Weekends were made to allow people who work full time jobs, to have some time to themselves and make memories. Whether it be over indulgent late brunches, swapping coffee for champagne or travelling over to Europe for a weekend break. Since I have started a full time job working in a hotel, I realised how precious your weekends are and I have made it my mission to make every weekend as eventful as possible. So far, I have succeeded.
The weekend just past, I found my brunching in the heart of London, in Pall Mall. The Balcon is a French restaurant that is part of the Sofitel St. James Hotel. Think gold detailing, purple round booths and mahogany interiors and authentic French speaking waiters, it makes you feel like you are in glorious Paris. If you’re not a regular reader of my blog, you will soon realise I love Paris. To the point I try an visit once a year, because who can get bored of Paris?! However, this is the next best thing, indulging in a bottomless champagne brunch just like Parisians would.
Emma and I sat in a lovely booth just in front of the windows, allowing us to overlook the whole restaurant. Admiring all the opulent detailing of this beautiful restaurant, whilst catching up. When Emma and I get together, we are trains going in full swing – we cannot stop talking. It’s just a known thing. We went through 4 different waiters asking if we were ready to order, before we actually did.
We kicked off our boozy brunch with champagne and an an array of fresh breads. Remember what I said earlier? It’s not a weekend until champagne is involved.
The champagne had been poured from a large magnum, which just set the scene for this bottomless brunch experience. The brunch is split into two courses, where you start with a savoury dish and finish with a sweet dish.
Emma ordered the chunky ham and spinach eggs benedict which was served with lashings of hollandaise sauce. How dreamy…
I on the other hand, did a bit of a ‘create my own’ sort of dish. I ordered poached eggs on sour dough toast, with a side of slow roasted tomatoes and grilled halloumi. It was literally heaven on earth, super proud of how I managed to put this little mix together.
We both finished off our plates before being asked if we wanted a Bloody Mary or not. I’m not a fan of them myself, so Emma and I both opted to keep the champagne coming. However, if you are a Bloody Mary fan, you should definitely have brunch at The Balcon. They have their own workstation where you can either make your own, with all the garnishing and ingredients or they can make it for you. It’s a wonderful concept, especially for someone who loves a good hangover fix.
We were ready for the sweet dishes. If you’re not a fan of waffles, pancakes or French toast, you have the option to order from their ‘Fruits and Seeds’ section where there are a couple of fruit salads and granolas on offer.
Emma ordered the glorious Brioche French toast with mixed berry compote and lemon curd.
If that is not enough to turn you into a sweet lover, I don’t know what will. I tried a bit of Emma’s French toast and it was incredible. The brioche bread was so soft, with a light sweetness. The berries contrasted it with a tart flavour and the lemon curd finished it off with a sweet and tangy flavour. Delightful!
I ordered the unique Pistachio waffle with strawberry salad and Sauternes cream. The dish was just perfect! The Indian in me loved the pistachio flavouring of the waffle, which was complemented by the sweet strawberries and fresh mint, finished off with smooth and silky cream. I would definitely return to The Balcon to have this waffle again!
Overall, a wonderful boozy and tasty brunch. From the amazing service to the smashing food, I would recommend The Balcon to all my friends and family to visit, because it was just phenomenal.
Star Rating for The Balcon:
Until next time…
