Fortnum & Mason was one of the place I wanted to visit, if we had the time. We found out that they have some restaurants and eateries in the inside, so we decided to go for a breakfast there. This way, we get to have some food and do the shopping later. Killing two birds at once (sorry birds!). They had a few options for food, but not many. Especially for breakfast, option was really limited. About the only option we had for a real, hot breakfast was at The Gallery. They were just a few steps up from the main floor.
At around 10am on Monday, the place was almost empty. It was a nice large space with plenty of seating. The staffs greeted us at the entrance, and we were seated immediately.
We ordered Café Latte (£3.95), while our friend went with Pumpkin Spice Latte (£4.45). They were strong with great aroma. Love that smell of fresh coffee in the morning… It had a nice, creamy foam with cute latte art.
For food, the breakfast menu was not large, and the other lunch offering starts at 11:30am. Even though the restaurant was nearly empty, and they had more than enough staffs standing around, they seem to be more interested in chatting with each other… We kept looking over to them, but no one came over. Eventually, I had to walk over to them and asked them to come and take our order. I expected better service from a restaurant inside the Fortnum & Mason…
Once I got one of the server to come over, we placed our order. I went with Chestnut Mushroom Omelette & Rocket (£10). Omelette was just a-ok. Mushrooms were plump, but didn’t have much flavor. Salad was fresh. Didn’t think the quality and flavor matched the price.
My hubby went with Highland Scramble (£15). Most of the menu had just the name of the dish, without any description of what they are. So it was not easy to decide what to order. We had to ask what they are when we were placing order. The egg was creamy and tasty, it was atop a slice of toast. It came with smoked salmon, and they were nice and thick, pretty good amount of salmon too.
We ordered a side order of Duo of Scones (£7.50), served with strawberry jam and clotted cream. It had a traditional scone, and another one with raisins. They were a-ok, nothing special…
Our friend ordered Crushed Avocado, Chilli, and Poached Egg on Toast (£9.50). It was a-ok, nothing too special about it either…
The bathroom is in the back, clean, large, and organized. A nice size for a large restaurant, if it ever gets packed.
After we finished, it took us a while to get the bill. It was not easy to get attention from any servers there. None of them came to check on us during our breakfast, and none them came to ask if we are ready for check. Overall, it was a disappointing experience. I thought a nice restaurant inside Fortnum & Mason will have higher standards in both food and service. The service was almost non-existence, and food was just a-ok. A good thing the rest of the store is pretty amazing and fun. A nice place to pick up some gifts for sure, but I don’t think I will return to dine here again.
The Gallery at Fortnum & Mason – 181, Piccadilly, London, United Kingdom