Breakfast at Pavyllon, London W1: does fine dining wait for lunch?

The Four Seasons has introduced what it bills as London’s first Michelin-starred breakfast: a five-course tasting menu at a counter in a pastel dining room, priced at £70. If you can’t get a counter booking you can still order much of the same food from the regular breakfast menu, only without the full commentary.

Chef Yannick Alléno’s early service includes dishes such as lobster flatbread and a bespoke “amuse juice”. Service runs like clockwork: coats are taken, a stool is produced for handbags and tea or juice is quickly provided. A glossy pain au chocolat with a tiny jar of Maison Laurino jam opens the meal; the pastry is pleasing rather than revelatory.

Eggs royale arrive heroically oozy on a very good English muffin with perfect hollandaise and an optional 5g caviar upgrade for an extra £25. Other dishes include a coconut-based mango chia pudding that proves delightful and a chicken samosa special topped with a fried egg and a peak of fried vermicelli, which felt a little heavy for the hour.

United Kingdom, London W1

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