It was a Saturday morning when we headed into Teddington, although we live relatively close we very rarely go down there. We were house hunting in the area and had a gap between viewings that we were trying to fill. Teddington High Street has a nice feel to it and in contrast with Richmond it does not seem to be dominated by chains. We scouted up and down, debating where to stop for brunch and there were quite a few places that looked really nice and welcoming – I certainly don’t remember Teddington having so many lovely little cafés/delis last time I went.

We settled for Girasole which looked very pleasant and had a warm and welcoming atmosphere. We sat by the counter, as I wanted to take photos of their cakes and pastries, which looked seriously tempting. I was testing my brothers Sony DSLR camera to see whether, now that I need to take nice photos for the blog, I should invest in one myself.

We both ordered the same, scrambled eggs on toast with Italian pancetta – I added some avocado to mine. I am not sure if eggs and avocado are a big trend, they must be as you see them everywhere, but I have loved that combination for a few years now, especially since my visit to California in 2013. Of course you cannot have eggs and avocado without Tabasco! The staff were very friendly and accommodating – they were all Italian as you could hear them talking in Italian to each other.

The food was very tasty and nicely cooked, especially the Italian pancetta which was rolled with spices and herbs in the middle that gave it a rich flavour. It was a shame that K found a small piece of cling film on hers and I had a bit of string, obviously used to roll the pancetta, non the less the food tasted great and I will definitely go back. Although we didn’t put an offer on any of the houses we went to see in Teddington, so it’s not destined to be our local, which is a shame.

Girasole is definitely a place to visit for breakfast or brunch if you live in the area, although I haven’t tried their lunch menu, and it is reasonably priced. It’s a busy place though so don’t leave it too late to get a seat, which seemed to be filled with regular customers as they all knew the staff, which is a good sign of a good place.

What an absolutely fantastic gem of a restaurant. Visited with my partner on Saturday lunchtime and we both had the wild boar pasta. So authentic, so delicious. The deserts are out of this world. The staff are both extremely professional and personable. I would highly recommend eating here and enjoying the wonderful experience.