Buffet Breakfast at the Hilton

A gift voucher to Tetsuya's (see post here) prompted our idea for a staycation in the city, and since all I wanted to do the whole time I was pregnant with Olivia was to scoff down on a buffet breakfast, we decided to stay at the Hilton and enjoy what has been dubbed the best buffet breakfast in Sydney.

As Mark and Olivia made themselves comfortable in our nice round booth I went and did a lap of the buffet in order to plan my attack. Sadly nothing really got me that excited, and I figured that I musn't have been paying enough attention the first time around. I decided to start with some chia porridge with apple compote and some fresh fruit, and to reassess the situation. That's when I spotted the assortment of freshly squeezed juices, which really were lovely. There was grapefruit and carrot for those who like a tart wake up call, and a beetroot blend which I decided to go with.

Chia porridge with apple compote.

Mark got a bircher muesli which was full of delicious fruit and yoghurt, and passed the baby test. I think Olivia also passed her fine dinning table manners test as the friendly and helpful staff couldn't stop smiling at her.

Breakfast passed the baby taste test.

For my second course I had a poached egg on French toast, since the bread station was at the other end of the room. Needless to say I wasn't exactly impressed by the layout or presentation of the buffet. The chicken sausages were delicious, as were the mushrooms and hash brown, but poached eggs are not cooked freshly on request and mine was hard....Mark was fortunate enough to get a soft poached egg from the bain-marie, but it literally was a lucky dip, and for $42 per head for out of house guests I'd expect more. Oh, and that doesn't even bring in to account the additional charge of $5!! for a proper coffee. I'll admit that I told the friendly staff not to worry about it, and we would go to a cafe down the road and pay $3.50 for a good quality coffee.

Big breakfast Hilton style.

Of course, at a buffet breakfast you always have to finish with pastries, and I really would have loved to have a coffee or hot chocolate to dunk my pain au chocolat in....maybe if I did I wouldn't have been able to taste how burnt it was. The scrumptious mini croissants did undo the damage though.

Do I agree with the reviews that the Hilton has the best buffet breakfast in Sydney? No, I was disappointed. For the same money I have had a great breakfast at Four Seasons and would definitely chose it next....or perhaps Park Hyatt, which surprisingly is well matched for price and offers Sydney's amazing harbour views....that said I'm guessing it will be a few years before Mark and I have the privilege of staying in Sydney again.