Brunch at The Pembroke: Sunday Funday Upgraded

It’s not hard to find bottomless brunches in DC with free flowing champagne and other bubbly libations, but a recent menu revamp at The Dupont Circle Hotel’s restaurant, The Pembroke gives guests an opportunity to elevate their brunch game. Enter unlimited Chandon or Moët & Chandon served with fresh fruit purees for guests to build their own champagne concoction. Indulge in The Pembroke’s newest brunch experience, complete with recent additions to the food menu from executive chef Harper McClure along with elevated boozy options.

Plush sectional seating, floor to ceiling windows and overhead orb light fixtures set the scene for whatever occasion guests find themselves at brunch: a celebration, an occasion or a weekend rendezvous with girlfriends. The light and airy space perched just off of busy Dupont Circle makes for a welcome backdrop for hotel guests and locals alike.

Since taking the helm of The Pembroke’s kitchen in July, McClure has overseen the execution of dishes reflective of the restaurant’s farm-to-table theme with a European flair. The refreshed brunch menu features savory additions along with cocktails and a build-your-own-mimosa option.

New items on the brunch menu include an array of starters and salads as well as main entrees, rounding out an already star-studded menu of midday staples. Start off with The Pembroke Silver Service, and indulge in a selection of items from the bakery including perfectly flaky croissants, savory tarts and scones.

Pro tip:Bakery items can also be ordered at Doyle & Co., the hotel’s coffee stand located near the lobby, steps from The Pembroke’s entrance.

From there, opt for traditional brunch fare in the sweet form of blueberry pancakes, a classic brioche French toast and Belgian waffle topped with strawberries and whipped cream. Or go the savory route with eggs benedict, a croque madame or egg white frittata.

Other French and Mediterranean nods can be found under the newly added “Main Event” section with some dishes pulled in from the dinner and lunch menus. Loup de Mer served with olive tapenade and baby watercress salad, steak frites and hand cut steak tartare are enticing options along with other heartier dishes like the house-made pappardelle with mushrooms, truffle butter and reggiano and the DC Burger, whose combination of gruyère, mushrooms and caramelized onions on top of two patties rivals that of any other brunch burger in the city.

With a wide selection of choices, it may be wise to split a few plates from each section with friends. Optimal shareables include open-faced tartines – don’t overlook the avocado tartine on sourdough topped with onions, tomato, and cilantro or the smoked salmon tartine layered on top of toasted pumpernickel, cream cheese, tomato and red onion. Fresh and light starters to split include the burrata perched atop slices of prosciutto di parma and pear mostarda and the octopus à la plancha.

Brunch wouldn’t be an occasion without bubbly libations. New to the menu is a shortlist of essential cocktails including a classic mimosa, a gussied up version dubbed The Pembroke Mimosa (made with vodka, St. Germain, orange juice and sparkling wine) a spiked coffee and the The Pembroke Bloody Mary. If guests are looking to up the ante, the aforementioned build your own mimosa is the answer: opt for limitless Chandon for $45 or go all out with Moët & Chandon for $85 per person (free flowing champagne within a two hour time frame). Pair the bubbles with your choice of fruit purees: traditional orange, mango or strawberry. Elect for one syrup or mix and match to customize – because what would brunch be without a little boozy fun?

Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. For more information, check out the website.