The Seven Dials Brings Traditional English Breakfast to Coral Gables

Two years ago, the Seven Dials quietly opened on a residential side street in Coral Gables. It didn't take long for the quaint gastropub, helmed by London-born chef/owner Andrew Gilbert, to become a neighborhood gem. The restaurant is finally jumping on the brunch bandwagon and will open its doors late Sunday morning to offer the weekend meal.

Instead of Benedicts and pancakes, the Seven Dials is sticking to its roots. Find the age-old English breakfast feast on the menu, along with a smattering of other breakfast-and-lunch combination goodies with a classic pub twist. Many of the eatery's ingredients are sourced locally, which means brunchers can snag eggs from Sun Fresh Farm & Ranch in Davie, sausages from Proper Sausages in Miami Shores, and bread from Wynwood's Zak the Baker.

When New Times was invited for a taste this past Sunday, Emmy-winning comedian and TV host Jimmy Kimmel was spotted dining at a nearby table with a few guests, munching on nearly every dish on the menu. It's uncertain whether he enjoyed the restaurant's fare, but his nearly cleared plates indicate he did.
For starters, consider an order of the house-made banana bread ($7). Two thick pieces of sweet bread are served with sliced fresh banana and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. It's served with creamy butter and a smear of jelly.
Continue with a sweet and savory plate. Choose between the French omelet ($13), oozing with truffle and Toscano cheese and topped with crunchy shoestring fries, and the bacon-pineapple French toast ($14), where two airy slices are topped with bacon strips and pineapple chunks. Vermont maple syrup is poured throughout, adding an extra-sweet tang.
If you have room, squeeze in an order of the kedgeree scramble ($14), a dish native to India that blends rice, lentils, onions, and eggs. The Seven Dials' version is mixed with St. James smoked salmon, shrimp, peas, and basmati rice.
For the entrée, the decision is simple: Go for the full English ($20). The mammoth plate features sausages from Proper Sausages, fat-streaked bacon, two fried eggs, roasted tomato, a large scoop of baked beans, mushrooms, home fries, fried bread, and Zak the Baker toast coated with butter. Add black pudding — a European-style blood sausage — for $3 extra. Either way, it's more than enough to fill two diners.