The best Sunday brunches

Lotus@ JW Marriott, Mumbai

The Lotus at the JW Marriott Hotel in Mumbai’s suburb of Juhu has long been a favourite eating and watering hole for all those looking for a peaceful, yet scrumptious, Sunday brunch. The Sunday ‘Champagne Brunch’ at Lotus has long been touted as one of the best in the city, and not without good reason.

The Lure: The buffet caters to a wide range of taste buds, palates and cultures. It boasts of ‘live’ pizza, shewarma and grill counters that you can watch over while supervising the preparation of your food. On offer, too, is an extensive salad and cheese section, as well as a corner to fulfil all your dhokla, khandvi and chaat desires. The smoked salmon and spare ribs are unbelievably popular, with refills having to be brought out every half-hour. The desserts and ice cream tables deserve a standing ovation with everything from jelly bears and marshmallow, to pineapple ice cream; Florentine, besan ka laddu and fresh exotic fruit desserts ready to be devoured. For those of you with children, worry not. The management of the hotel has arranged a slew of activities to keep them occupied and entertained; from walking-talking popular Disney characters and people to paint their faces to organised games.

Price: Rs 1,500 per head (Rs 1,150 per head, if you are a teetotaller)
Where: Juhu Tara Road, Mumbai
Contact: 022-66933000, 022-66933366
0pen: 12.30 p.m.-4.30 p.m.

Eden Pavilion@ ITC The Sonar, Kolkata

Eden Pavilion, the 24-hour coffee shop, at ITC The Sonar, Kolkata is known for its continental cuisine to connoisseurs of good food. On Sundays, it promises much more. The Sunday Brunch at Eden Pavilion amidst distinctively modern and sleek architecture, does not only offer a blend of breakfast and lunch, but an array of award-winning culinary experiences.

These range from the North-West Frontier cuisine to traditional Indian delicacies, continental grills, Bengali food and many more innovative items. Says Ramesh Javvaji, Executive Chef, ITC The Sonar: “On any Sunday, you will get more than 150 items in the buffet spread and every week it keeps changing.” Sunday Brunch is also served at Pan Asian for taste buds keen on Chinese and Thai delicacies and sushi.

The Lure: If you land up on any Sunday during brunch time and manage a seat, don’t miss out on what the Chef recommends: Nordic Salmon Mousse, Fillet Bhetki, Kachchi Gosht Biryani, Mini Virginia Lamb and Meat Lasagna Bar-B-Q Pork. Also on offer: oyster varieties, speciality pasta, Wescechalian Ham, Mussalam range and sausages. All these and many more are served with sparkling wine, beer, gin, rum and vodka. And if you have a sweet tooth, there is something for you as well—from brownies and firni, to gulapi pati, sandesh and fondue.

Price: Rs 1,350 plus taxes per head (Rs 1,100 plus taxes per head for a teetotaller)
Where: 1 JBS Haldane Avenue, near Science City, Kolkata
Contact: 033-23454445
Open: 12:30 p.m.-4 p.m.

Olive Beach, Delhi

For all those who consider their Sundays ‘sacred’ and would love to indulge in a sinful brunch, a visit to Olive Beach is a must (if you haven’t been there, already). The extensive buffet brings alive the essence and magic of the Mediterranean coast in the expert hands of Chef Guiliano Tassinari.

The Lure: For the vegetarians, there is a wide selection to choose from, be it the roulade of fresh home-made bocconcini with arugula, asparagus with grana padano; or charcoalroasted mushrooms with garlic and parsley. The non-vegetarian buffet is amazing as well. Go for the Norwegian smoked salmon platter, roast chicken with sage, home cured and smoked sole or roasted lamb with red wine, baby onion and thyme. Live grill counters bring forth delectable delights ranging from jumbo prawns, to sausages, grilled fish, chicken steaks, and tenderloin steak and a selection of vegetables. Do not miss the live oysters served with traditional condiments and the live egg station. The salad bar has tempting delights with balsamic, lemon and mustard dressings on offer. A perfect way to round off will be a choice of desserts: Hot Chocolate Soufflé, Panna Cotta, Tiramisu, Tagliatelle cake, Pastiera Napoletana, fresh fruit platter, Panettone with Mascarpone, stuffed crêpes, Chocolate Petit Four and Mocha Swan Eclair.

Price: Rs 1,895 plus taxes per head
Where: 9 Sardar Patel Marg, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
Contact: 011-46040404, 9810877701
0pen: 12.30 p.m.-4.30 p.m.

Citrus@ Leela Palace Kempinski, Bangalore

The Sunday smorgasbord at the Leela Palace, Bangalore, attracts a wide variety of patrons, ranging from the yuppie techie to the older expat looking to escape the chaos of India’s IT capital. The Prie Fixe brunch is a big favourite with Bangalore’s party crowd, who tend to meander in late on Sunday morning after a hectic night out on the town on Saturday. The crowd starts building early, as young couples begin trickling in from as early as 11.30 a.m. to get the best seats at Citrus, the 24-hour coffee shop, which hosts the hotel’s brunch.

The place is packed by 1 p.m. So, expect to wait for 30 minutes or more if you’re late. The Lure: The massive spread is well worth the wait, with brunch-eaters offered a choice of Indian, Italian, Mediterranean and Lebanese food. A major attraction for regulars is the 16-variety dessert table, covering everything from Indian sweets to French patisseries. Another draw at the Citrus is multiple open kitchens, dishing out fresh pizza to sushi, with a chocolate dispenser (made of actual chocolate) a big hit with kids. While sparkling wine is served complimentary, the real trick may lie in tempering the drinking to help you try as much of the spread as humanly possible.

Price: Rs 2,000 plus taxes per head
Where: 23 Airport Road, Bangalore
Contact: 080-25211234
0pen: 12.30 p.m.-3 p.m.

(Compiled by Deepti Khanna Bose in Mumbai, Ritwik Mukherjee iN Kolkata, Pallavi Srivastava in Delhi and Rahul Sachitanand in Bangalore.)