Caravan ~ Perview

A large section of the team are huge fans of Caravan; the London based group of New Zealand inspired all day dining venues which have been smashing it down in the capital for well over a decade.  The original Caravan in Exmouth Market is our regular go to when we can't avoid being down south. So imagine the buzz in the office when it was announced that Caravan were to open up here in Manchester.

We were invited down to sample the goods at Caravan's very first brunch service, so jumped at the chance based on the above fanboy-ism.   

You see, brunch is a New Zealand institution. We like brunch here in the UK, but in the land of the long white cloud it's quite simply on a different level of obligation during most weekends.  I lived there for an entire year many moons ago, yet can't ever recall having a single bad brunch or even a poor coffee all year. It was all about the flat white in NZ, which I'd never heard of at the time, but that soon changed.  New Zealand doesn’t mess about when it comes to serious coffee, or brunch.  And neither do Caravan.

So, we arrived at Caravan's stunner of a unit, with a huge open fronted terrace that will really come into its own when the Manchester weather is in a better mood.  There's seating for a huge number of people, and it's clear that Caravan intends to serve an awfully big crowd.  We don’t foresee them struggling either based on what we ate and drank;

Jalapeno cornbread started our brunch with Mexican vibes.  Generous slabs of bread, topped with a hefty smear of chipotle butter, dressed with coriander and lime (£6.5). Delicious over a couple of expectedly solid coffees, a latte and an Americano in this case.  Caravan of course roast their own beans too!

Dingley Dell Pork Schnitzel was one of our main courses, and sported a fried egg on top, sauced with mustard dill cream, dressed with fried sage, fresh dill and some pickles which boosted the dish no end, helping to balance out all that lovely richness. The obligatory French fries were rosemary salt seasoned (£23.5), perfectly crisp and added that all essential carb element.

Korean style buttermilk fried chicken came plated as a hefty stack, including punchy kimchi pancakes, a base of fiery gochujang ketchup, topped with a runny fried egg for the crucial theatre and a bit of self-saucing (£17.5).  Coriander and black sesame seeds finished the plate.

Smashed Avocado on Sourdough toast (£9.5) is my go-to brunch at Caravan Exmouth Market, and it's always textbook.  Great quality bread with a generous helping of avo, raised to upper levels with a squeeze of lemon, some spiced crispy chickpeas, chilli, and a fresh pop from beansprouts.

At this point we were nicely full, but the lovely staff suggested dessert and who are we to decline such a wise offer.    Now who else has noticed that Tiramisu (£8) is a dish which appears to be going through a bit of a resurgence lately, as they've resurfaced on menus all over the place.  This was a generous slab of joy, topped with an optional shot of Cazcabel tequila coffee liqueur (£4) to add a bit more brunchy indulgence.  It also looked great.

And since Caravan is all about that day and night experience, we thought it only correct to sample their cocktail credentials too, so went for a Tiramisu Martini (£10) for that pudding tie in.  It was as rich and decadent as it's edible cousin, and we loved the cute garnish.  Next down the hatch was a Chef's Margarita (£10.5), which was also in point and rounded off brunch perfectly.

So with the St John's area still in its relative infancy, Caravan will be a hugely welcome addition to the area and looks set to become a go-to for all your hospitality needs whether it be morning, noon or night!

And in all the excitement, I forgot to order a flat white to truly embrace those fond Wellington memories! I'll class that as an excuse to return ASAP.

** Our experience was gratefully comped **