Colourful and quirky, perched unmissably on a corner, Cheeky Chicos stands out among the bougie matte-chrome and glass, ethically-sourced coffee establishments that dominate the rest of St John’s Hill.
The interior is classic London pub meets rustic Mexican cantina – the walls are adorned with colourful tiles, Frieda Khalo and even a fabulously kitsch shrine to the Virgin Mary.
Someone who certainly isn’t a virgin but is a bit of a Mary (the joke was there so we went for it) is internationally ignored drag star Vanity von Glow. On select Sundays she picks herself up off her bedroom floor, or blearily orders an Uber straight from a rave in Tottenham, and scuttles into Chicos for one of their raucous drag brunches.
Last week’s was sold out, a testament not only to the attractiveness and location of Chicos, but to the ever-burgeoning and seemingly invincible popularity of the drag brunch, millennials’ newest medium for staving off both hunger and post-Saturday night serotonin deficiencies.
As Vanity launches into the hits of her fave divas like Celina, Madonna and Lana Del Rey, diners tuck into a selection of Mexican fusion dishes, plus a whole hour of bottomless mimosas.
The menu is brave and punchy – British brunch classics smashed together with Mexican delicacies, with a startling and pallet-stunning effect. We went for smashed avocado on poached eggs, which came on a formidable doorstop-sized slab of sourdough bread, with lashings of chilli, garlic and lime juice; insanely indulgent fried chicken tacos with black truffle mac and cheese; and one of their trademark dishes, “Cheeky Baked Eggs” – an irrisistable mish-mash of eggs, chorizo, and black beans.
With charming staff and an equally charming atmosphere, Cheeky Chicos is the perfect antidote to a heavy weekend or general 2019 ennui. Just don’t turn your back on Vanity Von Glow, she’ll knick yer guacamole!
Cheeky Chicos is at 126 St John’s Hill, SW11 1SL. Their next Drag Brunch is on Sunday 1st December. For more info and menus, head to their website.
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