Following on from its successful outposts in Balham and Islington, casual Middle Eastern and Mediterranean-inspired café Brother Marcus has added a third site to its burgeoning portfolio, this time moving further into town to open a site on the borders of the City and Shoreditch.
Replacing what was once a branch of best-of-British mini-chain Canteen, Brother Marcus Spitalfields is located on the edge of the legendary food and clothing market. It’s the largest site for the group yet, and like its other locations in the capital, the Spitalfields branch is open all day, with a strong focus on brunch-style dishes.
That means you expect to find the usual Brother Marcus mix of inventive brunch fare named after family members – the Step Sister, for example, is a pile up of sweet potato, courgette and feta fritters, avocado, spinach, kale, turmeric yoghurt and a poached egg.
Elsewhere, The Brother Special features beetroot-cured salmon served with scrambled eggs that have been drizzled with honey, before being finished off with sesame-glazed tenderstem broccoli on toast.
The kitchen team also bake Turkish pide breads throughout the day which are great for sharing, while there’s a dedicated salad counter too if you don’t want to overload on carbs.
Come the evening, the brunch dishes are swapped out for slow-cooked sharing plates, which might include pork belly in a Metaxa and date glaze with apple labneh and walnuts, or perhaps burnt aubergine with tahini and fermented mango.
To help wash it all down, you can pick from a concise wine list that has a focus on low intervention producers, or sample a list of cocktails with a Mediterranean twist, such as anise-heavy raki.
Brother Marcus Spitalfields also benefits from a heated terrace, which is covered by a pergola to protect diners from the elements in the colder months.