time. Electric Brasserie is a great venue for a hearty bite to eat and a spot of people watching in between bargain hunting and vintage shopping. The venue is reminiscent of large cafes on the continent and though the space is a little tight, if you have a smaller party, you might enjoy the booths which sit 4-6 people comfortably. I’m a bit of a hard head and if something goes wrong, I need to repeat the action again in order to correct the associated memory. So in order to get over the theft, at some point, I will return to Electric. And as repeat venues go, it aint a bad option!
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Tags: Brunch, Electric Brasserie, Notting Hill, Portobello Road
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