One of my pet hates when eating out is going into a venue that’s practically empty, so after picking a place for brunch last weekend I was pleased to find it bustling.
In fact I was concerned when I arrived with my husband that we wouldn’t actually get a table.
Thankfully, a waiter found us one of the last free spots in the back corner and we settled down ready to fuel up for the day.
READ MORE: Best breakfast and brunch places in Liverpool and beyond
Zara’s Hub on Childwall Abbey Road is one of those places that appears to do a bit of everything. It’s got a cafe vibe, but also serves beer and cocktails. It’s a breakfast spot, but you can get a Sunday roast and the menu also includes pizzas and bistro food.
The Sunday morning clientele reflected its broad appeal, with tables filled with couples, kids, grandparents and groups of friends.
On a dreary mid January morning, it was good to see it so busy and having not eaten there before its popularity gave us high hopes for our visit.
Zara’s breakfast menu includes a full English plus veggie and vegan versions, eggs benedict and royale, smashed avocado on sourdough and several bagels including salmon and cream cheese.
I settled on the smashed avocado bagel with bacon and poached egg (£8.90) and my husband chose the full English (£9.90), which included two sausages, two fried eggs, mushroom, roasted cherry tomatoes, baked beans, hash browns and toast. We also ordered a flat white each and I had an orange juice.
Being busy, and fairly small in size, the restaurant was fairly noisy with chatter and music. The food took around 15 minutes to arrive, but actually came before our drinks. We didn’t have much longer to wait for our coffees, but it would have been nice to get them before our food.
Thankfully, they were worth the wait, nice strong coffee with a creamy finish and a Lotus Biscoff on the side - my favourite!
The food didn’t disappoint either. The bagel was lightly toasted giving it a nice chewy texture and the bacon deliciously crisp round the edges.
If I'm being picky, I would’ve preferred the avocado to be a little chunkier and the poached eggs were slightly overdone for my liking - I didn’t quite get that delicious oozing of egg yolk - but overall it a very satisfying start to the day, especially with the perfectly cooked hash brown I added on the side for a double carbs delight. I just can’t help myself sometimes.
My husband gave top marks to the full English. He always asks for his eggs to be scrambled, and it’s funny how many places have said no to this in the past. Surely it’s easier! Zara’s Hub accommodated his request and the eggs turned out to be light, fluffy and well seasoned. He also asked for an extra hash brown instead of the tomato, which arrived as requested and he scored the sausages highly saying they were cooked perfectly and not too fatty.
It was a pretty perfect way to spend a morning on what always feels like the longest month of the year. Luckily for us it’s not too far from home, so we’ll certainly be back for another visit to Zara’s Hub. Maybe next time I’ll even try the cocktails.
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