Ever been in that situation – Friday night, dinner for two, London… crap… Did I book the table? Too late now! Uhoh best break the news. (Stressful situs ensue involving unbearable queues or throwing in the towel for a night in front of the tv with a shoddy takeaway).

Now I like to think that I’m pretty organised when it comes to my social life, having dates and places booked in advance so there’s no leaving it to chance, but sometimes life gets in the way and there we have it – yep, I fall victim to the above scenario.

New restaurant app, Uncover is set to solve these mad panics, frustrations and save your sanity as there’s no need to wait weeks or months for an available table. And all of you spontaneous types can rest easy, you can get a table short notice at over 150 of the most popular restaurants in London; including hot tables at trendy eateries like Foxlow and Lyle’s (who don’t currently take bookings) to Michelin starred Le Gavroche, Gymkhana and Kitchen Table at Bubbledogs. Revolutionary for Londoners everywhere! Certainly one of the most exciting apps I’ve heard of – a great idea. It wouldn’t have been made Shortlist’s app of the week had it not been truly superb.

Intrigued? Me too! So off we went for brunch with Uncover to find out more.

Blixen – just two weeks old, serves brunch from 9am until 2.30pm – firstly I’d never have known about it unless for Uncover. Handpicked and put through their paces, all of the restaurants listed on Uncover have to be top notch and impress the team with flying colours. Set opposite Spitalfields church and towards the back of Spitalfields market – trust me, Blixen’s set to be a new hot spot for East London foodies.

Scandi-themed with just simply beautiful decor (restaurant owner and designer, Justin – great guy! – gave us a tour of the downstairs bar area with private dining room space seating 20 people – giving us a great insight). Grab a pew at the open plan kitchen facing bar or perhaps snuggle away in a leather booth or ivy climbing over the wooden trellises above wooden benches.

We were one of the first to try out the new brunch menu. Wholeheartedly I can say it was great. The ambiance from the surroundings makes for a demure and elegant atmosphere plus the food was tip top. Being a lover of my nutribullet, I was expecting a little more from my Good Health green juice (green apple, celery, fennel, parsley and lemon; £4) – no unusual flavour, mainly apple with citrus notes, BUT who wants unusual for breakfast? It could all be a bit much.

 

One fabulous salt beef rosti with poached eggs and mustard hollandaise (£8.50) demolished within seconds – an interesting and modernised take on the breakfast classic, Eggs Benedict. My sweet tooth was tempted by the blueberry pancakes with cinnamon mascarpone and kumquat marmalade  but thought it best to save something for next time. I did however, have a bite of Amy’s baked eggs but wasn’t too keen on these – just too smoky with earthy BBQ flavours for me.

Like the other 20,000 early adopters, simply download the Uncover app for free from iTunes and you’ll be treated to gorgeous tile designs with luxurious images. Easy navigation will show an eight restaurant radius with the latest cancellations for the date selected and the team are working on searching by cuisine type and broadening their portfolio to include afternoon tea. A nice touch is the ability to favourite restaurants you’re keen to try and you can quickly check in to monitor availability. Easy as pie! Now all you’ve got to decide is where to go….

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