A Love Letter To The Best Avocado Toast I’ve Ever Had

Avocado toast. The millennial cliché, the reason I can’t afford a house, the blogger trend that probably peaked around 2017 that I’m still writing about.

In a year where we’ve all craved comfort more than usual, I’m sure most of us have felt drawn towards the food that makes us feel more ourselves. The warming recipes, the easy-to-devour dishes, the tastes that remind us of magical times and special occasions.

For me, the often-maligned avocado on toast reminds me of fancy lunches with friends, Sundays spent laughing and drinking at bottomless brunches, and a fancy way to nurse the previous night’s hangover. It’s become a nostalgic dish, that harks back to better times and reminds me that there’s still enjoyment out there in the world. A plate of crushed avocado piled high on sourdough toast still feels like an indulgence.

This is my love letter to avocado on toast, and a very important sharing of the greatest avo toast I’ve ever had on my plate.

Back in October, I visited my old uni town of Portsmouth, for a weekend of revisiting old haunts – and discovering some new gems, too. On a rainy Sunday, we booked in for weekend brunch at Beckett’s in Southsea, on a whim.

Beckett’s hotel and restaurant is housed within two Grade II listed buildings, close to Southsea seafront. In the restaurant, they offer dinner, weekend brunch and Sunday lunch menus. The dining room itself is contemporary, yet homely, with plenty of natural light. With the rain pattering down on the vast skylights above, it’s the perfect cosy spot to enjoy delicious comfort food in.

Speaking of food – head chef Jack previously spent time at Noma, the second best restaurant in the world, and his inventive and thoughtful approach to recipe design shows even in the simplest of breakfast dishes.

The Beckett’s Crushed Avo & Eggs dish sees the crushed avo served up on toast, with two poached eggs, chimichurri, fresh lime, multi seed mix. And it tastes as beautiful as it looks.

Previously, I’ve had some pretty good avocado toast – but it’s always stuck to the simple formula of lemon and chilli flakes. The addition of the chimichurri and multiseed mix in the Beckett’s avo dish works incredibly and adds a whole new flavour palette and new texture to the millennial fave. The avocado itself was fresh and smooth, with the sourdough toasted to perfection.

If you’ve managed to get this far into the post and still aren’t convinced to jump on the avo toast train, Beckett’s have plenty of other classic breakfast dishes to entice you. I tried a mouthful of the Eggs Benedict, which was delicious, and there’s also options for a Full English, Granola Bowl, waffles and pancakes.

The Avocado & Egg on Toast at Beckett’s costs £8.50, or £6.50 if you make it vegan and go without the egg. It’s an absolute must try if you’re in Portsmouth, and just thinking about it makes me feel all warm and cosy all over again.