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This month, our anonymous and unpaid food reviewer paid a brunch-time visit to The Oak Bar at Les Rocquettes Hotel.
Harry Smiles visits different establishments each month and shares his opinion on their dishes.
There’s something so deliciously decadent about brunch. That very word...brunch...
It conjures up thoughts of someone who doesn’t need to get up early for breakfast to prepare them for a hard day at work. Someone who has the time to enjoy a leisurely indulgent feast at a time that’s neither here nor there in the traditional meal structure of the day.
When the invite arrived for a family brunch on a Saturday morning at Les Rocquettes, the response was positive and immediate: “Of course, I’ll be there and I’m already thinking about what I will have to eat!”
Having recently enjoyed a Sunday lunch in the restaurant at this same hotel, I knew the service and food was as good as it always is. But brunch is an entirely different feast to your roast dinners.
It must be filling enough to keep you going until dinner, while being exciting enough to separate itself away from being just an ordinary breakfast or lunch. There can be no cornflakes on a brunch menu that is for sure.
Pictured: The 'Full Guernsey' breakfast came with sausages and bacon while the vegetarian version (pictured top) came with halloumi and avocado.
Arriving at Les Rocquettes and entering The Oak Bar I immediately noticed that it is still looking so fresh from the recent refurbishment. While the muted green decor pleases me, the comfortable seating pleases me even more.
The bar was not too busy at 11am on a Saturday. It turned out this may have been because brunch at Les Rocquettes seems to be a well-kept secret.
Of our party of nine, none of us knew that the hotel served brunch – one of the guests being a mere six weeks old can be excused. The rest of the Smiles family frequently dines at eateries across the island, and all were well sated by what was to follow.
The menu is not overly complicated. This is also a positive for me when choosing my brunch. I don’t wish to be overwhelmed with light bites, heavy meals, and food which should really be on a lunch or dinner menu (linner?).
I was pleased to see Les Rocquettes has kept the brunch choices simple with the traditional ‘full Guernsey’ breakfast and a few classics including the expected varieties of eggs on toast and American style pancakes.
Our orders placed, with the suggestion of a basket of toast to share among the table with a few plates of the ‘full’ breakfast on the way, we settled in with our drinks to chat among ourselves.
The food arrived sharpish – with the larger plates being delivered first, including two vegetarian orders with halloumi and avocado replacing the bacon and sausages served to those who had chosen the more traditional versions. The mushrooms, tomatoes, hash browns and beans (in a little pot to ensure they kept their saucy selves to themselves) were all as good as expected.
The remaining orders of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs and pancakes with bacon and maple syrup, and a side of eggs (which were slightly delayed) arrived, with a basket of mixed toast...before a second basket of toast arrived with jams and marmalade.
No one really commented on the food as we tucked in...but the empty plates soon spoke for themselves!
With every meal devoured, and the second basket of toast almost entirely depleted we continued with our chit chat over coffees.
Pictured: Classic brunch dishes are on The Oak Bar menu including pancakes.
The service was impeccable, with staff quietly swooping in to clear plates, mugs and glasses.
They’d given us a corner table to allow an element of privacy for the breastfeeding mother, and room for the buggy to be parked up out of the way of other guests. This meant we had space to really settle in, get comfortable, and enjoy ourselves.
By the time we decided we should all head home and continue our days, other guests were enjoying their lunches with a group of men meeting at the bar for what seemed like it could well turn into a sociable afternoon.
This mix of quiet relaxed brunch, with a bar for leisurely drinks, with its impressive décor, (and the Christmas decorations at the time) works really well.
It’s a place I’d like to be.
The atmosphere is relaxed and not rushed.
It felt like you could easily take the day from brunch to afternoon tea if one were with friends who like a glass of bubbles as much as Harry does. As it was, on this occasion, our guests ranged in age from the six-week-old baby to the 89-year-old great-grandfather, so we took ourselves off home having enjoyed our brunch and coffees.
There’s no doubt that Harry will be back for brunch at Les Rocquettes again soon.
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