Engel Bar Review: Brunch with Added Opulence
Select the correct exit of the many available at the ever-confusing Bank Station in the heart of London’s Square Mile, and you’ll be immediately faced with the Royal Exchange: Threadneedle Street’s neo-Romanesque landmark that remains one of central London’s architectural crown jewels.
The Royal Exchange, a delightful place to be
There’s no getting away from it: especially during the festive season, The Royal Exchange is a lovely place to be. No longer serving its original purpose as a centre for global financial influence, the dramatically-proportioned cavernous central hall of the building now hosts a glittering array of luxury boutiques, bars and restaurants, among them – and haughtily overlooking the rest from its mezzanine setting – Engel, widely regarded as among the best of the City’s various brunch spots.
Engel is a restaurant and cocktail lounge of significant pedigree. It’s the first independent project of a certain Des Gunewardena – one of the two “D’s” of the applaudable D&D hospitality empire, and since launching in Autumn 2023 it has been the subject of no shortage of praise. It’s not hard to see why, as Engel hits a number of bang-on-the-money trending high points: it’s built around a perma-appealing concept inspired by Weimar-era Berlin, styled as a contemporary speakeasy, and immediately cocoons its patrons in a sophisticated, almost louche ambience that’s hard to pull oneself away from. Indeed, once you’re settled into one of the many sumptuous leather banquettes that overlook the classical bombast of the building (and once the Krug Grande Cuvée, correctly served in coupe glasses and not the ubiquitous fizzy flutes, is poured), it’s the kind of place in which time escapes you in the best possible fashion.
Engel has put considerable work into the not-inconsiderable task of standing out amid a glut of brunch spots and casual dining venues. It achieved its lofty and exceptional reputation on the back of various events and activations; chief among being the Marlene Brunch, named after screen icon Marlene Dietrich and meticulously envisioned as an immersive, decadent experience plucked from a wholly different century.
Keep rollin’
True to its glamorous muse, the Marlene Brunch unfolds in an atmosphere of soft, seductive lighting. Live jazz pianists and singers heighten the escapist mood, and rumour has it that occasional burlesque acts make surprise appearances, although I was a little disappointed to find that wasn’t the case during my visit. Drinks are shaken and stirred at a golden, backlit central bar, where a mix of classic cocktails—Martinis, Margaritas, Negronis, Cosmopolitans—share the menu with creative house signatures that amplify the 1920s cabaret influence. Standouts include the brilliantly titled Der Prinz von Berlin (lemon verbena vodka, green apple cordial, supasawa and manzana verde) and Der Schmuggler, a whisky-and-apple concoction served in a Germanic drinking horn for maximum theatrical flair.
And what of the food? Well, the Marlene Brunch is all about unhurried dining, which aims to go above and beyond the ordinary and into the realm of the exceptional. Priced at £45 for two courses or £50 for three (with bottomless Prosecco, Bellinis and spritzes available for an extra £30 – not a bad deal, by any stretch), guests uncover more traditional brunch offerings such as eggs royale and steak dishes alongside more unexpected, flair-driven creations.
Life is a Cabaret, especially with Krug
Much has been written about Engel’s all-female kitchen (and rightly so in a restaurant scene still dominated by the long shadow of old-school sexism), but regardless of gender politics, the dishes on offer stand on their own solid pair of worldly, well-executed feet. I ordered a lobster roll in the New England style, which revealed a pillowy soft brioche and tender, unctuous meat – an opulent kick-off to proceedings, and a fabulous fit for the bone-dry Champagne that just kept coming. The roast sea bass with samphire, cauliflower purée and yuzu is a sophisticated East-meets-West creation that feels right at home on a metropolitan brunch menu, and lighter dishes such as the salmon tartare demonstrate deft knifework and an uncompromising approach to bright, fresh flavours.
The menu abounds with a glut of comforting brunch staples; there’s a hearty vegetarian breakfast for those less willing to stray from the familiar, and buttermilk chicken with waffles for those who deserve a celebration of carbs on a Saturday morning. Sweeter offerings include Black Forest pancakes, brioche French toast and some seriously tempting homemade cakes, and Williams and Tomassi’s signature revelry in abundant, pleasure-first cookery shines through in impressive clarity.
It’s probably worth pointing out something rather obvious at this juncture: while the setting may boast Cabaret-esque Weimar Republic vibes up to eleven, Engel isn’t attempting any kind of exercise in authenticity. It doesn’t need to: not only do I have no idea what people were eating in the bars and clubs frequented by Sally Bowles and her kin, I suspect such dishes wouldn’t really stand up to modern British palates, anyway. This is all besides the point. Engel rightly recognises that the gilded terraces of the Royal Exchange call for the special, the opulent and oh-so extra, and it makes no apologies for being out of step with whatever’s going on elsewhere in the capital. There’s little fussiness on display, no tweezering of microherbs. This is comfort food drenched in velvet and gold lacquer, backlit softly while a jazz piano twinkles… and there’s little doubt that the thoroughly relaxed, well-fed guests wouldn’t want it any other way.
Reservations for Engel can be made here.
