Balthazar Restaurant

Balthazar restaurant regularly features in the list of top restaurants in London, as well interestingly, the most romantic too. I used to work really close to Balthazar, but other than the Boulangerie and afternoon tea, I hadn’t eaten ‘a la carte’ until recently. As you’ll find out later on, I’d clearly been missing out!

If you haven’t already been, the Boulangerie is super small but très cute with various sandwiches, soups and hot drinks on offer. Their sandwiches although tasty, you need to have reconstructive jaw surgery afterwards as the bread is quite tough and chewy but the coffees are on point. They even have the option to takeaway fresh mint tea if that’s your jam, which makes a (literally) refreshing change from the imposter teabags cafes sometimes attempt to swing in your direction. I don’t know about you, but I’m a fresh mint and fresh ginger/honey tea kinda girl, all-day-long.

Since I now have a lot more time on my hands, I decided to visit the restaurant with my good friend and try out their a la carte/ all day menu. When I go to a restaurant for the first time, I like to try out as many dishes as physically possible, without (a) wastage (b) vomiting and (c) looking like I’ve been starving for two consecutive weeks. In total, we decided to order a dignified four dishes along with drinks. Please see my pictures of each dish and thoughts below:

Pumpkin Tortellini £10/ £15

“Smoked lardon, roast pumpkin, chestnut and sage” - suitable for vegetarians and so delicious. I normally detest sweet flavours in savoury meals but this was natural and just enough without overtaking from the main flavours of the dish.

Garlic Prawns £10.50

“Piment d’Espelette & warm potato bread” - I love prawns and once heard a quote that a day without prawns, is a day without sunshine. It was really well flavoured, but could have been a tad spicier for my tastebuds. The sauce was perfect for dipping bread into, which is great as there was a lot of bread leftover from the bread basket.

Octopus Salad £9

“Haricot beans, shallots, smoked bonito, paprika, parsley & lemon dressing” - What is there not to love about fresh octopus? For the peeps who think octopus is disgusting - go grow a pair. The haricot beans really complimented the dish in terms of texture and it was well-rounded flavours overall. It was the perfect balance of spices and though you could taste the lemon, it didn’t overtake from the other flavours. There’s nothing worse than only being able to taste lemon in a dish.

Lobster Spaghetti £27

“Blistered tomatoes, confit garlic, piment d’Espelette & basil” - I love pasta and I love lobster so this is often my favourite dish to order in European restaurants. I thought this dish would be the star of the four dishes. Though it was still tasty, I preferred the other three dishes more than I did this one. I’ve tried lobster spaghetti in many fine restaurants and as a result, I think my tastebuds are spoilt and have a higher expectation when it comes to this particular dish. Like I said, it was tasty, but it wasn't the star dish of the day.

Overall impressions:

Balthazar is a spacious and classically designed restaurant, offering all day brasserie and bistro style dishes. Needless to say, it is French inspired and one of the best of this kind of cuisine in London. There is a raw bar as well which means you could order some fresh oysters if you’re feeling extra fancy.

The staff are very attentive and do not try to rush you. The main waitress serving us, although efficient and professional, could have smiled a little bit more. Who knows maybe it was her ‘happy face’ Tommy Lee Jones style but when you work in a reputable place, I think it is only right that staff look like they enjoy their jobs - that’s not too much to ask for right?

Though the restaurant isn’t cheap in terms of your average lunch or dinner place, in my opinion, it isn’t expensive either, especially in terms of the quality of food. The restaurant itself is an experience and I love people watching just as much as I enjoy the food and company. The restaurant (like all good French restaurants do) offer complimentary bread and butter as soon as you’ve ordered. I’m not normally a bread and butter girl, but there is something I really enjoy - like a guilty pleasure- about salted butter and bread. It does no favours for the waistline however…

My friend and I finished the meal with Balthazar’s coffee as we didn’t have room for desserts but I will definitely try next time I visit. You know you’ve had a good meal when you feel the need to unbutton the top button of your trousers/ skirt. Very ladylike I know.

Afterthought:

I have some health problems relating to troubles with my digestive system and stomach. When I previously had my appointment with a dietician, she put me on the Low FODMAP diet. Don’t worry if you don't know what this is, as I will do a separate blog on this! Being on this diet, meant I had to cut out a lot (LOT) of food, food groups and happiness from my diet including the obvious lactose and gluten, and less obvious garlic, onions, smoothies, apples etc. I used to follow this religiously for the 6 months I was requested to and a little while longer after, and noticed a big improvement in my stomach related problems.

As much as I enjoyed this meal, it was not good for my system and when I look back on the ingredients, it’s no wonder why. I sat for one hour consuming pretty much everything I shouldn’t including a (un)healthy dose of bread, butter, garlic, shallots, pasta and so on… It’s like the disapproving reaction you get from an Asian mum when you tell her that you’re about to go clubbing on a pre-exam night. Oh well, sometimes you have to sacrifice for the greater good.

Until next time… xo

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All images in this post are my own.