SUNDAY brunch with a difference is the new surprise offering from El Gato Negro Tapas. Why, they are even doing a roast. With a Spanish twist, as they say. In a first for the award-winning King Street restaurant, guests can now also enjoy a signature Spanish Sunday roast, comprising a roast sirloin of beef with quince glazed carrots, Manchego cauliflower cheese, potatoes roasted with jamón serrano butter, tenderstem broccoli and Rioja sauce (£18.50).
No Castilian roasties? It appears not. The new Sabbath brunch menu, available 12pm-10pm, doesn’t stray far from El Gato’s Iberian-inspired strengths. Choose from wild mushrooms on toasted Catalan bread with truffle butter, Pedro Ximénez sherry reduction (£7.50); charred tenderstem broccoli with ajo blanco dressing, grapes and toasted almonds (£6.50); chorizo and piquillo pepper hash with fried egg, parsley and garlic (£8.50) and Tombet: Majorcan ratatouille with poached egg, Manchego, oregano and basil (£6).
The new dishes are accompanied by a selection of their classic small plates, including chargrilled chicken thighs with romesco sauce (main image); Hake Bilbaína: pan-fried hake with a tomato, sherry and garlic sauce; and their best-selling dish, patatas bravas with spiced tomato fritarda sauce and aioli.
Kids aren’t neglected either in head chef Anthony Shirley’s brunch re-invention. There are dishes especially for niños – meatballs and roasted potatoes (£7); salt cod fish cakes with tomato sauce and tenderstem broccoli (£7) and roast chicken thigh with carrots and potatoes (£7). To finish, an ice-cream sundae with hot chocolate sauce (£4).
Shirley told us: “I’m a massive fan of brunch, it’s a real social occasion, whether it’s pre-planned or enjoyed on the hoof. As a chef it is however one of the hardest occasions to cater for, especially if you’re looking to introduce something a little different. You need to satisfy both breakfast and lunch cravings, and then of course everyone’s got their own personal taste. It’s the type of challenge I like.”
El Gato Negro Tapas, 52 King Street, Manchester M2 4LY. To reserve visit the website or call 0161 694 8585.