Drunk Review: Bottomless Brunch at Waterhouse Bar & Terrace
Imogen and Anna were invited by the Hilton Hotel's in-house restaurant "Waterhouse Bar & Terrace" to test their bottomless brunch. This is an invite these two definitely would not let slip through their fingers for anything in the world. So after a tonsilitis induced deferment on the 12th of August they have finally made it to the land of endless prosecco. What better way is there to spend your Sunday/Funday?!
THE MENU
The menu was tailored to all foodies - whether you're gluten free, dairy free, vegan/veggie/meat-obessed - there was something for you on the menu! What I really liked about Waterhouse & Terrace's menu is that it contained the traditional brunch foods as well as food considered to be different from normal brunch, such as Poached Cod Fillet or Pork Belly. This means if you're not really a brunch person but get invited to bottomless brunch, then there's still something for you to eat!
The choice of toppings for the pancakes was incredible. I'm so used to having to actively ask to swap something at cafe's as the pancakes normally come with set toppings. However at Waterhouse Bar & Terrace you had a choice of 3.. from a long list. Normally I'm quite indecisive when it comes to ordering food, but the toppings were so delicious it made my decision making even slower (sorry, Anna!). I was really glad I went for the toppings I did - I would definitely go back just try try out 3 others!
THE ATMOSPHERE
The atmosphere at the Waterhouse Bar & Terrace was really friendly and welcoming. I was a little bit nervous about going beforehand as it is located in the Hilton Hotel. I had it in my head that it was going to be a bit posh and that maybe I wouldn't quite fit in - especially as jeans and a hoodie is my go to outfit! As you can tell from the photo below, I did not feel outland-ish in any way (which might just be a result of the multiple glasses of prosecco I had at that time)
I was already pleasantly surprised when I arrived - the atmosphere was really relaxed and inviting, and there are various guests from the Hilton Hotel, as well as hen parties and friends meeting for a meal. It didn't feel like the restaurant was tailored to a particular type of client - all were welcome no matter if they were wearing stilletos or comfy trainers.
I think the positive atmosphere was definitely down to the friendly staff and cleanliness of the interior. I felt very posh and civilised going out for bottomless brunch with my friend (especially liking the occasional cheeky McDonalds), however the staff made me feel like this was my day to day life and something I am accustomed to. This in itself is something I have never experienced before at a restaurant and it was fantastic to be made to feel like something that was so extraordinary and special to me was just like normality.
Something that we both really agreed on was that this would be the perfect place to get to know your partner's parents for the first time. It is classy, but still has a laid back vibe, friendly service and different kinds of guests. At the latest with your second glass (which is extremely hard to count as they are poured before even empty) all nervosity would have dissolved.
THE DRINKS
The prosecco that Waterhouse Bar & Terrace use is to a very high quality - even the bottle was fancy! The staff always made sure to refill the glass before it was even half full - when they say bottomless they really do mean it!
Anna and I are both non-fans of Bloody Mary's, however because it was on the menu we thought we'd give it a go. The staff asked us which level of spice we would prefer which was so helpful as both Anna and I can't handle spice very well. They made the Bloody Mary by scratch and it had so much flavour! For Anna and myself, Bloody Mary's are not our drink of choice, but we could tell that for a Bloody Mary lover, this would be the perfect cocktail to cleanse your pallette.
THE FOOD AND PORTION SIZE
Imogen's choice: Pancake stack with vanilla ice cream, chocolate brownie and banana
As I mentioned earlier, the choice of toppings was incredible but I eventually settled on chocolate brownie, vanilla ice cream and banana. The pancakes were SO fluffy - the fluffiest I've ever eaten.. and ridiculously delicious. One thing I would do different next time if maybe get a sauce with the pancakes as they were so large and fluffy I often needed something to wash it down with (thank goodness for the bottomless prosecco).
You could tell that the banana was fresh, the brownie freshly baked and the ice cream was a good quality. You really do get what you pay for regarding the quality of the food that they serve. When the pancakes first came, I thought it was a decent size - they were a stack of 3.. and I thought "easy!".. but my goodness did I realise that my eyes are bigger than my stomach! I didn't manage to finish all my pancakes, not because I didn't want to, but because they were really filling!
Anna and I had differing opinions when it came to portion sizes - I prefer to have too much, and Anna prefers to have a plate she can finish - but I was really happy with the portion size and didn't feel at all bad for not being able to finish it. In fact, the staff said I did better than most! So you'll definitely be getting your money's worth in terms of portion size and tastiness!
Anna's Choice: Grilled tofu, avocado, sweet chilli and coriander spinach, daikon
Now, first off I am a more hearty breakfast/brunch eater so pancakes were not an option for me from the start. I am also vegetarian, but was not deprived of choice with the menu. It is a rather simple, short, but very well picked one. There's something for everyone and especially when I am hungry I prefer to have a short, but on the spot menu. Of course a tofu avocado salad is no culinary experience, but it was still very well made. As a big avocado enthusiast I was very pleased to find half an avocado on the plate that was filled with even more avocado additional to the avocado spread in the salad.
The biggest surprise however was actually the tofu. Being a vegetarian I usually know what I am getting when ordering something with tofu. A boring, bit bland form of texture, but not with this one. It had some actual taste to it and especially with the delicious sweet chilli and coriander dressing it really brought the salad to life. I also was a big fan of the pink daikon, which I actually professionally identified as pickled radishes until reading the menu again. Especially after the bit of alcohol we already had by the time the food arrived this was the perfect companion to the fresh and tingling prosecco experience.
I am really not a salad girl by heart... what made me pick a salad on this particular Sunday? - We'll never know! Maybe it was the civilised, grown up atmosphere emanating from the beautiful scenery of the restaurant. Either way, I did not regret this salad.
THE SERVICE
The service at The Waterhouse Bar and Terrace could not be faltered. We were greeted immediately by the manager and introduced to the staff who would be waiting upon us. They were friendly and excited to have us there as customers. They immediately took us to our table and asked if we wanted to start off with prosecco (of course, we said yes!).
When bringing food and drink over, both the staff and management were taking an interest in what we do - asking how long the blog has been running and what else Brighton Girl does as a network. I did wonder if this was purely because we were reviewing the restaurant, however we heard many conversations between staff and customers throughout our time there, and the staff actively took an interest in the lives of their customers. This was really pleasing to see as they definitely went the extra mile to produce a high standard of customer service.
Overall, it is needless to say that we had an extraordinarily lovely Sunday afternoon. I mean, look at those happy (drunk) faces... However, we might want to add that this is less about the sole food experience. This is not the place to go for a serious foodie or if you're looking to blow up your taste buds. This the place to go to have an experience in itself, to take out your girlfriends and boyfriends or parents. Also the cost-benefit ratio was absolutely justified. We have probably had two bottles of prosecco and a full meal each. With £25 per person that is absolutely worth it. We would definitely come again!
Written by Imogen B. and Anna Olivia Böke
Disclaimer: The food and drinks were given to us for free in return for a review. Our opinions are our own.
