I Tried London’s First Michelin Star Breakfast Tasting Menu

Where do you head for your special occasion breakfast? Maybe you opt for one of London’s swankiest hotels, where the breakfasts are always an elegant yet bountiful affair. Or maybe you’re clued into the city’s very best breakfast spots, from health-conscious outposts to eggs served in art-filled dining rooms.

Here’s the place that needs to be on your bucketlist: Pavyllon, renowned chef Yannick Alléno’s Michelin-starred London restaurant, nestled inside the opulent Four Seasons Park Lane. In line with many of the city’s more ambitious Michelin starred spots like HIDE, Fallow and The Goring, Pavyllon has long offered a comprehensive breakfast menu, spanning platters, Turkish eggs, flatbreads, waffles and plenty more. But now the restaurant is taking things up a notch by offering a breakfast tasting menu: a five course taste of Pavyllon’s very best breakfast dishes, complete with a drinks pairing.

Pavyllon Restaurant

With the final sitting at 10.15am, don’t be mistaken: this is firmly breakfast, not brunch. Under the guidance of Alléno, the whole thing was created by executive chef Benjamin Ferra Y Castell, and comprises two cold and three hot dishes. It’s perhaps worth noting that the breakfast tasting menu doesn’t reinvent the wheel – rather, these are tried and true dishes done exceptionally well.

Arriving at Pavyllon in the spring sun is a treat, and the dining room benefits from light spilling through its large windows. The experience is served exclusively at the counter, a great place for people watching, especially if you snag a corner spot. A front row seat to the open kitchen, the best people to watch, of course, are the chefs, each working away meticulously on their own portion of the production line. One person mans the poached eggs, another the French toast, another the uber delicate plating, and so on. It’s a mesmerising watch.

The seasonal pastry

The first course is seasonal viennoiserie: a selection of pastries, including a small baguette, a croissant, a pain au chocolat and a seasonal option. I opted for a delicious strawberry and almond creation, with buttery flaky pastry.

Next is the first hot course, paired with the pleasingly named amuse juice: a light-as-air flatbread piled with unctuous lobster and topped with rocket and parmesan, which would prove to be my favourite course. Then back to cold in a routine that stops the experience feeling too heavy; this time, choose between fruity yoghurt and granola or tasty chia pudding with coconut milk, washed down with a green juice shot.

The lobster flatbread

Then back to hot: choose between Eggs Benedict, Eggs Royale or Eggs Florentine, all perfectly crafted and topped with a generous dollop of hollandaise – or choose the chef’s special, which for us was a light croissant-bagel hybrid filled with smoked salmon, cream cheese and an egg frittata. Paired with a non-alcoholic kir royale, this is about when you start to feel full – but there’s still an indulgent French Toast course ahead. Topped only with a dollop of fruity cream, this melt-in-the-mouth moment with its caramelly edges and paper-thin crust makes for the perfect ending.

A lengthy affair, the experience is only available at the weekend – and tables are snapped up weeks ahead, so make sure you lock in your special occasion in advance. While you’re there, you can also add on coffees and teas – or some champagne if you’re feeling special.

C&TH Key Notes

• Table To Book: Breakfast is served exclusively at the counter, giving everyone a front row seat to the magic.
• Time To Go: This is one for the early birds, with the last sitting at 10.15am. For the full atmosphere, book around 9am.
• Occasion To Celebrate: Duos benefit most from the counter seating set-up; this is a prime way to kick off a day of anniversary or birthday celebrations.
• Don’t Miss: The drinks pairing, a playful addition taking all the thoughtfulness up a notch.

BOOK IT

Pavyllon London’s Breakfast Tasting Menu is available at weekends, served from 6.30am on Saturdays and from 7am Sundays. Last sitting at 10.15am. It is priced at £70pp + £20pp for the drinks pairing.

Address: Hamilton Pl, London W1J 7DR

BOOK IT