The chef himself at the entrance to the Pastry Lab.
What do we need to know about this new patisserie?
We should start with what a big deal Cedric is. He's often described as the best pastry chef in the world which, as you might imagine, isn't a title lightly bestowed.
In France, he's the executive pastry chef at Le Meurice in Paris and he also has a patisserie in the 9th arrondissement where he sells his famous trompe-l'oeil fruit and flower cakes. His arrival in London marks the first time he's opened anywhere outside France.
Where exactly is the new place?
You'll find the patisserie in The Berkeley in Knightsbridge alongside the hotel's new addition, The Berkeley Café. You can enter through the hotel entrance (the cafe and patisserie are off to the left of the lobby) or through a new entrance created on Knightsbridge.
Is it eat-in only or can you grab something to go?
You can definitely come in to buy one of the amazing pastries to go but when there are so many experiences to let you enjoy the patisserie inside, you might prefer to treat yourself with one of those.
There's also a 'gouter' or snacking menu with an a la carte option or a £90 tasting menu. That includes a dish exclusive to The Berkeley - a Petite scone 'trompe l'oeuil' with marmalade.
The cafe will serve up a special breakfast menu - for £50 you'll get three petites viennoiseries, followed by a waffle flower or French toast and then a fruit 'creation' or acai bowl plus a hot and cold drink.
What's this we hear about a £135 tasting menu?
If you're after the A-grade option here, then you'll be wanting to book a seat at Cédric Grolet's Counter. That's an experience where you get to sit up at the pastry lab and see for yourself the chefs at work. We went along to try it and here's what we had:
There are just eight seats available around the counter and it's a fully immersive experience.
Things start with 'refreshment' whereby you can choose from a cold drink - like freshly pressed pineapple juice - or something a little stronger, like a glass of Laurent Perrier Rose.
The first course is 'Bakery' which features a thin slice of croissant toasted and drizzled with chocolate and perhaps the best pain au chocolat you're ever likely to encounter.
Next up is savoury and if you think you've tried every permutation of avocado on toast that's possible, prepare to be surprised. That's a teeny fried quail's egg hiding in there.
Flower - the fleur de vanille made with crispy sweet dough, vanilla praline, light vanilla almond biscuit, vanilla milk jam, and vanilla whipped cream. It's constructed right in front of you, so you can marvel at the chefs' skills.
Fruit - you might be expecting one of the better known trompe l'oeuil fruits at this point, the apple or mango perhaps, but this hazelnut is filled with salted caramel. As the man himself explained to us - it's a 'slice delicately in half' job then pop it into your mouth to explode.
Frozen - at first glance this might remind you of the fruit sorbets you used to get at restaurants back in the day, but this one is very much the 2022 version - filled with lemon 'caviar'.
Finally, as a parting gift, you're given a madeleine fresh from the oven.
Overall thoughts
Patisserie groupies are going to be the first to dash into try this hot new bakery. Sure, the counter experience is pricey (folks are going crazy about that on our TikTok feed) but if you have the money and love sweet things then why not treat yourself?
If your budget is more Greggs than Grolet, you can pop in and try a pastry for under a tenner. So there's an option for all. Either way, you should wander by and take a look at this space-age site devoted to extraordinary baking endeavours.
@hotdinners Top pastry chef Cedric Grolet is opening a patisserie & cafe in London, at The Berkeley. We got a preview… #londonlife #luxelondon #knightbridge #luxe ♬ Howl's Moving Castle - Merry Go Round of Life - Vitamin String Quartet
More about Cedric Grolet at The Berkeley
Where is it? The Berkeley, Wilton Pl, London SW1X 7RL
How to book: Book online.
Find out more: Visit their website or follow Cedric on Instagram @cedricgrolet
Hot Dinners dined as guests of The Berkeley. Prices correct at time of publication.
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