Le Pain Quotidien, Festival Hall, London SE1 8XX 

I used to travel a lot, regularly staying over 200 nights a year in hotels.  There are always lots of bars and restaurants to visit in the evenings but you always tend to do breakfast in the hotel, and I can tell you, they are all the same and rarely anything to write home about.  Still, had fun once in the kitchen teaching the chef how to make a poached egg.  They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day – so I’m not sure why there are not more places doing good food in interesting settings.

I recently came across an interesting restaurant that has opened up next to the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, London called Le Pain Quotidien .  It has a very continental style both in décor (some large pine tables for communal eating and plenty of cosy tables for individual dining) and the menu (continental pastries, cheese, ham and preserves).  There is a very typical French style counter where you can buy your breads and little Sunday treats to take home to your mum.   Sorry - no great British cooked breakfasts available here.

The menu has a good selection of teas, coffees and fresh juices.  Don’t expect to drink out of a fine china cup, because you will be given a traditional French style bowl.  It was nice to be able to order a coffee without needing a translation of the myriad of options you see in the high street coffee shops.  My regular order is a small fresh fruit salad and a pain au chocolate and a pot of coffee.  The food arrives presented on small glazed ceramic paddles from which you then eat.  The quality of the food is truly excellent with everything prepared fresh at is should be.  They have an excellent basket of breads and I’m looking forward to trying the boiled egg on my next visit.  The orange juice is freshly squeezed and the fruit salad combination changes with the seasons.

You will find that this is a great place to relax, read the paper or catch up on the events of the previous night with your friends and do a little people watching.  The service is prompt and if you have and problems (the tea was not great tasting on my last visit) they are only too happy to make amends.  All in all a great place to start the day!  Plus – they have free wireless.  They also do lunches.  Ah, one other thing, incredibly, this is a chain with some 60 outlets across the word.  Just hope they are all as good as the South Bank branch.

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