The Four Seasons Hotel in London has launched what is believed to be the capital’s first Michelin-starred breakfast, served at Pavyllon under chef Yannick Alléno. The five-course tasting menu costs £70 and is available from early morning, catering to early risers who might otherwise be a nuisance to society, according to restaurant critic Grace Dent.
Dent, a self-confessed member of the ‘5am Club’, praises the concept of containing energetic early birds in a genteel, pastel-shaded dining room with distractions such as lobster flatbread and a bespoke ‘amuse juice’. She notes that while the tasting menu is hard to book, similar dishes can be ordered from the à la carte breakfast menu without the detailed explanations.
The breakfast experience includes a voluptuously glossy pain au chocolat with upmarket jam, and eggs royale served on a very good English muffin with perfect hollandaise. A standout dish is the french toast, described as a ‘sublime flavour bomb of vanilla milky-egginess’ with a crunchy outer surface, served with citrus-infused whipped cream that Dent deems unnecessary.
Other options include eggs benedict or florentine, with optional 5g caviar for an extra £25, and a coconut-based chia pudding that Dent calls a ‘total delight’. However, she questions the chicken samosa special topped with fried egg and vermicelli, finding it ‘a tad heavy for so early in the morning’.
Dent concludes that while the breakfast is carb-based and ultra-filling, it may not set the day up for productivity. She suggests that the era of the big posh breakfast as a main event may be arriving, particularly as younger generations eschew alcohol and all-night parties.
