Our picks at The Pen And Pencil

WHEN we’re not wining and dining, we’re the original ladies who brunch (the guys included). One of our go-to brunch joints is The Pen And Pencil in the Northern Quarter – largely because they serve our favourites every day from 10am until 4pm, so we don’t have to bust a gut to get there before midday. Which is also just as well, because sometimes we have quite the hunger and our tastebuds and empty tums are tempted towards the mains, served from noon.

 We’re all about extending our meat-free Mondays at the moment, so we’ve been enjoying the healthful Smoked Mackerel & Asparagus, just £9. The good-for-you oily fish is grilled with those tender green veggie spears, then served with a poached egg topped with a homemade hollandaise sauce and fresh watercress. Vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals. 

Sticking with theseafood, and the Blackened Cajun Salmon (£11.50) adds a subtle spicy kick to the delicate pink flesh.Served with new potatoes and fresh avocado salsa, we love this one whatever the weather.

 On our meat-eating days, we’re gluttons for The Elvis. Nope, not a burger as you might expect, but the king of indulgent hot sandwiches, apparently made famous by Mr Presley himself – toasted bread, smooth peanut butter, banana slices, crispy bacon and maple syrup(£7.50).

When we’re in full brunch mode (and sometimes even when we’re not), we love to shake it (baby) and The Pen And Pencil have three creamy milkshakes to slurp, each one just a fiver. Inspired by our favourite puddings, the Banoffee Pie combines banana, caramel syrup and ginger biscuits, whilethe Eton Mess has raspberries, strawberry puree, vanilla syrup and (shhh) meringue. We can’t count The Marathon in our five-a-day, but that’s ok, because a mixture of chocolate, peanut butter and hazelnut syrup makes us Happy with a capital H.

See the full menu at The Pen And Pencil here.