The description on Alistair Sawday’s website for 22 York Street, London captured the style and ambience of this Georgian style Bed and Breakfast. Mr and Mrs Callis’s theatrical appearance at breakfast was as good as any west end production; animated conversation ensued between guests assembled around the large curved table.
Two friendly waitresses were on hand to make toast and top up our cups with steaming hot coffee. But while the stage was set and the drama of breakfast unfolded I caught myself wondering ‘what on earth am I going to eat?’ We welcomed the continental style breakfast but where was the good quality bread? Perhaps a crusty, rustic loaf to slice with the cheese I carved from the solitary wedge of cheddar in the centre of the table. There are so many good bakeries in Marylebone it is unbelievable our hosts did not think to arrange a loaf or two from the nearby La Fromagerie for example. Instead we had standard, sliced brown or white.
Where was the fruit? Just a bowl of bananas - which I love - but a choice of fruit would have been welcomed. The only fruit juice offered was standard orange.
Then there were trays of tired, greasy croissants, and Danish pastries. None of the guests went within a centimetre of the Danish pastries. ‘There must be so much wasted food here’ I thought. Is flagrant food waste good practice?
Had the proprietors tasted the muesli recently? (I love good muesli.) It had too much added sugar and dried milk. Dandruff like flakes of indistinguishable cereal floated in the milk. Oh dear! I became desperate for something, tasty, fresh, wholesome and sustaining to set me up for my day in London.
I think it was particularly galling to hear the proprietors almost boasting about their other establishments in France and Switzerland - surely they know from these countries what counts as a good quality continental breakfast?
In case you think I am being particularly critical we stayed recently at another Alistair Sawday recommended London B&B - 66 Camden Square - here the continental breakfast was superb. Benchmarking breakfast at 22 York Street against 66 Camden Square would give it just 3 out of 10.
My top tip for York Street would be to improve the quality of produce e.g. crusty rustic loaves, a selection of fresh fruit and fruit juice, better quality organic cereals, a wider range of better jams and some better quality cheese or ham and cut down on the quantity. There is only so much one can eat at breakfast.