BAR bosses here believe their brunch is the city's best.

The team behind XOXO have turned the Bedford Place venue into a top brunch spot since opening 18 months ago.

And when your brunch business is thriving, you don't have to worry quite as much about the Government imposed 10pm curfew currently in force.

Customers flock to the brunch destination come cocktail bar for their pancakes, breakfasts, bacon and eggs and avocado toast, all using locally sourced ingredients. The vegan options are also particularly popular.

Bottomless brunches, which involve a brunch dish and as many frozen margaritas, Frosés, bottled beers and Proseccos as you can manage in two hours, have been going down a storm, particularly now clients have to make sure they drink up by 10pm in line with current coronavirus restrictions.

The secret of XOXO's success seems to be its mass appeal. Their other big seller is the two for the price of one cocktail hour, which runs from 4pm to 9pm on weekdays.

Director Tom Dyer told the Daily Echo: "Our brunch is the best there is and it really is going from strength to strength.

"The all day thing works well. We're busy at 9am and we're busy all the way through. We cross over from coffee shop to cocktail bar. They're very different markets, but we try to do each of those things really well. There are some people who use it as a pub and come in for a pint and others who enjoy the breakfast menu. We're aiming to do lots of things really well.

"We try to create an environment people want to stay in and we have a really strong team."

Their enforced coronavirus closure was a chance to take stock for the directors of the business and they're now keen to expand.

A new venue, on Brighton's bustling Prince Albert Street, is set to open in November and will be the first of three or four expected XOXO launches in the next year.

The Southampton site, which is in the characterful building on the corner of Carlton Place previously occupied by bars like Yuzu Lounge and The Green House, will take full advantage of the pedestrianisation of Bedford Place by expanding its outdoor seating offering to seating for around 100 next summer.

To nominate your local for our Pub of the Week slot, visit dailyecho.co.uk/pub-of-the-week, email lorelei.reddin@dailyecho.co.uk or call 023 8042 4711.