Nothing pairs better with a sunny weekend than a long, leisurely brunch – especially somewhere that feels worlds away from London’s hectic streets. For many, Morena is the go-to place to get your avocado toast + Aperol fix. Opened in 2020 in the charming Eccleston Yards, the restaurant is influenced by Latin American cuisine but features a range of failsafe brunch dishes, from an indulgent French toast to eggs in all ways.
To match the surging popularity of its new neighbour, Weezie’s, which launched this March, Morena is now open for service well past sunset – making Eccleston Yards a truly intentional go-to place for long afternoons that turn into evenings that turn into “ah, remember when” feel-good moments.
The restaurant has also brought out a new spring menu drawing on the founders’ Colombian roots, with brunch dishes such as piña colada pancakes and chicken rice bowls.
What’s on the dinner menu?
Dinner plates include wagyu steak with lomo saltado sauce, Peruvian chicken with aji verde and corn salsa, and seabass fillet with chilli citrus sauce for mains. If you want a more casual drinks-and-bites event, you can order smaller dishes like tuna tostadas, veggie guidas, and lobster empanadas for the ones with a posh bone.
For dessert, you’ve got a mouth-watering matcha ice cream with raspberry coulis ripple and a more decadent dulce the leche cheesecake. And last but not least, you’ve got playful cocktails including papaya margaritas and zesty yuzu-pineapple serves (as well as the classics, of course).
Dinner is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 5:30pm so you can still very much enjoy the sun go down while knee-deep in your Margaritas and tuna tostadas.
We haven’t tried the dinner menu as we were too tempted to spend a few hours soaking up the sun in their terrace during lunchtime , but if it’s anything like the brunch menu, you’re in for some rather enjoyable (and picture-perfect) plates of food.
And what’s on the brunch menu?
The brunch menu includes the aforementioned tiramisu French toast with coffee mascarpone, pina colada pancakes, a trusty and all-time winner avocado toast, and chilaquiles rojos (which are basically loaded nachos – drenched in a smoky tomato sauce with sliced avocado and poached eggs).
On the drinks side, aside from the classic brunchy cocktails, there’s a range of rather delicious drinks and iced drinks, from strawberry matcha latte to hojicha latte and vibrant smoothies.
What are the vibes like?
Depending on your predisposition for a full day of vegetating on a nice terrace, and the credit limit on your Amex, Morena is the right place to go from brunch to cocktails and dinner. It’s a lovely area with plenty of outdoor seating shaded by awnings, so you can enjoy the warm weather without turning into a langoustine. Inside, two floors of tables with soft wooden details and greenery throughout – a relaxed, hipster space that takes you a little away from London.
And if Eccleston Yard is just a few stops too many on the tube, Morena also has a Marylebone location serving coffee, matcha and freshly baked NYC-style cookies.
Key details
Address: 10-11 Eccleston Yards, London SW1W 9AZ
Opening Hours: Mon 8 am-6 pm | Tue-Fri 8 am-10 pm | Sat-Sun 9 am-6 pm
Website: www.morena.com
Socials: @morena.london
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