“Nobody can predict success in this business, but if the Wolseley isn’t, I’ll eat Sean the doorman’s new hat,” wrote the late, great Mr AA Gill of the then newly opened Piccadilly restaurant, The Wolseley, in 2003. Luckily for said doorman, legendary critic Mr Gill – who went on to become a regular fixture in the high-ceiling Art Deco dining room, holding court from his favourite central table – was not wrong. Now, 16 years later, and the all-day restaurant, inspired by European grand cafés, is still one of London’s finest places to eat. Its charm is writ large in a standout breakfast: omelette Arnold Bennett.

The rich dish, made with poached smoked haddock, hollandaise and cream, originated at The Savoy, where the story goes that chef Mr Jean Baptiste Virlogeux created it in 1929 for the British novelist Mr Arnold Bennett during his stay at the hotel. The Wolseley’s version – which was immortalised in the recipe book, Breakfast At The Wolseley, penned by Mr Gill – pays faithful homage.

“We stick to the classics here,” says head chef Mr David Stevens. “We may tweak them slightly, but we always try to honour their origins. My feeling is food fads come and go, but people will always want to come and eat in a place like The Wolseley.” Mr Stevens put the omelette Arnold Bennett on the menu in 2005, “due to customer demand – it’s a timeless classic.”

Australian-born Mr Stevens took on the role of head chef in 2017, having worked with Midas-fingered London restaurateurs Messrs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King at The Ivy in the 1990s.

The omelette Arnold Bennett is not an easy dish to master. “Understand that you will make it several times before you get it right,” says Mr Stevens.

For such an indulgent dish, it’s worth seeking out the very best produce. In the Wolseley’s omelette, says Mr Stevens, “we sample our ingredients several times, taste-testing against other suppliers before we decide what we feel is the best quality. The haddock is from Severn & Wye, and has a rich, smoky flavour without being overpowering. The eggs, from Barradale Eggs, are free-range and British.”

Feel up to the task of recreating this iconic dish at home? Give it a try with the Wolseley’s tried-and-tested recipe, below.

• 250ml milk
• ½ onion
• 1½ bay leaves
• 1 clove
• 250g smoked haddock
• 125ml hollandaise sauce
• 4 tablespoons double cream
• 6 large eggs, plus 2 extra egg yolks
• Clarified butter, for frying
• Chopped chives, to serve

1. Place the milk, onion, bay and clove in a pan and bring to a simmer. Poach the haddock until the flesh flakes easily: about five minutes. Remove the fish and flake into a large bowl, then leave to cool.
2. Mix the hollandaise sauce, cream and the egg yolks, then set aside. Preheat grill to high.
3. Heat a little clarified butter in a non-stick omelette pan. Whisk three eggs and begin to make an omelette but turn off the heat before it’s cooked through.
4. Tip the omelette out of the pan onto a heatproof serving plate and spoon over half of the cooked haddock. Spoon over half the hollandaise mix and place under the grill until it begins to glaze. Make the second omelette while that is glazing and finish it in the same way.
5. Sprinkle with chives and serve.