Soho is the area where all things cool abound. This is an undisputed fact. Dig a little deeply, and dig well, and you will find hidden gems even the hippest of your friends will not yet have discovered as the area continuously thrives and blooms with pop ups, new finds, niche eateries, bars, speakeasies and restaurants which redefine the classic and stuffy definition of the term. Enter Kingly Court: tucked away off the artistic and bustling cobbled streets of Carnaby is a three storey ‘court’ – think Covent Garden style, but neatly tucked away and cocooned into a small intimate space. Add a layer of restaurants on each balcony of the courtyard, all which overlook the al fresco dining at the bottom of the court and you have a magical little hideaway in Soho.
Up atop and beckoning us in was Dirty Bones, on a sunny afternoon last Sunday. It is a diner-style, neon lit restaurant with the best variety of comfort eats you can list. The incredibly welcoming team at Carnaby Street will have you either handing in your CV in an attempt to become one of the family, or pitching up a tent in the court so you can pop by and say hi to some friendly faces – attentive, warm, welcoming and upbeat, I was already excited by the time I’d taken a seat and had a quick chat with manager, Joe.
Dirty Bones have decided to do ‘Bottomless Brunch’ a little differently – with the addition of Bottomless Veuve Cliquot for those who want to brunch, munch and people-watch in style. The champagne favourite has been chosen as a rich, indulgent and satisfying accompaniment to the restaurants easy on the eye and satisfying to the stomach, New York style dishes such as the Bacon Toastie with smoked cheddar, caramelized onions, fried egg and chives; Chicken & Waffles topped with a fried egg and a shot of maple syrup; and the Benedict Burger with treacle bacon, poached egg and hollandaise. Although my heart was saying “Benedict! Benedict!” my upcoming trip to Ibiza warned “do you really want to do that?” so I sadly opted away from the burger, and instead for a delicious Dirty Bones take on ‘shakshuka’ – eggs sunny side up, on a bed of baked rich tomato sauce, avocado, talleggio cheese, along with some grilled sourdough: it’s the egg brunch of parmigianas and it was divine, with a little added spice to the tomato for that brunch-worthy kick. We also ordered the classic burger (sadly not the benedict!), and so at least I got to see one up close, and my company seemed to be pretty pleased with the thick juicy and perfectly pink burger placed between fluffy brioche and accompanied with crisp skinny fries. I saw the infamous chicken and waffles pass by me a couple of times which consists of ‘half a pile’ (the menu’s words not mine) of crispy fried chicken and baked waffles and I could spot the happy faces a mile away as these dishes approached their owners. I know what I’m coming back for the minute I get off the plane from Ibiza.
If you don’t want to splash out on champagne for your easy-afternoon brunch visit, there’s something for everyone: a sweet and refreshing bottomless prosecco option which we loved, is served for only 19pp and a wide selection of creative cocktails are on hand to offer you a slightly sweeter kick. What I love about Dirty Bones is it’s actually not that dirty – there, I said it! Of course, there are dishes such as the “Mac Daddy” which doesn’t play around, with a 6oz burger, pulled beef short rib, mac and cheese and Dirty Bones BBQ sauce all in one bun! But then there are dishes such as steak and eggs or avocado on toast incase something as delicious as the Mac Daddy alarms you. A visit here and sample of their varied, fresh, New York inspired menu, is enough to satisfy even the more reserved eaters, coax out the foodie in most of us, and for the real indulgers; tantalise us with their ‘dirtier’ picks. Challenge accepted.
