Brother Marcus Balham

A great place for an evening meal in Balham. The food is exceptional and challenges the great Honey and Co for best knafeh-like cheesecake. The outdoor seating is rain proof and there's heaters if it's particularly cold. We had the Marcus Choice option where you let the kitchen decide on what dishes you receive which is fantastic value at 30 pounds. As amazing as the food and atmosphere are a special mention must go to the serving staff who are chatty and enthusiastic about the food and wine (thanks for the Te Mania tip!) and really made our visit stand out. We'll absolutely be going back.

We had a main and a coffee for about £20 each which is a bit costly for brunch but the food was nice and locally sourced which is great. The coffee was good but was not very hot when it was served up. I found the staff to be a little odd. The service was quite slow and it felt a bit like it was an inconvenience for them to serve us. I enjoyed the atmosphere, they had some lovely plants inside and a charming garden under cover out the back. I would return as there were a couple of other things on the menu I would like to try but I would recommend other brunch places to people before going here!

London has plenty of great eateries, so it was a difficult decision to end up in the excellent Brother Marcus. It doesn’t look like much from the street, but once you are inside, this place just looks and feels like somewhere you want to spend a lot of time. I visited for brunch with a friend and we were ready to eat! Not ones to skimp on the food, my friend and I ordered a few things off the menu that we would share and then waited with baited breath. The first thing we saw on the menu and both pointed at was the Brother Special. This is scrambled eggs, chard, asparagus and beetroot cured salmon and toast with rocket oil. Talk about tasty. And cooked to perfection. We also both liked the sound of the Step Sister. The combination of sweet potato, courgette and feta fritters, with avocado and spinach, kale, turmeric yogurt topped with a poached egg had us both fighting forks to get the last mouthfuls. This worked really well with the grilled aubergine with chilli, beetroot hummus and sesame seeds and halloumi with sliced orange and crumbled pistachios, which were both brought out (like everything else) with a huge smile from the attentive staff. We threw in a pork belly with Parmesan and tomato relish just to make the meal complete and left really happy people. The place is just great. Down to earth, but serving amazing food. Brother Marcus is the ideal place to visit if you are ever in London SW12.

I came here for brunch last Sunday in a small group, I had booked a table in advance, and I would strongly advise doing so if you plan on visiting for weekend brunch as we saw many groups turned away while waiting for our table. We were seated in the covered outside area which was warm and pleasant in spite of the drizzly weather. The food was, for the most part, very good. I had shakshuka with added bacon while others opted for different options (we also ordered some sides/extras to share). The shakshuka was divine with the eggs rich and perfectly cooked and the sauce packed with flavour, the added bacon was beautifully crisp without being overdone. There was a good amount of bread to dip in the sauce, although it could have been a little softer. The sides I tried were the hash browns which came in a delicious sauce, but were unfortunately burnt, and also the manouri cheese with honey which, while delicious, was a very thin slice of cheese - not worth by the £4 price tag. To drink, I had a coffee which was nice and well presented, as well as a mint tea later on, unfortunately that simply comprised a few mint leaves in a pot of boiling water with no sugar etc. - bit of a rip off for £2.50! Overall everyone in the group enjoyed the meal and said it was delicious, and I would largely agree - however it doesn't quite get five stars because it was slightly by a few of the smaller items. It is on the pricier side and some items don't quite justify their price (e.g. the manouri cheese slice) but for a special occasion or a treat it's worth it on the whole. I would definitely come here again, but would probably just stick to the main options. Is it the best brunch in Balham as claimed on the website? I don't think it quite beats Milk... but it certainly has the potential to!

Gorgeous interior, cozy and inviting. Spans all the way back so plenty of seating. The back can get quite loud with conversations though. The food was of high quality, bonus that the suzuk and chicken are halal. The best thing on the menu is the Turkish platter, everything was great. Bit expensive and Bill was on the high side but fresh, top ingredients. Would recommend and definitely plan on coming back. Waiters extremely helpful and friendly too.

I would say it’s one of the best brunch places south of the river. There’s always a 10-15 minute queue but upon entering this cozy cafe you will be rewarded with exceptional breakfast. Try Step Sister which is their sweet potato fritter with the most perfect poached egg or go for Brother Special which is beetroot cured salmon with delicious and crunchy sesame glazed broccoli. Finally don’t forget to order a Sugar Daddy which is cinnamon french toasted crumpets with caramelised banana. Another plus is the coffee which is also top draw.

Delicious food. Mine was very good. Enjoyed the Mediterranean palette of flavours. Only comment would be that the server wasn’t wearing their mask properly. As someone who doesn’t need to wear a mask at all (due to exemption) this doesn’t bother me. However other patrons may notice it.

Food & Service - Incredible, Price & Atmosphere - Not the best but ok. Overall a lovely local! The taster menu (Marcus’ recommends) was delicious. Highlights were the cauliflower (who knew?) and the belly pork in a white sauce with walnut and honey; the flavours were well balanced and everything was cooked to absolute perfection. Service was polite, professional and genuine, thank you! The music was weird as they kept skipping tracks between Queens greatest hits and other songs songs but was still fun, especially after some wine. The main feature lights were off at night, even though it was getting dark outside so it felt a bit odd, like the power had gone. The last thing I would say is I felt the prices were slightly high, but I’m probably a tight****!