The Balcon Weekend Brunch Review

I have to admit I rarely travel into Central London at Christmas time. Love the lights and general good vibes but have a deep hatred of crowds and extreme queuing. That being said, an invite to sample the new weekend brunch menu at Pall Mall’s ‘The Balcon’ was an offer too good to turn down.

Staring through the window at a beautiful Christmas tree on Pall Mall with the snow sprinkling down, I had one of those ‘I love this city’ moments. We started with ice cold glasses of champagne served in elegant tall stemmed flutes, as we perused the menu. We were delighted to see so much choice and creative twists on the traditional brunch and trying desperately not to fill ourselves up on the artisan bread already prepared for us on the table. Both absolute cheese fiends, we opted for the Roasted goat’s cheese, pomegranate honey and almonds. Served in an adorable miniature frying pan still piping hot, the portion size was perfect. The sweetness of the honey worked perfectly with the tangy goat’s cheese, with the almonds offering a crunchy after bite.

Having warmed up our appetite we eagerly moved onto our mains. Being a French British restaurant there wasn’t much in the way of vegetarian choices, but what they did have was rather fantastic; A vegetarian fry up of the highest standard. Eggs any style (I went for poached, of course), crushed avocado on sourdough bread, tomato, baked beans, portobello mushrooms, sweet potato and cauliflower hash. Waiting for our next course we chose to switch to my absolute all time favourite cocktail, Bloody Mary’s.

Having spotted the massive 3 liter tabasco bottles at the cocktail station on the way in, I requested mine extra spicy, hold the Worcester Sauce, and was delighted to see it had one of those garnishes you get from bars that really know their Mary’s. Olives and gherkins speared and left delicately lying across the top. Made with Chase Vodka, you could really taste the quality of the drink, a super smooth cocktail with a definite kick. This emphasise on top notch ingredients carried on into our main courses. Perfectly cooked and so fresh you could tell it had likely been delivered that morning, the sweet potato and cauliflower hash stole the show, one of those things I would love to try and replicate at home but would likely never do it justice.

Having completely finished off our meals and ordering coffees to help wake us up from our slight food comas’, we now both took the chance to look around and comment that this would be the perfect place for a birthday brunch or weekend outing for out of town family and friends who want to experience London at it’s grandest. Beautiful art deco furnishing and sky high ceilings, the attention to detail in the décor was undeniable. From the charming wooden ‘R’ for ‘Reserved’ on our table to the absolutely giant metal structure used as a light fitting to hold about 40 light bulbs. Every part of the restaurant furnishings had obviously been deeply considered.

Delicious food, mouth-watering drinks and a beautiful setting, The Balcon is the ideal choice for when you are trying to impress. The weekend brunch menu offers unlimited Champagne or Bloody Mary’s for just £52 / £45, perfect for a weekend celebration.

Address: 8 Pall Mall, St. James’s, London SW1Y 5NG

Website: www.thebalconlondon.com
Facebook: @TheBalconLondonPallMall
Twitter: @TheBalcon
Instagram: @thebalconlondon

Written by Jordan Crowley