Liquid Brunch at Proof°

I always think Sundays are what you make of them. You can choose to wallow in a pit of hangover, self-pity and dread about going to work the next day, or you can go out there and make the most of your last day of freedom in the weekend. A lot can be achieved on a Sunday, and it is with that in mind that we made our way down to Proof° the other Sunday brunchtime following an invite from Linda, the deputy manager. Proof° also want you to make the most of your Sundays (and Saturdays) and as such have launched a new 'Liquid Brunch Weekender' menu of filled bagels, oysters and amazing hair-of-the-dog cocktails. We really were excited to try it all (with our brunch partners for the day - the lovely Manchester Foodies and Lady Sybil) as it sounded delicious and indeed the perfect antidote to a night of boozing.

We started off with a round of cocktails and boy were these good. Predictably it had to be the Brunch Martini for me (they had me at 'marmalade') - a tangy, bitter number capable of waking up even the most hungover of tastebuds.

Bailey's Beet 'n' Bloody was a mammoth-sized tequila, beetroot spicy treat which is not only a good concoction to clean the beer fuzz out of your mouth, but also provides you with one of your five-a-day. Perfect.

Over the course of the visit we also tried a Holy Guacamole (creamy avocado goodness), a Morning Star Chelada (Estrella Damm based cocktail served with or without raw egg) and a Bright & Breezy (grapefruit tastic) - a very impressive selection and all delicious. Cocktails at Proof° really are a treat and this is the strength of the menu.

Holy Guacamole - I don't recommend munching the bird's eye chilli like I did

Food is simple but done well. I tried the Piscivore - a gorgeous light Barbakan poppy seed bagel filled with generous portions of smoked salmon and cream cheese with a bit of rocket, lemon and chives. I also loved the little pot of salsa you got to go with some crunchy tortilla chips that were served on the side. Lovely.

Bailey's Carnivore bagel was filled with dry cured streaky bacon, sun-blushed tomatoes, rocket and mayo. The bacon was bang on, so crispy and straight you could use it as a spirit level, making for a great sarnie.

Finally we were brought over a tray of fresh oysters and how could I say no? I'd never actually eaten a raw oyster so this was a first for me.

Initially I wasn't sure about the idea of oysters appearing on a liquid brunch menu - I'd have thought that on an intense hangover these bad boys could tip you over the edge. Fortunately this wasn't the case - my oyster was lovely and the Tabasco I liberally sprinkled mine with was just the ticket.

So a big thankyou to Proof° for inviting us in to try out their new menu, we have two enthusiastic thumbs up to give them for their Liquid Brunch. I should mention that the brunch is rather reasonably priced at a tenner for a bagel and a cocktail. The idea is splendid and I can't think of anywhere else doing anything like it; we recommend you go and let them clear your fuzzy heads. In our case it worked a little too well by not only curing our hangovers, but setting us up to spend the rest of the afternoon in the pub. Now that's what I call making the most of a Sunday.