Today the Breakfast venue is Browns. Arguably, the first hotel in London, established in 1837, the website says that this five star establishment welcomes guests that are ‘in the know’. I have no idea what that means, so I must be completely clueless. Armed with that knowledge, I’m expecting to be greeted by a doorman extending a hand for some secret handshake, or worse expecting me to deliver a password, the failure to deliver either resulting in me being thrown out onto the street. Disappointingly, I’m asked for neither, and am shown to the Hix restaurant.
I’d describe the decor as corporate dining chic. Wood panneling, crisp white table cloths, with potraits and other art works adorning the walls, and olive green upholstery. It’s a long, light room and gives a feeling of space and openness.
I’m asked promptly if I desire drinks and ask for a cappuccino and grapefruit juice, in the absence of being offered anything more exotic. The breakfast menu is as extensive as you’d expect from a five star hotel. I regularly avoid buffet breakfasts, and there is one here which looks extensive and varied. I happen to notice an addition not listed on the website menu and decide to choose it: Poached Eggs on Mushroom.
Within a reasonable amount of time, the plate arrives. It looks very appetising, two portabello mushrooms large enough to support two poached eggs, with a reasonable amount of hollandaise sauce. Gliding the knife through it all, it reveals two medium cooked eggs, with nice runny yolks and firm, but well cooked mushrooms. All nicely put together, and well cooked, but I’m just a little disappointed. For some reason I had assume the strap line of green herbs referred to a herb butter, but in fact it was a herb crust. As the egg sat on top of the crust, it went slightly soggy, and the flavour, though nicely cooked didn’t seem to marry well. The combination particularly of the herb crust and hollandaise seemed quite alien to my tastebuds when combined with mushroom and egg – all the textures were too soft.
The room is comfortable and the service is discreet, but I struggle to make sense of how I feel about it. The food was well prepared and cooked, but I need more texture in my breakfast. I decide I’m not a fan of herb crusted mushrooms which taste too… green… I don’t believe I’m gifted with synesthesia, so on a scale of 1 to 10, I give this a purple.
