Located on trendy and vibrant Exmouth Market is CARAVAN.
Exmouth Market is a pedestrian street hidden between Angel and Farringdon.
The vibe is awesome. Not only is it lined with fabulous restaurants serving all types of cuisine but during the week it hosts a daily food market which kicks off at midday.
There are lots of stalls selling delicious street food! It gets super busy around lunch time and is hugely popular with all the local workers.
In the evening the street is lined with pretty fairy lights and all the bars and pubs are packed.
In the summer most of the restaurants have alfresco dining and it's the perfect place to relax and get that 'holiday feel' we all love.
I usually head to Caravan for breakfast as they serve a wicked brunch menu and the coffee is dreeeeeeamy. I had seen they serve a tapas-style lunch menu and, as I'm a big fan of the restaurant, I thought I'd check it out!
The food is served from three different menus -
Breakfast (week days)
Brunch (weekends)
And all day lunch and dinner menu.
Another bonus about Caravan is I can take Columbus with me!
It was a little too chilly to sit outside but they said it was fine to bring him into the bar area.
The restaurant was nice and busy giving it a buzzy atmosphere and new customers were constantly
arriving - popular joint!
They do a lunch menu consisting of small plates and large plates. We were advised that it's best to order two or three small dishes each.
First thing's first - some cocktails ;)
I went for a Piscine which is berries, creme de cassis and prosecco over ice.
Fruity and refreshing.
Fruity and refreshing.
My lunch date ordered an aperol spritz which is aperol, prosecco and soda over ice. This is my usual summer drink - they are terribly addictive.
We decided to order three small plates, one large plate and a side dish.
One that jumped out at me was the green pepper gazpacho with toasted almonds.
Next up, something slightly cheeky - chicken wings with bacon jam and blue cheese.
Yuuuuuummmm!
No Spanish lunch is complete without a potato and onion tortilla!
This a large plate -
Courgette fritters, sumac butternut, piquillo peppers and goats cheese. It looked colourful and flavoursome (could have been a tad bigger as it was a large plate @ £14.50).
Lastly our side - purple and white sprouting broccoli with toasted almonds.
Time to dig in!
The gazpacheo was beautiful! The flavours were really unique and the almonds gave it a lovely sweet finish.
Columbus was giving me the 'can I try some' look....
I gave him a little taster....
The chicken wings were, of course, totally YUM! You can't go wrong with chicken and blue cheese. The only annoying thing is - there is never enough meat...but I am a little piggy.
The tortilla was super tasty and really filling! It was perfectly cooked and a great accompaniment to our lunch.
The courgette fritters, sumac butternut, peppers and goats cheese plate was scrumptious! The textures were gorgeous with very earthy flavours which all worked wonderfully together. It was a great dish and it was worth the money but (tiny niggle) it would have been nice to just have a little bit more.
We were both really enjoying our Spanish style lunch :)
We were pretty full but hey, there is always room for something sweet!
The dessert menu was fabulous.
We went for the peanut butter parfait with chocolate mousse drizzled with caramel.
BOOM.
It looked incredibly inviting.
As I love love LOVE the coffee at Caravan we added a cappuccino and latte.
A table of TREATS.
It was SOOOO so so delicious!!!!! Soft and gooey. As you may have guessed I have a seriously sweet tooth and I am a huge dessert fan. This has to go in my top ten favourites!
It was devoured by both of us very quickly.
The damage...
We were in there for a few hours and, in true Spanish style, we took our time. The atmosphere is really cool with a lovely view of the street food market outside - perfect for some cheeky 'people watching'.
The food was interesting, unique and of high quality.
Yes the bill was high but not only are you paying for wonderful food, you are also paying for the fantastic surroundings too. The service, however, was very relaxed and a little slow. This is something they should improve upon.
Tips for Caravan -
Nearest tubes are Angel and Farringdon, the 38 bus stops right by it.
Take time and check out Exmouth Market!
If you're heading for breakfast prepare to wait for a table, especially on weekends.
Weekdays - 8am - 11.30am Breakfast
12noon - 10.30pm All day menu
Weekends 10 - 4pm Brunch
5pm - 10.30pm All day menu
Sat only.
Closed Sunday evening.
Bar - open until 11pm Mon - Wed
Midnight Thurs - Sat
Full menu available for bar dining.
For parties 8 - 12 they have a private table downstairs (ideal for a Birthday!)
If your passing and don't have time to stop for food - take away coffee is available!
