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Light music playing in the background, soothing rays of sun coming from the horizon, a relaxing view of the beautiful Mediterranean and a great looking buffet... I sat for the breakfast experience at Lancaster on Bay, the newest hotel to open in Beirut on Lebanon’s famous “Ramlet el Bayda.” The food experience was memorable, but can’t dame the same about the hotel.
Arrive at a valet parking that was sleeping in the car. No welcoming, no professionalism and nothing that makes you feel at five stars; for me, a Five Star hotel needs a valet service of its own, someone to open the door and ask you for help and support. I waked in and started taking pictures without any interaction with the staff.
Arriving at a big well lit space, I presumed it was the breakfast restaurant. Two waiters, non-trained waiters, looking at each other didn’t invite me to sit, didn’t ask me for coffee and didn’t even smile making it easier for me to take photos -considering they should have been trained to make things perfect!
The food changed the perspective! The Lancaster has some amazing things cooking!
After an intensive photoshoot of a beautiful buffet, I sat and awaited to be served. Black coffee and plates loaded with colorful creations.
On the buffet, beautifully set plates on wooden plates, cakes, and croissants, cheese, and salmon, things produced in-house. Food is excellent, and the chef deserves recognition! Buttery croissants, dozens of layers of puff pastry layers, aromatic notes of French savoir-faire.
The pain perdu is a must try! Amazingly loaded with milk and butter, caramelized on top and a scoop of ice cream. I loved it, the textures, the crunchy caramel, the milky heart of this ring looking like a donut. Scrambled eggs, sunny side up and eggs Benedict. The eggs Benedict look nice, tiny little-poached eggs topped with smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce -that’s too heavy for me.
Now the salmon and turkey: smoked in-house, the salmon, and the turkey have that strong smokiness that kicks up to your head. Oily, fatty, smooth and flavorful.
Now dessert, a section that deserves a paragraph of its own because the chef is professional: very good food, pieces of art, beautifully decorated and produced with love. Coconut Vacherin with ice cream and meringue, a bed of crunchy crumbles and pan-fried pineapple. Light-bodied cream, crunchy meringue sticks, and juicy pineapples. The forêt noir is black indeed! Dark chocolate cream with layers of whipped cream topped with cherry coulis. Inside comes a condensed chocolate cake that melts under the teeth like butter.
The croissants: again, the chocolate, the plane and cheese, all excellent!
With that, I received a plate of chocolates, carefully hand painted by the pastry chef. OMG! My heart just skipped a beat...
Great food is served here, and the service that’s being improved by the minute. Open for the last month; The Lancaster Eden Bay is a new luxury destination in Beirut you can visit for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
