Families that brunch together - & 5 places to brunch in Southampton

I've always had this thing about brunch.
You see I'm not really a huge breakfast fan as I'm really more into getting as much sleep as possible, over making a lengthy breakfast. Lunch can be a bit hit or miss for me too. Work and home lunches tend to be a bit samey, so unless I've gone out for lunch, it's not that treat a meal to me.
But then came brunch. I used to dream (ok maybe not actual dream, but definitely daydream) about brunch with my gal pals ala Sex in the City, and thought you know you've kinda made it when you can brunch on the regular.

Luckily for me, I do brunch, though it is almost exclusively at the weekends.
I mean who doesn't love the idea of poached eggs, toast, pancakes and coffee being at the table on a Saturday at 11am, with your loved ones. In fact, brunch with my boys is definitely one of my favourite weekend pastimes.

So a few weekends ago when we went for an impromptu brunch, I grabbed the camera too.

Living so close to the city has many perks, and one of them has to be the great food places, especially for brunch dates.
So I've compiled a list of my current favourite places to brunch in Southampton (you're welcome!).

The Diner, Westquay South
Probably the largest breakfast menu in the city, and it runs ALL day! Can I get a 'hell yeah'!! We've been here about four or five times now, and it really is the best place for food in general, though the breakfasts are amazing! The pancakes are so damn good, plus you get such a good stack of them. Also the breakfast burrito is ace too! This place is definitely Dann's favourite. He'd eat there all day if he could.

Mettricks - Old Town, Bargate and Guildhall Square 
A favourite haunt and one that I spend much of my time in, so much so, that the owner Spencer knows me by name, as well as Henry. We're also on first name terms with quite a few of the baristas. With three locations in the city, and another in Beaulieu and Woolston, Mettricks has gone from strength to strength. They specialise in really great coffee, and locally sourced ingredients and production of their menu. Their breakfast muffin is an all time favourite of mine - and if you're not quite in the mood for breakfast, try their Sweet Sausage toastie which is mine and Alice's fave.

The Artisan - Guildhall Square
Based in Guildhall Square underneath one of the Solent University buildings, The Artisan is kind of a secret brunch location. A lot of city dwellers believe The Artisan to be for students at the university only, but they'd be very wrong, it is in fact open to the public and is becoming increasingly popular. Their hot chocolates have to be one of the best in the city, and their breakfast menu is great. The Artisan was my introduction to my absolute favourite dish - Salmon Royale. Plus they sell tea by the mug, and the large sizes are actually large!

Bills Restaurant - Westquay South
We spent our last bloggers brunch at Bill's after hearing Alice's never ending love of the place. To be frank, it is amazing (I've also done lunch there twice since January too). The poached eggs are perfectly (and somewhat alarmingly) spherical, and the pancakes, with blueberries in the mix, are probably the best in the city. Even the avocado on toast (which I'm not a huge fan of) looks incredible.

Pitcher and Piano - Ocean Village
Stepping away from the city centre and heading towards the sea you can find Pitcher and Piano in Ocean Village. One of the highlights has to be the scenery as it is right in the marina, and in the summer has to be one of my favourite places to go. The food is simple and to the point, but for a pretty big chain, they really work in the area.

Where's your favourite place to brunch? Don't worry, it doesn't have to be Southampton based!