When a place opens at 9 am, and you arrive at it at 09:20 fully loaded, it surely means something. HollyBelly is an Australian concept open from 2013 and still kicking strong around Paris. It’s not in the center, a twenty-minute drive away but worth the road trip to. It’s a blend of several cultures in one. From the streets of San Francisco to the beaches of Miami and the business corners of New York comes HollyBelly! Wood, greenery, leather, light, fun, and happiness is what this place is all about. Breakfast is served as of 9 am proposing a selection of pancakes, chia pudding, housemade granola, and bread. Two eggs and a handful of sides.
The good and the bad: Waiters speak English, the vibes are nice on a Sunday morning, but I believe space contains more tables than it should, making it hard for staff to walk around.
Seeing plates land on the neighboring tables made my mouth water. Huge plates loaded with colorful ingredients. A mountain of scrambled eggs, American-style pancakes, and eggs, colorful chia and granola cups... I was excited to see my plates!
I loved the pancakes and eggs with maple syrup. Sweet and savory in every bite, the pancakes are spongy, and airy topped with two sunny-side-up eggs and drizzles with maple syrup. I loved the combination of flavors and textures in one plate. Excellent bacon the American way!
Two poached eggs, a round shaped sausage and hash browns with the needed quantity of salt and pepper; yummy!
Pork belly sandwich comes with thick -very thick- handout fries loaded with salt. The sandwich is juicy, flavorful, innovative, created with love but unfortunately too salty to be enjoyed.
I loved the granola with yogurt and fruits! It’s so healthy and so balanced probably needing a drizzle of honey on top to perfect it. Chocolate cake on another hand is a bit dry, needs to be spongier and the chocolate more intense, the cream on top is too buttery.
Good food, happy people but slow service... an enjoyable breakfast; minor tweaks, here and there for the experience to be perfect.
