The Peninsula Chicago’s Lobby Restaurant, Photo Credit: The Peninsula Chicago
Depending on whom you ask, breakfast will be declared as the most important thing you’ll do all day or the most overrated. But no matter which side of the table you sit, it’s hard to ignore the fact that a lot of movers and shakers do their business over hot cakes and scrambled eggs.
These following restaurants are certainly aware of this and have gone out of their way to ensure that their menus are filled with tasty options and their surroundings are conducive for talking shop early in the morning. Here are Forbes Travel Guide’s top picks for a power breakfast.
Chicago
Twenty-foot-tall windows allow ample natural light to stream into The Peninsula Chicago’s Lobby restaurant, making for a pleasantly sunny start to the day. For long meetings, try one of the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hotel’s prix fixe options, like the healthy Spa Breakfast, with juice, tea, yogurt, berries, a muffin and your choice of whole wheat pancakes or an egg white frittata. Or go à la carte with the Pen-edict, a twist on the classic Benedict with toasted croissant halves serving as vessels for lobster, truffle hollandaise, caviar and fresh shaved truffles.
The Polo Lounge, Photo Credit: Dorchester Collection
Los Angeles
Many places around L.A. claim to be celebrity hot spots, but few live up to the title. The 76-year-old institution that is The Polo Lounge doesn’t just live up to the hype, the Forbes Travel Guide Recommended eatery at The Beverly Hills Hotel devours it. One day you’ll find Warren Beatty having a bite here. The next you might stumble upon Miley Cyrus. We don’t know if they crave the brioche French toast or Belgian waffle more; all we’re certain of is that this is the place of choice for Hollywood power players.
New York City
The concept of handling business over breakfast is said to have originated with Bob Tisch, Loews Regency New York Hotel founder, when he began inviting city leaders to his establishment in the mid-’70s to talk before their day started. Tradition continues at the Four-Star hotel today as people from all industries break bread (and chef Catherine Medrano’s eggs Benedict and chicken apple sausage) while they wheel and deal. But even if you aren’t on the clock, the gorgeous room is perfect for people watching and tea sipping.
The Langham, Boston’s Café Fleuri, Photo Credit: The Langham, Boston
Boston
Sitting along Post Office Square in Boston’s financial district, Four-Star The Langham, Boston offers a strategic spot to talk shop over coffee. But not ordering Café Fleuri’s griddled corned beef and red onion hash or the 20-year favorite maple-cured salmon (the fish is salted for 48 hours; cured with ground apples, onions and maple syrup for 48 hours; then cold smoked over apple and maple) would be a poor business decision.
Lacroix at The Rittenhouse, Photo Credit: The Rittenhouse
Philadelphia
Four-Star Lacroix sets an elegant scene on the second floor of The Rittenhouse with white-cloth-covered tables and large windows overlooking leafy Rittenhouse Square. But what will really win over your clients is the attentive service and decadent dishes like the poached eggs with lobster and caviar, avocado toast topped with blue crab, and fluffy soufflé pancakes garnished tableside.
Washington, D.C.
Just a few blocks from the White House, Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Café du Parc, located within Willard InterContinental Washington, D.C., provides an ideal perch for a morning boost among lobbyists and politicians. An alfresco terrace offers a good place to regroup over French-inspired bistro fare before a full day on the Hill.
Edge, Steak & Bar, Photo Credit: Four Seasons
Miami
Whether you’re visiting for a convention or just a quick business trip, start your day off right with farm-to-table fare at Edge, Steak & Bar at Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Four Seasons Hotel Miami. From a light tropical fruit parfait to a hearty Cuban hash, breakfast here hits all the right spots.
CBD Provisions, Photo Credit: Mei-Chun Jua
Dallas
When staying at The Joule, the modern Four-Star hotel in the heart of Dallas’ business district, there’s only one place to go for a power breakfast. Follow the suits to CBD Provisions, a Texas-style brasserie that serves up a sizable morning menu with offerings that range from juice blends to omelets and buttermilk-rye pancakes.
Palace Hotel, Photo Credit: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc
San Francisco
Downtown San Francisco boasts its fair share of breakfast joints, but when you really want to make an impression, book a table at The Garden Court. Not only does the classic eatery inside Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel sit at a central location for many businesses, but the gilded dining room, crystal chandeliers and elegant fare (try the Dungeness crab Benedict) deliver a “wow” factor.
Las Vegas
Tableau’s Conservatory is a sublime spot for a morning meal. There’s just something about floor-to-ceiling windows looking onto a gorgeous, Mediterranean-inspired landscape that makes strawberry blintzes taste better. If, for some reason, your associates aren’t impressed by the Wynn Las Vegas restaurant’s lush greenery and pool views, allow chef David Middleton’s chorizo-stuffed Spanish omelet to work its magic. After a few bites, you’ll have your constituents eating out the palm of your hand.
