Breakfast of champions

Despite the stern warnings of nutrition experts, for most of us, breakfast is either non-existent or gulped down in a frantic pre-work rush.

So to honour ‘the most important meal of the day’ GulfWeekly went in search of the best breakfast bites on the island. We didn’t have to look far.
Café Lilou in Adliya is one of the kingdom’s most popular hangouts – and its extensive breakfast menu means that it’s busy from 9am.
Café Lilou is a stylish take on French café culture. It’s decadently decked out with plenty of red velvet, grand chandeliers and gold and scarlet walls.
“Lilou is like a five star café,” said manager Dominique Vincent, “it’s a great meeting place and it has a nice atmosphere. It based on the Belle Epoque.”
Its menu, however, is contemporary. It features original takes on classic continental dishes and French specialities, which extend to Le Petit Dejeuner.
“We serve breakfasts with a French touch,” explained Dominique.
Lilou’s indulgent breakfast menu is a far cry from the typical greasy-spoon fare.
Instead, gourmet breakfasts of poached eggs with hollandaise sauce, croissants stuffed with scrambled eggs, turkey and mushrooms, and a vast range of freshly baked patisseries from their next-door bakery are served up at a reasonable price.
It’s perfectly profligate breakfast food; full of flavour – and calories – but without a hint of grease.  
Topped off with fresh juices, coffee and teas, Lilou’s breakfasts are undoubtedly some of the best in the kingdom.
 “Initially we thought breakfast would be for the ladies after they drop the kids at school,” said Dominique, “but now everybody comes here.”
Every year the menu changes and soon le petit dejeuner selection is being revamped.
New on the menu is the Tarte Lilou, a combination of flat pita bread, layered with creamy spinach, grilled beef sausage and sun-dried cherry tomatoes. There will also be Pains Fantasies, a Middle Eastern selection of mini Arabic bread with grilled haloumi, labnah and yellow cheese. Or for those with a sweet palate, there’s the Tarte Sucree, consisting of freshly baked raisin bread with pears, mascarpone and ricotta.
“It’s a story of love between Lilou and me,” explained Dominique.
After a Lilou’s breakfast, we bet your stomach will feel the same.