*Complimentary brunch – thank you Rev de Cuba Derby for the invite*
It’s Sunday. You fancy a change from your usual cereal, which is yawn-inducingly boring. And you can’t be bothered to cook. As you stare languidly from that cereal box to your reflection in the mirror, questioning when Sundays became ‘meh’, you have an idea.
Brunch.
Not just any old brunch. BOTTOMLESS brunch.
I don’t know about you, but “the day of rest” is frequently not so restful, being jam-packed with food shopping, meal planning, and general ‘catch up on household chores’. If you want to break from tradition, treat yourself and get down to Revolución de Cuba Derby for their Bottomless Brunch.
I’ve dined at Revolución de Cuba Derby before. It’s a pretty space, olde world with an exotic hit of all things Cuban.
Rich tobacco and chocolate hued wood renders the interior inviting, whilst the inner sanctum is lit like a cosy temple draped with golden fairy lights.
It’s a small but perfectly formed compact menu. You choose one brunch dish and enjoy bottomless drinks including Prosecco, Bloody Mary, Mojito, Mahou pints, plus tea, Americano and soft drinks. I especially loved the presentation of the fruit laden water. Doesn’t it look as pretty as a pitcher? (sorry I couldn’t resist). Just to recap, that it’s £20 per person – I don’t need to point out the obvious, but this is a cracking good deal. A glass of Prosecco is around £8, and by the time you’ve sipped on three glasses, that’s £24 gone, just like that, without taking a single bite of food.
Back to the review, and I chose the full grilled breakfast (streaky bacon, smoked sausage, tomato, mushroom, toast). I swapped out the fried egg for scrambled egg, which turned out to be the star of the dish. The portions are generous, the meat wonderfully smoky and herby. The scrambled egg was beautiful, made with cream, butter and spring onions. I’m not a fan of eggs and even in cakes, can make the end product quite “eggy.” Not so with these bad boys on my plate. I fell in love with this dish and inventive cooking, which is why I had to speak with Head Chef Bertie after the meal (more later on an interview with this talented chef).
Dining partner enjoyed the Brekkie burrito (flour tortilla, sausage, chorizo, egg, refried beans, jalapeños, cheese, crispy bacon). Don’t be deceived by the somewhat small portion – it’s not. When you dig into the burrito, it’s fairly substantial and filling. The tortilla was wonderfully soft and generously filled with spicy meat, whilst the chillies (ask for it without if you like) elevated this dish from good to marvellous.
We finished with Café Cubano, which was hot with a nutty, slight fruity tang on the swallow. I need to fully explore the coffee options at Revolución de Cuba, so do watch out for this standalone post shortly. With great Prosecco and Mojitos on tap, excellent food, plus warm, welcoming smiles (that Ellie is a top bird), Revolución de Cuba Derby is the place to be for Bottomless Brunch.
Rating: (1: Hate: I’d rather eat my shoe – 10: Love: I’d sell my kidney for a meal here)
Food: 9.5
Value for money: 10
Ambience: 9
Service: 10
#InANutshell
Bottomless Brunch available Saturday and Sunday, 11am – 2pm
Restaurant name: Revolución de Cuba
Owners: Revolution Bars Group
Open since: Company started in 1996, Derby branch opened in 2012
Covers: 120
Address: The Old Institute, 9 The Strand, Derby DE1 1BJ
Opening times: Mon-Thurs 11am-1am / Fri-Sat 11am-3am / Sun 11am-1am
How to make reservation: Online & telephone
Call: 01332 896196
Central Team: 0800 6300 860
Head Chef: Bertie
General Manager: Rafal Zbiciak
Front of House: Ellie
Whilst in the area: Check out the Sadler Gate area, which has a lovely selection of shops including the Milk & Honey Deli and Doughnotts.