As if you needed an excuse, Gees has just launched a new brunch menu, giving you the perfect opportunity to nip in and relax in style over a decadent breakfast.
And of course because its Gees, this no ordinary brunch experience, but instead you can dine in splendour in Oxford’s famous greenhouse restaurant while enjoying some fun and innovative dishes.
Arriving at Gees, whatever time of day, is always exciting; it’s just one of those restaurants where the decor and interior set the precedent.
t’his is definitely Oxford’s new go-to brunch stop, and we loved every minute’
So despite the rain lashing down outside, the quiet, calm mornings provide a complete retreat for a few hours, the total antithesis to the bustling lunch and dinner vibe.
Seated at the banquettes overlooking the plant-laden corridor outside, it really does feel luxurious, and your mood follows suit. Languorously, we ordered drinks.
‘Big respect to Gees. They never rest on their laurels’
A Bloody Mary, well why not, although bubbles are also on offer, and the Gees’ Greens Smoothie for the more abstemious. The vibrant and buoyantly healthy smoothie went down a treat, but the Bloody Mary was a masterpiece – a firm seven in spiciness, it heralded a breakfast of champions.
Choosing what to eat however took far longer; such a difficult decision, so many wonderful sounding dishes. For the health conscious there’s an enticing sounding homemade granola with yoghurt and honey (£8.95), but we were going all in, so instead opted for the Pizzetta (£11.95) – the choice being Benedict (eggs and ham/bacon) or Florentine (spinach and eggs), both with an hollandaise sauce.
Plus the crashed eggs (sounds painful) with chorizo, spring onions and potatoes (£11.50) and the Gees breakfast bun with fried egg, sausage & bacon (£12), because we saw one coming out and couldn’t resist. And then we sat back and revelled in the hush of a Monday morning in such a reverent space.
The food was a revelation – the pizzetta thin and crispy and covered in two generous bright-yellow-yolked eggs, fresh spinach and some undulant Hollandaise sauce. For breakfast! Admirably different, the yolks spreading satisfactorily when the knife plunged in, it was a great start.
As for the crashed eggs, they metamorphosed into a thin Spanish tortilla, peppered with slivers of orange chorizo, green onion and herbs. Perfectly cooked, highly flavoursome, and novel, we really enjoyed it, ordering a side of sourdough to accompany it.
The Gees breakfast bun was as elegant as you’d expect, but no less enjoyable for it; generous in content, the ingredients as classy as you’d expect.
To finish off we shared a piece of the lemon, rosemary and olive oil cake (£8.50) which was moist and light, although a spoon of mascarpone would have complemented it, a accompanied by a sterling cup of coffee.
So yes, a grand success, and one we’ll be repeating whenever the occasion calls for a classy brunch in opulent surroundings. Big respect to Gees. They never rest on their laurels.
So go on, spoil yourselves, because this is definitely Oxford’s new go-to brunch stop, and we loved every minute.
Gees is at 61-63 Banbury Rd, Park Town, Oxford OX2 6PE. Brunch runs daily from from 9am-11.30am. https://www.geesrestaurant.co.uk/menus/brunch/
