All hail the sunday brunch
Brunch day is always a good day. It means you’ve slept in— you’ve dozed through breakfast hour and are coasting towards lunch. It means you’re hungry and rested. So hungry that just saying the word “brunch” sounds like a giant bite of hot toast and eggs. It means you’re going to spend a whole day eating.
To the uninitiated, “brunch” might sound like downsizing— creating one word, one meal, where once there were two. But the arithmetic is deceiving. This is a lazy meal. It’s one meal which replaces two but actually lasts as long as three or four or five. It encompasses every course, every cuisine, every whim. It’s our modern equivalent of the banquet table, the harvest feast. It’s the king of all meals and it must never be rushed. If you’re wondering what to do this Sunday, look no further.
Where: Shangri-La, 19, Ashok Road, New Delhi
Contact: 011-41191010
Open: 12 noon to 3 p.m. (for brunch)
The bill: Rs 5,000 plus taxes for two
Must try: The menu changes every week, but we recommend the Duck Salad and the Classic Meat Loaf with Caramelised Shallots
The chill factor
Who said Sundays have to be lazy? At Café Uno, the 24-hour coffee place at Shangri-La, the Sunday brunch is a happening hive of activity and options. It’s all about free-flowing champagne, 12 live cooking stations and a never-ending spread of up to 100 dishes. The menu changes every weekend and typically, the choices are not limited to one cuisine or another. So, you’ll have Italian, Indian, American all next to each other, a Potato and Tuna Salad vying with a Tandoori Vegetable Salad. There are a dozen cooking stations—and each with a handsome display.
The cold cuts at the salad station include Smoked Salmon with accompaniments like Snapper Gravlax. They do decent golgappas and tikkis at the chaat station. And there’s even a separate section for kids—a “live cookies section”, where the chefs dish out special delights exclusively for your little ones. The champagne is unlimited, but you can opt for fine wines, too. Inside is lovely, but there’s always the open-air section. With so much on offer under one roof (and even outside it), Café Uno is the place in Delhi for a bustling Sunday brunch.
Where: 14/7 Mahatma Gandhi Road, Bangalore
Contact: 080-2559 4666
Open: 12.30 p.m. to 3.00 p.m. (for brunch)
The bill: Rs. 1,650. Only food Rs 1,000,
Kiddy brunch (below 10 years) is Priced at Rs 650
Must try: Raw Papaya Salad, Chicken Skewers, Crepe and Chocolate and Mint Fudge.
The chill factor
The main course at brunch at The Park, Bangalore, is probably the only part you’d be better off avoiding. It’s sandwiched between a couple of impressive salad tables and few people take much notice. Time could be a factor. Besides the food, there are a couple of other welcome distractions on the menu. A swim in the pool and a head-and-shoulder massage are part of the package, along with unlimited red and white wine.
When we spent our Sunday afternoon at The Park (indoors mostly, due to rains), a group of young expats actually had a swim, lounged poolside for a couple of hours and left. However, if you’re a foodie, we strongly recommend that you pay close attention to the salad bar (Roasted Tomato, Ricotta and Balsamic is an interesting option), make tracks for live barbeque counter and then round off your meal with a live crepe counter and extensive dessert counter to wrap up your meal. Of course, a swim to rouse your appetite and a massage in between courses may be just the ticket for a lazy Sunday afternoon. 
Where: Le Royal Meridien, Sahar Airport Road, Andheri (East), Mumbai
Contact: 022-29262731
Open: 12.30 p.m. to 4 p.m (for brunch)
The bill: Rs 2,900 for two with unlimited beverages
Must try: The menu keeps changing, but we recommend the desserts. Mocha Cheese and Mango Mousse are excellent.
The chill factor
At the Royal Meridien, you can have a swim at the pool and follow it up with an elaborate Sunday brunch. Which is more than you can say for some of the other brunch options in Mumbai. OK, the Meridien’s not the obvious brunch choice, in Mumbai—the other five-star hotels have long-running brunch institutions with unlimited alcohol, not to mention restaurants like Indigo and Olive. So, what’s so special about the Sunday brunch at Le Royal Meridien? It’s the ambience. You can sit by the large bay windows opening out to pool view sipping your beer or wine on a sunny afternoon, while your kids frolic in the pool and gorge on cakes and ice creams.
And if you like watching the food being cooked right in front of you, the live food counters range from Oriental and Mexican to Indian. The menu is huge, far too long to go into here. Certainly all the favourites are here —scrambled eggs, kebabs, chicken and paneer tikka—but the desserts are something special. Try a variety of Indian mithais to Mocha Cheese Cake, Pear Roulade, Mango Mousse… And it all comes at a very reasonable Price. You get the five-star ambience and a feast for Rs 1,400 per head.
Where: Le Royal Meridien, GST Road, Kathipara Junction. Chennai
Contact: 044-22314343
Open: 11.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. (for brunch)
The bill: Rs 1,000 with unlimited drought beer or sparkling wine. Kids buffet: Rs 450
Must try: Thai Fried Chicken
The chill factor
‘Cilantro’ is 3,500 sq. ft with 120 covers, and there’s still no guarantee that you can get in without booking. Why? Because here you’ll find Chennai’s largest buffet facing a swimming pool and garden. It’s so big that you can listen to your family and the live solo band, without being overheard by the next table. The choice of cuisine is staggering—there’s Russian Fish Soup, Thai Fried Chicken, Japanese Yakitori, both north Indian and south Indian specialities and a whole menu for children. All this with unlimited draught beer or Indian sparkling wine.
