Sorry for my absence, I won't go into why I haven't been posting but one thing I will say is: absence makes the heart grow fonder! So I'm ready to whip out some awesome posts in the near future for you all!
Today I'm reviewing The Balcon Restaurant in London.
Set in the Sofitel St James, just a two minute walk from bustling Picadilly, The Balcon is a modern French brasserie, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner to hotel guests, businessmen and tourists alike. With an atmosphere and decor that can only be described as continental and sophisticated, the restaurant acts as an oasis in the middle of central London, allowing a respite from the busy city life.
I stayed at the hotel recently, so had the fortune of trying breakfast, lunch and dinner at the hotel and I must say, all three were very impressive.
Breakfast was my least favourite meal I had at The Balcon, probably more due to the service, which took slightly longer than normal, and the price for a continental breakfast selection, which was extremely expensive! However, the food was very nice and the daily changing smoothie shots on offer were delicious - I especially liked the banana and strawberry.
Lunch and Dinner do not have words to describe their deliciousness! For a light lunch, I ordered that months 'Chef Special', the (excuse the caps, but it really deserves it) BEEF BURGER YORKSHIRE PUDDING (picture below).
A light, crisp yorkshire pudding with a succulent beef meatball perching inside it, topped with sweet caremelised onions, mushrooms and sticky bacon jam. OH MY. There are no words to even express how good this was.
For dinner, I opted to not have a starter, as I was eyeing up the desserts, so I nibbled on the crunchy, homemade, mini baguettes in the bread basket instead. For my main, I ordered the Roasted Oxfordshire Lamb Saddle with Seasonal Vegetable Navarin (pictured below) and it did not disappoint. I also ordered the Rooster Mashed Potatoes as a side and I think these are the best mashed potatoes I have ever had... and my mum's mash is good, so that's saying a lot.
I didn't manage to get a picture of the desserts because no-one (including myself) would wait before digging in! The Warm Chocolate Mug Cake with Milk Ice Cream, the Vanilla Ice Cream Profiteroles, Hot Chocolate and Praline Sauce and the French Cheeses were all ordered and all met our high expectations, both taste-wise and presentation-wise.
Overall, I love this restaurant! Beautiful setting, good service, polite and personable waiters, delicious food, cool atmosphere, perfect location... what more could you ask for?
Food: 9/10
Presentation: 10/10
Service: 8/10
Price: 8/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Location: 9/10
Keep your eyes peeled for more restaurant reviews, as I have been eating out a lot recently!
I would love to hear any restaurant recommendations, so please leave a comment below.
Thanks for reading,
H x
