Many will remember the moment an elegantly dressed Holly Golightly emerges from a New York taxi cab carrying a paper bag and a coffee, and proceeds to snack on a pastry outside Tiffany & Co on 5th Avenue whilst gazing into the shops enviously dressed windows.
56 years after the iconic film starring Audrey Hepburn graced our screens, Tiffany’s finally cashed in on its popularity and opened the new – aptly named – Blue Box Cafe which sits on the 4th floor of the flagship store. When I heard you could now eat Breakfast at Tiffany’s, I knew I had to try and get a booking when I made a trip to New York in December.
When I realised Tiffany’s were only taking bookings two weeks in advance, I waited patiently (hoping the time difference was in my favour) exactly 14 days before our trip and, to my surprise, had a complete pick of dates and times. When I woke up the next morning, all the slots for the duration of our trip had been booked, so I was pretty chuffed with myself that we managed to get in.
Our waiter sat us at a table that overlooked Central Park and the cafe itself was decorated in Tiffany’s signature Robins Egg Blue colour, with Tiffany crockery used throughout our breakfast. Serving American classics, the cafe offers breakfast, lunch or a special Tiffany Tea, along with desserts, refreshers and hot beverages. Of course, we had to go for breakfast and for $29 we received a freshly basked croissant with Nutella, honey butter and winter fruit preserve, along with a bowl of seasonal fruit and berries. We could then choose from four breakfast options, including a smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel, truffle eggs, avocado toast, or my choice: a classic buttermilk waffle with poached fruit and maple syrup.
The food was impeccable, and I couldn’t fault the service. Sadly, all good things must come to an end and after we’d finished eating we made our way around the store to have a look at some of the products on offer. Among my favourites were Tiffany branded ping pong bats for children, a set of traditional style Tiffany suitcases (in blue, of course) and some classic Tiffany Christmas tree decorations. We got chatting to a lovely man from store security who advised us of where we should head next – a walk around Central Park being a must!
In 2012, Breakfast at Tiffany’s was added to the US National Film Registry at the Library of Congress, a registry that is made up of films that represent cultural, historic and artistic achievements in filmmaking. As we left Tiffany’s, I noticed a letter to the store from Hepburn herself framed by the exit. In it, she speaks of Tiffany’s name standing for beauty, style, quality and consistency for over 150 years – all of which I can safely say were present in our edible experience at the cafe.
Not many can say they’ve had Breakfast at Tiffany’s, but this is definitely something I can tick of my list with pride!
