Reconfirming: The Best Breakfast You Can Have in Lebanon

Anthony's Restaurant Rating: 97/100 X

Welcoming:10/10 Menu Choices: 10/10 Food Presentation: 10/10

Food Temperature: 10/10 Food Taste: 19/20 Service: 10/10

Ambiance/Music: 10/10 Architecture/Interior: 9/10 Air Quality: 9/10

Total: 97/100

What a beautiful day. It’s 9am on this awesome sunny morning when we reached The Four Seasons hotel. With a big smile on her face, the hostess welcomed us in and said… “Good morning sir, the weather is beautiful, would you like to sit outside on the terrace?” It was a great choice sitting outside, enjoying a great breakfast while waking up to Beirut’s positive vibes.

Arrive at the Four Seasons facing the Zaytounay Bay and give your car to the professional valet. A smiling and attentive doorman will show you to the Grill Room, on the second floor.The gentle lady followed us to explain about the newly designed breakfast formula. I’m not sure why it was changed since it was perfect already, but then again, this only shows the brands professionalism and constant need to improve and perfect.The new breakfast formula includes a different set of starters that land on your table as you sit followed with a choice of fresh juices prepared on the spot. Inside, the buffet has been doubled with more fruits, more pastry items and more of everything.The concept is simple yet sophisticated:

Pay 58,000L.L all inclusive. Not a dime more
Choose any freshly squeezed drink you want
On the table an oriental tower is served (Labneh, cheese platter, mouhammara, freshly baked bread)
A plate of Lebanese baked pieces is served (zaatar, kechek, cheese, halloum)
Choose from a wide choice of 12 cooked plates: You can order all if you want
Plunge into the buffet

Firas approached us for the order. He explained each and every dish while we waited for coffee to be served. Joyfully enjoying his job, he out a smile on my face. That’s something I love at the Four Seasons: the staff is a representation of how Lebanese hospitality staff should be.Cheese Mankoushe, Zaatar, halloumi finger with sesame topping, spinach fatayer and kechek. All are excellent specially their soft dough which is filled with tasty ingredients: Zaatar manakish are exquisite. Next to that, on the three stories tower, is a plate of labneh balls, Brie, mshallaleh cheese and emmental. A mouthwatering plate of mouhammara and a last of fresh lemony labneh. To enjoy this unique selection, a basket of mini Lebanese bread that melt under your tee like butter.A breath of fresh air after the rain, a beautiful view of Beirut’s waterfront and and an outstanding breakfast… I wish it would never end.

The buffet:

19 buckets of fruits, fresh or cut in cubes
Milk and skimmed milk
9 choices of nuts
Honey and a selection of jams: 8 jars
Jars of Labneh in olive oil as well as cheese and special mixes
Green and black olives
Dried fruits of all kinds. 12 jars filled to top
Croissant, muffins and Danish pastry: cinnamon roll, chocolate cream cake, banana nuts muffin, blueberry muffin, raisin muffin
2 cakes
An interesting basket of bread with its innovative selection
Special yogurt mixes
A salad bar of many vegetables

Let’s indulge in some fine food:

The cheese croissant, its thin crispy layers, rich moist filling of white cheese is superb
The cheese croissant, its intense filling, lightly sweet aftertaste and perfectly baked puff pastry layers is succulent
The dried fruits bread is a basket of fruit in a bite: tiny bits of moist fruits hugging each other in a loaf of bread. mouthwatering!
The almond croissant is a must try
Chocolate roll dipped in sugar will make your heart skip a beat

The breakfast menu:

Eggs any style
Egg wi white omelet
Eggs Benedict
Steak and eggs
Lebanese style eggs (awar a, soujok, shakshouka)
Foul mdammas
Fattest hummus
Smoked salmon
Charcuterie
Oatmeal
Knefeh
French toast
Buttermilk pancakes
Belgian waffles

Yum! A must try:

Steak and eggs: on 120g of American prime beef, two sunny side up eggs lie majestically. A premium thin slice of tender meat with all its richness of flavors topped with two eggs. Look at the egg yolk flow around while you enjoy a bite after the other. Next to that, hash brown potato with Parmesan have an interesting crunchy texture and fine salty hints that tickle your taste buds. Don’t forget to plunge into the bowl of fried mushrooms. Lovely but the meat portion is too big for a breakfast.

The eggs Benedict didn’t leave their throne yet. Previously tasted and confirmed to be one of the best in town, this heavenly creation is still awesome. Two round English muffins topped with salmon and a poached egg on top while hollandaise sauce flows around. Two poached eggs served individually, each on a thick slice of smoked salmon overlaying an English muffin. Beautifully presented and simple, the eggs are half cooked and covered with a rich and tasty Hollandaise sauce. As soon as you cut into them, the egg yolk flows around making your eyes water.

Waffles: Four quarter circles of muffins thick, condensed and crunchy that need nothing else to be loved. A delicious light and airy creation where a bit of Nutella or maple syrup will only make things even more majestic. Firas came afterwards with a homemade caramel paste. Uf! Ouf! Waw! Excellent indeed.

The pain perdu: I’m not sure how should I express my disappointment… My disappointment for not being able to eat the best pain perdu in lebanon or was, with its orange couli and the second is to have to taste something not up to my expectations. A thick piece of bread left as is with its unpleasantly crunch border and stuffed with some dried oranges. A watery bread, not juicy but extremely water bread slacked with milk. I didn’t like it at all, not its taste, not its milk concentration, not its thick border… Would have preferred not to end this experience that way.

The new pastry chef, Mahmoud Abbas did create amazing and mouthwatering innovations following the steps of Charles Azar, Lebanon’s favorite pastry creator. I’ve had today an excellent croissant, delicious cakes, beautiful bites but unfortunately not my favorite of French toasts.This is what I call a five star hotel… Or a breakfast at a five stars hotel. For the same price paid at the others around, today’s experience was one of the best to date. Listening to the soothing musical background and enjoying the Mediterranean Sea view, time passed smoothly until lunch hours rang.To confirm, The Four Seasons still offers the best breakfast in Lebanon and a great price. All of the above, starters, a wide buffet, fresh juices, coffee and four different plates for only 58,000L.L all inclusive. An added 5,000L.L since last year that’s justified on all fronts… Except the valet parking who works as an exchange office. 100$ equals 147,000L.L. Your parking will cost you 13,000L.L.I’ll be back for more: try it you’ll understand.

PS: Cronuts are discontinued at The Four Seasons.