If authenticity matters to you and if you are partial to great traditional French food, look no further than Le Balcon.
The restaurant is strategically positioned close to the lofty clubs of Pall Mall, a stone’s throw away from Picadilly Circus and theaterland.
The dining room is flooded with light during daytime and at night, it offers spectacular views across one of London’s most beautiful urban landscapes.
Staff are French and superbly trained to offer an exactly calibrated amount of attention – neither obtrusive, nor patronising but there when needed – worth a mention as it is something that few establishments seem to get right.
My companion (French) and I decided to eschew the 500 calorie 3 course menu (impressive though it looked) and started with the Thermidor twice baked cheese soufflé, native lobster and crème fraîche sauce and Coco bean velouté-like soup with scallops respectively. I was struck by the fact that neither dish pretended to be something other than its menu description. Fresh and poached to absolute perfection, my companion’s first course was just so. Mine was somewhat more complex, the flavour of the beans interacting with the scallops to produce a vaguely creamy soup. Unusual, but very yummy.
Second course was grilled beef for my companion and North Sea cod, Provençal ratatouille and Niçoise black olives for me, accompanied by a 2013 Viognier de Pennautier, Languedoc, France suggested by the sommelier. The Viognier was fresh and with a mango-peach nose to make it most enjoyably drinkable in 2014.
The beef was cooked to absolute perfection, in the way only the French know how to, served with a delicately dressed green salad and fat hand cut chips on the side. The cod was delicate and flavoursome – the young chef struck the right balance of spice without any correction needed whatsoever.
Top marks for consistency and meat quality there.
My dessert was a fruity Blackberry financier, green apple sorbet
and raspberry coulis – so utterly delicious that I scraped every morsel off the plate, in spite of being quite replete at that point.
My companion opted for the Baba with Dalmore single malt 12 year old whisky and whipped cream – a bold yet delicious choice! – and finished with a fresh mint tea.
A hugely enjoyable meal in a very atmospheric restaurant!
The Balcon London – 8 Pall Mall London SW1Y 5NG
Tel: 020 7968 2900 – thebalcon.london@sofitel.com
http://www.thebalconlondon.com/
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