Breakfast isn’t something I’d normally associate with Selfridges. Normally, when I think Selfridges, I think of handbags, Christmas hampers (more on these later!), and tree decorations. Of that wonderful food court, and the even more wonderful chocolate department. Of being able to find every label under the sun, from Topshop to Celine, yet never quite managing to find my way out of the same door through which I entered the shop. Never really breakfast though, at least, not until the visit I made to Le Chalet the week before last…
Last Friday, I was at the train station before the sun had even risen fully. It was bitterly cold, and the sweet lady in the cafe at the station gave me a cup of tea on the house after I’d told her all about what a mad rush I’d had trying to find a place to park my car and not miss my train. I met up with a few other bloggers at Selfridges a little after 9, and we were taken up to Le Chalet, Selfridges’ beautiful (and oh so very festive!) rooftop restaurant. It’s open all along one side, and the views over the city were a sight to be seen. Not to mention, all those windows made taking photos a total dream ;)
Le Chalet is, as you’d imagine, a total winter/Christmas haven. Each chair has a thick woollen checked blanket folded over it, the walls are decorated with branches festooned with lights, and the bar looks like something you’d kind in a ski lodge (all dark wood and rows of warming spirits). The food was pretty great too! I highly recommend the avocado toast, and the flat white was rich and punchy. Next time though, I’m definitely having one of those ‘choctails’…
So once breakfast was done and dusted, we had chance to sample Selfridge’s range of Christmas hampers. They range in price from £50 to a whopping £5000(!)- you’d have to be *really* good all year round to deserve one of those, wouldn’t you? (p.s. Just look at what’s inside it! It’d make for one hell of a Christmas day!) The hampers I think look the loveliest (and aren’t quite so bank-breaking) are the No Fun Like Work hatbox (containing tea, shortbread, a giant chocolate coin, and a mug), the Festive Selection hamper (a traditional box containing everything from coffee and cinder toffee to chutney and wine), and the happily indulgent Chocolate Break hatbox.
It’s hard to pick a stand-out item of all the things we sampled (crackers, cheese, sea salt caramel biscuits, olives), but I will say that Jason didn’t get to eat one single olive from the jar I brought home with me, because I demolished them so fast. A testament to their tastiness…
^^ Those bombes are amazing. Though my favourite one, the peanut butter and chocolate, seems to have been discontinued since I sampled it back at Selfridges’ Christmas in July event! A tragedy if ever I knew one! ^^
^^ Nothing better than panettone at Christmas time, don’t you think? Our family tradition is to pick one up at the same time as buying our tree, and then we snack on slices of toasted and buttered panettone whilst we decorate! It’s one of my favourite traditions we keep! :) ^^
Once the tasting was over, we had a little wander back through Selfridges Christmas department to admire the decorations and lights and displays, and I stopped in to say hi to the handbags too, before heading back out on to a very busy Oxford Street. If you’re in the region of Oxford Street over the coming weeks, Selfridges’ windows alone are worth a visit. Decked out in fir and lights and with amazing, whimsical displays behind the windows themselves- they’re quite the sight!
And now, I’m ready for Christmas to be here!
What I wore :: Cardigan || Top || Skirt || Boots || Handbag
p.s. Thanks to Rose for playing photographer for me. Girl’s got skills!
