You will never see a San Franciscan turn down the opportunity to enjoy a great brunch. On any given Sunday, in every neighborhood, there are one or two sections of sidewalk teeming with pedestrians, strollers and dogs. These hungry hordes will wait two hours to share a small table in a crowded restaurant—all this fuss for the same old basic brunch?
We say skip the crowded streets and head over to the Inner Sunset to enjoy one of the best brunch spots in the city, LaLe. Named after the Turkish word for tulip, LaLe owner Suzan Sarikurt draws from her Turkish-American heritage to create unique Mediterranean twists on American breakfast classics. Once seated at your table, you’ll notice the tulip influence goes beyond this restaurant’s name, with tulip wallpaper stretching towards their high rounded wood ceiling. In the far back of the restaurant, a large oven is concealed behind exposed brick, where homemade English muffins are baked daily, along with homemade jams and jellies.
Each item on LaLe’s brunch menu is inspired and named after different locations around the world. With scrambles, benedictions and more, choosing just one to enjoy will be the hardest decision you’ll make all weekend. From the Napa vegetarian scramble, to their Jerusalem corned beef hash eggs Benedict, there is something for every brunch goer.
The crowd favorite at LaLe is the ricotta stuffed French toast, so if you make your way to 731 Irving St., make sure at least one person in your party orders it. Served with fresh seasonal fruit, a generous portion of their famous orange butter, and a heated ramekin of maple syrup; this is one breakfast that will satiate even the biggest sweet tooth.
Oh and did we mention they serve orange and pomegranate mimosas?
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner stop by LaLe at 731 Irving St. Monday – Sunday; and Friday – Sunday for dinner.
