Brunch at The Pen and Pencil [CLOSED]

I was meeting friends for brunch in Manchester and they asked me to pick a place to eat, the only caveat was that it must serve eggs benedict. We decided to try out The Pen and Pencil as I’ve heard good things about their brunches and my friends also found the menu acceptable. We went one Saturday at around 10:30am.

Interior

Pen and Pencil interior

Table setting and menu

Our friends got there before we did and were seated in the back of the place. We were able to find them after a member of staff aided us. The interior is dark with wood and art on the walls. The seats were quite comfortable and the menu small but varied enough to appease any taste buds.

The drinks

English Breakfast tea £2.30

I ordered a glass of tap water and an English Breakfast tea. The tea came in an individual filter tea pot with a small jug of milk. The staff and no problems topping your pot with more hot water if you request it.

The food

Steak and eggs (gf) £9.50

I decided to go for the steak and eggs as it is Pen and Pencil’s signature brunch dish. 4oz pave rump steak, two fried eggs, a hash brown and a pot of hollandaise sauce. They asked me how well I wanted my steak done prior. The whole meal was cooked really well, although I felt my hash brown was maybe too charred on the outside, the inside was lovely and soft. The steak was cooked the way I specified, the fried eggs still had that lovely gooey yolk I love and there was plenty of hollandaise. Win!

Two of my friends chose the eggs royale and one chose the avocado and feta. The latter was served  with sourdough muffin layered with chilli jam,  rocket and two soft poached eggs. The eggs royale came with a sourdough muffin, lightly smoked salmon, buttery wilted spinach and soft poached eggs with hollandaise sauce. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals and would come back here again.

Overall rating and comments

-0.5 for the charred hash brown. This is probably just my preference for how hash browns are made as everyone else felt it was ok. -0.5 for the existence of the hash brown in the eggs benedict and florentine, just felt these were classics and didn’t need the hash browns. The place is really nice and the staff friendly, I really can’t complain.

Would visit again?

Yes, I think I would consider coming back here!

Information

Address: Fourways House, 57 Hilton St, Manchester M1 2EJ