On Monday 14th February 2022, one of the world’s best pastry chefs opened the doors to his first patisserie outside of France: Cédric Grolet at The Berkeley. Cédric Grolet at The Berkeley is the chef’s third patisserie, joining Cédric Grolet Le Meurice and Cédric Grolet Opéra, both in Paris. From 8am to 6pm, 7 days a week, pastry lovers will be able to visit the new patisserie to sample and take away the chef’s world-renowned creations, including Grolet’s famous trompe-l’œil, fruit and flower cakes.
Located at The Berkley hotel, which is nestled between bustling Knightsbridge and leafy Belgravia, the new patisserie joins an already inimitable London destination characterised by its essence of contemporary chic and innovative luxury. With stunning rooms and suites, Michelin-starred cuisine from Marcus Wareing, a fashion favourite afternoon tea at Prêt-à-Portea, the Blue Bar and The Berkeley Bar & Terrace for drinks and The Berkeley Health Club & Spa, plus the new Cédric Grolet outpost offering world-class sweets, The Berkeley continues to surprise and enchant at every turn. The patisserie – which is almost lab-like in its aesthetic with touches of gold and is designed by renowned interior designer Remi Tessier – has a central focal point: The Chef’s Counter which will host a globally exclusive dining experience inside the lab, set to wow Londoners and beyond.
With a string of accolades citing him as the best pastry chef in the world, Cédric Grolet is known for his trompe- l’œil artistry and legendary Instagram channel which has a following of 2.2 million, and which he runs himself with signature flair and spontaneity. With the world’s glitterati DMing him for personal commissions and an obsessive global fanbase, Grolet has been awarded rock star status, particularly in his native France, with queues of customers lining outside his patisseries. He has chosen London, and specifically The Berkeley – known for its innovative spirit and creative food offering – as his first home outside of Paris.
“London was the first city I ever visited outside of France. It has always had a very special place in my heart, and to open in this incredible city is a long time dream. We couldn’t let this occasion pass without creating something unique for the capital – a trompe-l’œil scone especially for the Brits,” says Cédric Grolet
Cédric Grolet at The Berkeley is positioned on Knightsbridge, with verdant views over Hyde Park. It will open seven days a week selling the chef’s signature viennoiserie, cookies, cakes and standout patisseries for takeaway, all made each morning fresh for the day, with a ‘once they are gone, they are gone!’ policy. Grolet’s most famous creations are his fruits and flower cakes, which will be sold together for the very first time in this new space in London. Currently, these creations are sold in separate patisseries in Paris. Both series of cakes are inspired by the seasons, and have a very personal story: fruit played a part in Grolet’s childhood when he was given a piece of fruit as he set off to school each day and he picked fruit for pocket money at the weekends, whilst the flower cakes are inspired by his mother who used to tell him ‘that with a simple flower, you can conquer the world.’ For launch on Valentine’s Day only, Grolet will open with a one-off series of spectacular flower creations in an array of colours. Alongside his fruit and flower cakes, will be an exclusive for London: in his signature trompe-l’œil, Grolet and team have created an illusion of his favourite British cake – a classic scone, as a tribute to Britain.
For those who want more than a takeaway experience, Cédric Grolet and The Berkeley have created a series of dining moments, showcasing masterpieces that will evolve with the seasons. Within the patisserie, sits the immersive The Chef’s Counter, flanked by two sets of four seats. Guests will be treated to a menu of signature tastings – five sweet and one savoury – and champagne, and will be wowed by Grolet’s team of pastry chefs making finishing touches to his staggering creations.
The patisserie is nestled directly next to an entirely new space in the hotel – The Berkeley Café. This all-day dining spot will be home to two standout Cédric Grolet moments throughout the day – petit déjeuner and goûter. For breakfast, guests will enjoy viennoiserie, waffles, crepes and savoury signatures such as croissant benedict. Goûter is the long-standing French ritual of sweet snacking. This menu features standout showstoppers from the patisserie including, at launch, the London exclusive Scone, the Noisette and the Citron, Grolet’s best selling creations in Paris. Flower cakes and viennoiserie also feature “à la carte”, including Grolet’s multi-layered and irresistible Pain Suisse. This menu is designed to be enjoyed with champagne. All desserts served alongside The Berkeley’s lunch and dinner menus at the Café space will be Cédric Grolet’s creations.
The patisserie has been designed by French interior designer Remi Tessier as a high-end pastry ‘lab’ with polished stainless steel, white stone and a gold leaf gilded ceiling. A glass screen hangs over the central counter, engraved with gold. The walls feature carved flowers and lemons, representing Grolet’s first-ever union of his fruit and flower creations, and the scallop floor tiles represent the apple slices that Grolet found in the ‘tarte aux pommes’ he enjoyed as a child. Grolet and team have painstakingly poured over the details for over a year with handmade ceramics from France, gold cutlery and the beautiful patisserie packaging, lined with gold. There is even a special Cédric Grolet pastry knife that has been designed for his creations, which has the appearance of a steak knife but in fact has a serrated blade designed specifically for cleanly cutting into pastries.
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Cédric Grolet at The Berkeley is open seven days a week from 8am to 6pm. The Chef’s Counter costs £135 per person. Bookings can be made for three sittings daily: 10.30am, 1pm and 3.30pm. Reservations can be made here.
Goûter will be £90 per person and reservations can be made here.