A luxurious breakfast at The Lanesborough

When I walked into Céleste at The Lanesborough I was so wowed by the interiors that I couldn’t stop staring at the walls. The ornate details, the classy chandeliers and the grandeur absolutely took my breath away. It was the most magical venue for a long overdue catch up with a dear blogger friend over breakfast.

My friend’s blog name is Planes and Champagne so of course we had to have some Champagne to kick off our breakfast date. The charming waiter brought over a bottle of Tattinger and patiently waited whilst we took our various photos of him pouring 😉

Toasting to fond memories and exciting times ahead we excitedly caught up on all of Maggie’s travels and adventures and my transition in the months to come from a banker to a blogger. The dining room was magnificent and perfect and just the right amount of opulence to avoid being gaudy.

To re-hydrate whilst we sipped on our bubbly we both ordered fresh juices. Maggie went for Carrot juice whilst I went for Grapefruit juice. They were so refreshing and delicious.

The breakfast menu is incredible and I was torn between Truffled Scrambled Eggs or Boiled Eggs with soldiers and decided on the latter as if you know me you know that what I call “Dippy Eggs” are my absolute breakfast favourite.

The presentation was absolutely adorable and I had ordered a side of sauteed potatoes and Avocado, which were seasoned with a little bit of chilli.

I love and constantly need coffee so I also had a Cappuccino for the caffeine hit.

Maggie opted for the Lanesborough breakfast and for her eggs she went for Eggs Benedict after being stuck between getting poached or the former.

I loved the simple yet elegant presentation with the garnish of the vine tomatoes. I did have a little envy as I do love Egg Benedict!

To accompany our breakfast choices we had a basket of various breads and pastries which were freshly baked and all so heavenly. Out of sight in this basket was a pastry topped with fruits which Maggie and I shared which was absolutely divine.

Our breakfast was superb and the service was exceptional. Our waiter was even worried that my cappuccino was getting cold and offered to get me a new fresh one but I had to admit that I am one of those people who wait till their coffee is luke warm before downing it.

The choices are on the high end/pricier side but the location, service, choices make it a wonderful venue to toast to a special occasion or for a lovely treat. I absolutely adored every single moment we spent there and definitely want to come back to try some more dishes. The hotel itself is absolutely beautiful and the definition of luxury!

If you are looking for a fabulous breakfast venue I highly recommend Céleste at The Lanesborough.

The Lanesborough can be found at Hyde Park Corner, Belgravia, London SW1X 7TA. Exit 4 of Hyde Park corner tube station is the closest.

 

Cocktails at Bar Boulud at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

Located at one of the most enviable addresses in Knightsbridge, the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park is home to Daniel Boulud’s French Bistro style bar and restaurant, Bar Boulud. He also has venues in New York and Boston.

Now the Mandarin Oriental has some fond memories for me as when Amit and I were in the early stages of our relationship we decided to spend one new year’s eve celebration there and it was a truly luxurious experience! Sadly this was well before I started my blog so I didn’t even think to take room photos at the time. We had such a stunning room and we stayed hydrated with a bottle of chilled champagne and were snug from the freezing temperatures outside. It was truly marvellous.

Knightsbridge, I find, no matter what time of day it is, always seems to be busy with tourists, either keen to shop or window shop at some of the finest stores in the vicinity. Bar Boulud, as we discovered, is an amazing sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of the mad rush outside and we felt relaxed the moment we stepped in. We had decided to have drinks there before moving on elsewhere in Knightsbridge for dinner. It is rare we get to spend a weekday evening out together so it was fabulous.

Greeted with welcoming smiles and friendly hosts, we were shown to our table with swift service and given the cocktail and wine menu to peer through. We weren’t pressured for time at all and loved the ambience, as well as the fact that it was so spacious and that I could see the bar and watch the bartenders mixing drinks and theatrically shaking cocktail shakers.

Now the signature cocktail at Bar Boulud is the White Cosmopolitan, which is served with white grape juice in lieu of cranberry juice. It is rather special as it also comes with a flower frozen in a floating ice ball. I didn’t personally order this but had drink envy at a neighbouring table who had ordered it! I had a good reason not to on this occasion because there was also Champagne Mojito on the menu which is what I went for! I will try the White Cosmopolitan when I next visit the bar.

The Champagne Mojito was utterly delicious and I usually prefer my Mojitos classic but the addition of champagne just made it that much more special. It was a lovely drink and I would definitely be back for it! Chairman’s reserve rum was the base rum used for this cocktail alongside the usual mint leaves, lime, soda water and for that extra sparkle, champagne.

Amit had wanted a more manly drink so he chose a Venezuelan Old Fashioned, which was really well mixed and tasted so good! This was a blend of Diplomatico reserve rum, averna chocolate bitters, orange bitters and demerara sugar. We both somehow ended up having rum based cocktails so we are definitely a match made in heaven 😉

The drinks were excellent, as was the service. The restaurant is adjacent to the bar so we could see the various dishes heading towards the eager and excited diners as well as catch their aroma, which made us want to come back on a different day for dinner to try the food as it smelt really good.

Bar Boulud is an ideal place to catch up with friends or work colleagues or to relax after a day of shopping or battling the crowds outside. It is also lovely for a date night as we found. If you happen to be in the area you really have no excuse not to drop in for a tipple.

The venue is gorgeous and the drinks are really good. Both the wine and cocktail menu are extensive and the service is excellent. I had a superb time at Bar Boulud and will definitely be back. Thanks for having us!

For more information on Bar Boulud visit their website here.