Great Hotel Restaurants for Breakfast

If breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, then frequent travelers have no excuse for scrimping on eggs and OJ—a satisfying start to your morning is just an elevator ride away in the hotel restaurant. The dining rooms at business-oriented hotels can’t be topped for convenience’s sake, and the wide-ranging menus offer everything from egg-white omelets to maple syrup–drenched pancakes (sure beats a doughnut and coffee on the run). Hotel restaurants are ideal spots not only for a power breakfast, but also for a relaxing solo meal before you head off to meet clients. On your next trip, consider the following restaurants where you’re guaranteed to start off your morning right.

New York 540 Park 540 Park Avenue at 61st Street 212-759-4100, Loewshotels.com

This elegant restaurant, at the Loews Regency Hotel on Park Avenue, has long been one of Manhattan’s top power-breakfast locations. In addition to Big Apple tourists and fellow business travelers, you might find moguls like Donald Trump, politicians like Mayor Michael Bloomberg and sports stars such as Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez dining here on any given morning. Early risers appreciate Executive Chef Andrew Rubin’s lengthy breakfast menu, featuring delicious items like Irish oatmeal with fresh berries, egg-white frittatas, banana-pecan waffles with New York State maple syrup, and a locally made H&H bagel with cream cheese, red onion and smoked salmon.

Beverly Hills Polo Lounge 9461 Sunset Boulevard 310-276-2251, Beverlyhillshotel.com

You’re almost guaranteed a celebrity sighting at the Polo Lounge, located inside the Beverly Hills Hotel, the legendary “pink palace” on Sunset Boulevard. Hollywood movers and shakers, from directors and producers to agents and A-list stars, flock here to talk shop and seal the deal. Diners can sit indoors or on the see-and-be-seen, tree-shaded garden terrace. Of course, this being L.A., the menu offers plenty of healthy selections, including smoothies and a SoCal omelet made with avocado, chorizo and low-fat Monterey Jack cheese. You’ll also find more decadent items, like scrambled eggs with smoked salmon topped with crème fraîche and caviar, and the lounge’s signature dish: French toast made with sundried-cranberry bread, sugar-toasted pecans and banana cream.

Boston Oak Room 138 St. James Avenue 617-267-5300, Theoakroom.com

The Fairmont Copley Plaza, open since 1912, is home to one of Beantown’s most beloved dining spots, the Oak Room. The dramatic space is decorated with dark-wood paneling, a pair of Waterford crystal chandeliers, rich gold, green and maroon fabrics, and ornamental plasterwork on the 30-foot high ceilings. In such elegant surroundings, it’s easy to begin the day on a good note (a few cups of strong coffee help, too). Enjoy Executive Chef Stefan Jarausch’s classic breakfast dishes with a New England twist, such as fluffy pancakes with Cape Cod cranberries, eggs benedict topped with Maine lobster and hollandaise sauce, and an organic omelet with mushrooms, asparagus and Vermont brie cheese.

Las Vegas Wynn Las Vegas Buffet 3131 Las Vegas Boulevard 702-770-7000, Wynnlasvegas.com

At the dazzling Wynn Hotel, the brainchild of entrepreneur Steve Wynn, you’ll find many fine-dining restaurants helmed by such lauded chefs as Richard Chen and David Walzog. Another in-house meal option that’s creating a lot of buzz is that old Vegas staple: the breakfast buffet. At the Wynn’s morning all-you-can-eat, set in a stunning garden setting with a towering topiary made of flowers and fruit, you can feast on gourmet fare served at more than a dozen food stations. The make-your-own-omelet station has tempting toppings, like smoked salmon and goat cheese, and there’s also applewood-smoked bacon, Belgian waffles, flaky pastries (try the chocolate croissants) and a wide array of exotic fruits and freshly squeezed juices.

Chicago Atwood Café 1 West Washington Street 312-782-1111, Atwoodcafe.com

Centrally located in the bustling shopping and theater district, the Atwood Café, located in the Burnham Hotel, is a great spot for a casual breakfast meeting. The red-hued room features 18-foot ceilings, oversize windows overlooking Washington and State Streets, cherrywood floors and beaded chandeliers. On chef Heather Terhune’s menu, you’ll find classic breakfast treats done up gourmet-style—perhaps mascarpone stuffed brioche French toast with spiced pear–caramel sauce, Greek yogurt with honey, housemade granola topped with sliced strawberries and bananas, and an omelet with bacon, caramelized onions and gruyère. To accompany one of Atwood’s tasty cappuccinos, try the delicious sides, including cinnamon-raisin toast, home fries or the fresh-baked muffin of the day.

Five more breakfast spots for you to check out:

San Francisco Campton Place 340 Stockton Street 415-781-5555, tajhotels.com

At this City by the Bay institution, just minutes from the financial district, join the early-morning crowd for breakfast fare like maple-walnut waffles with whipped vanilla cream or a shrimp frittata with roasted mushrooms and goat cheese.

Miami La Marea 1220 Ocean Drive 305-604-5070, tidessouthbeach.com

Located at The Tides in South Beach, La Marea is one of the hippest spots to get the day rolling. Grab a table on the outdoor terrace, all done up with large white canvas umbrellas, and nosh on buckwheat pancakes with poached pears.

Dallas Mansion Restaurant 3411 Gillespie Street 214-559-2100, mansiononturtlecreek.com

Start out with a cappuccino at this elegant space in the Mansion on Turtle Creek hotel, followed by a wild berry–and–citrus cream parfait and a farm-eggs omelet with applewood-smoked bacon.

Washington, D.C. Lafayette Room Sixteenth & & H streets, N.W. 202-638-6600, hayadams.com

Washington’s power brokers have long congregated for breakfast in The Hay-Adams dining room, which overlooks Lafayette Square and the White House. Try the cornflake-crusted cranberry foccacia French toast or eggs benedict made with Virginia organic eggs.

New Orleans Melange 921 Canal Street 504-524-1331, ritzcarlton.com

At this signature restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton, just steps from the French Quarter, sample scrumptious Nawlins cuisine, such as the lagniappe omelet made with crawfish or the crab-filled Gulfport frittata, served with yummy pastries like beignets.

JILL FERGUS, based in New York, counts breakfast as her favorite meal of the day and loves that hotel restaurants, no matter how fancy, will always give you a cup of coffee to go if you ask.