The Balcon

French Restaurant in Trafalgar Square

7 / 10 from 1 review

Address
Sofitel
6 Waterloo Place
Trafalgar Square
London
SW1Y 5NG

Map

Telephone
020 7968 2900

Cuisine
French

Region
Trafalgar Square

Nearest Station
Charing Cross
0.17 miles

Website
http://www.thebalconlondon.com

Opening Summary
Mon - Fri: 06:30 – 23:00
Sat - Sun: 07:00 – 22:00

Edit Restaurant Information

Restaurant Facilities

Disabled Facilities

Children Welcome

Credit Cards Accepted

Music Played

Private Area

Booking Advisable

With a central location in the heart of St James’s, and an exceptional décor, The Balcon, is ideal for business and leisure guests alike.

All-day dining restaurant, taking its inspiration from a French brasserie, The Balcon features an A la carte menu which includes a selection of small plates, perfect if you fancy several starters or want to share with a friend.

Time-sensitive, you can enjoy a quick lunch with a signature croque-monsieur or opt for the Tray Rapide A la carte menu, with a choice of small plate, main course and dessert served all at once.

In an atmosphere of informal elegance, the Executive Chef, Vincent Ménager offers a cuisine combining innovation with French and British traditions, using the best seasonal ingredients.

For those who have made healthy resolutions or are calorie-conscious, The Balcon offers for lunch and dinner, a flavoursome De-Light menu prepared with health and wellness in mind.

The Balcon Picture Gallery

The Balcon

All In London Review

It certainly was a tasty treat...

London town isn’t short of brunch spots, but it’s rare one finds oneself dining in St James’s. The grade II listed The Balcon, situated within The Sofitel Hotel, may be a classic French brasserie, but in recent months they’ve introduced a new weekend offering inspired by the classic British brunch. Combining The Balcon’s signature French cuisine with British influences, the team will merge culinary traditions from both sides of the Channel to offer ‘Le Brunch’.

The Balcon oozes old school glamour; a little Gatsby-esuqe in its styling, the restaurant features double height ceilings, statement spiral staircases and chic banquettes. The tables are a little too close together in some parts - it was a squeeze to get in to our table without knocking the one next to us.

The menu features classic egg dishes, mains such as a rare breed beef burger and a rather delectable looking soft shell crab, as well as a grill, fruits and seeds for those with a healthier palette and a decent selection of sweets. The Weekend Brunch is a great option if dining for an occasion; £49 per person will bring you free-flowing champagne, viennoisseries, a savoury main, a sweet dish or two Parisiennes pastries and a Bloody Mary.

I started off with the Trealy Farm croquet madame, with raclette cheese and a duck egg; a plateful of gooey, oozy, cheesy deliciousness. Do not underestimate the joy raclette can bring. My guest enjoyed the poached lobster and avocado eggs Benedict, though remarked there could have been slightly more of it.

The banana, coconut and blueberry pancakes were perfectly light and fluffy - I’m going to try and recreate them myself for Shrove Tuesday the flavour was so good - certainly helped by a hefty blob of dangerously moreish cinnamon mascarpone. The Brioche French toast opposite me also went down a treat, with its mixed berry compote and lemon curd a welcome juxtaposition to the sweetness of the toast.

Aside from feeling at times I was dining with those at the next table we were so close, our food did take rather a long while to appear, waiting nearly 40 minutes for our second course. It certainly was a tasty treat, but the service could have been quicker - lazy Sunday or not.

Reviewed by Laurel
Published on Mar 16, 2017