This is my first Balthazar restaurant that I had event been to. ( I have also visited their New York location since). As a native Londoner, I've always enjoyed the varied options that London has for foreign cuisine...especially French. The cafe bistro style of French restaurant has always been a favorite of mine. I'll start it with the service...it's traditionally French. I'll leave it at that! (Abrupt and to the point wait staff in a fast paced restaurant). Besides that, the food is quick, correct and the wait staff are easily able to accommodate and knowledgeable on the menu. The food and drinks selection is great- all of a high standard. I've had mainly beef based dishes, steak frites, the burger, bad steak tar tar. All of which were exceptional, as is the clod fish bar too! The only downside/thing to watch out for? You're dining in tight quarters and it's always slammed. So if it was a quiet, sit down meal you were expecting, I would look else where. We were fully aware and expecting this so it was a great experience. Overall, an excellent place to dine in an awesome part of London! read more

I have eaten here over 12 times, but in recent visits, the service has not been great. In the last 2 visits, our waitperson ended their shift and left, but never told us. In fine dining restaurants, usually the waitperson will come over and say they are leaving and introduce the new replacement. Tonight and when I visited in May, our waitperson left and we were left alone. I actually had to go the stand near the front door to ask for someone to attend to our table. Also, the service charge has increased so there appears to be little incentive for the waitpeople to earn their service charge. Food is consistent and the atmosphere is great. read more

It's loud and crowded and you may get stuck in the melee that is the front room but the service and food will make up for it all. Balthazar serves up a great brunch. I had the eggs florentine which were perfect. Loads of spinach to make you feel virtuous and two poached eggs with runny yolks. It's one of the best versions of this dish that I have had. It's a little loud but that's part of the fun. Come and pretend you are back in New York! read more

Yummy veal rib-eye. The pan friend sea bass was also great (although quite filling). Lovely Christmas cocktails and vibes read more

Balthazar - Sea bass - French Near Me - London, XGL

Extraordinary food and service, and ideal ambience for Covent Garden dining. This was our fourth visit, and our waitress Olga was a superb guide to the menu, and ensured that our evening was perfect. read more

Best dinner I had during my week in London. Onion soup for starters and moules frites as main, both were superb. Their fries is a must! The waiters seemed to be stressed and a bit too attentive, asking us how things were or if we needed anything a little too often but overall a great experience. Kind of like they were worried they hadn't checked up on us because they forgot if they did. Worth the price and worth having the table for only 1.5h as we only were two. After your dinner I would recommend going to one of the many cafes and bars near by to continue conversations. read more

Balthazar - Onion soup starter - French Near Me - London, XGL

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One of my worst experiences dining out in London lately. We booked a table for four at 7pm on 10th February. We arrived on time, said hello to the host, and asked for our table. She told us it wasn't ready, to which I replied it was fine and that I would wait. I waited outside, but since the doors were mostly glass, I kept looking at the host (who also saw me) to see if she would call us. After 10 minutes, I entered and asked if our table was ready, to which she replied, "Yes, but you disappeared." I explained that I was outside looking at her, to which she responded, "Since you were outside, I didn't think you wanted the table." I ignored her rudeness and another lady took us to our table. For starters, we ordered oysters, onion soup, wine, and snails, which were all good. Then for mains, we ordered risotto, steak, salmon, and chicken. I asked for my steak to be cooked medium-rare, but when it arrived, it was completely cooked. My friend's food was good. I called our table waiter and asked if she would mind to please replace the steak. She called the manager, who came to my table and asked me what was wrong with the steak. I told him, and then he asked me to show him the steak to prove it wasn't cooked the way I requested. Unbelievable. After seeing the steak, he apologised and agreed with me, and took it away to be replaced. The new steak was perfect. The waiter was so nice -- and probably embarrassed -- that she even gave me a new set of fries because she thought the others were cold. As soon as I finished my steak, the waiter brought the bill and said, "I'm sorry," without even asking if we wanted it. But apparently, we needed to leave the table at 9pm. Considering the host didn't call us for our table and I had to wait for another steak, this was the rudest thing they could've done. We paid, and they didn't even take the steak off the bill or offer any compensation for the experience. I went to speak with the host, but she was not only arrogant but dismissive and blamed me again for the experience. She offered to call the manager, but I wasn't going to continue this ridiculous conversation. I just wanted an honest apology and an invitation to come again with a promise that my experience would be better. But no, she decided to be unpleasant and nasty. Someone like her shouldn't be working in a place like this. As someone who visits Balthazar New York weekly, this was, without a doubt, an experience that will make me never go to Balthazar London again. I hope the management rethinks the kind of person they have greeting and taking care of their customers, as well as the way they ask their clients to "prove" they are right about their food. read more

Visited Balthazar at around 10:30 PM after watching "the women in black" at fortune theatre. Really nice Ambience. Huge french restaurant. Helpful and decent staff. Quick service. Must visit restaurant. They have a good veg options too. Nearest underground station- Covent Garden. read more

Balthazar - French Near Me - London, XGL

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Excellent service, great food and fantastic ambience. Only downside was the speed of getting our bill. We knew they wanted the table back, but after coffee and desserts didn't see a waiter ... Minor annoyance. Still one of the best dinners I had in a while. Duck pate, confit duck leg, Rum Baba and a cappuccino. Excellent! read more

The short: you can expect a solid meal and great service at Balthazar. The longer: I came for a weekday breakfast business meeting, and was greeted by a kind hostess who coat checked my coat and umbrella. We had a round booth table, the restaurant was beautifully decorated with tons of staff. Our waiter immediately got us water, coffee and iced tea. I ordered poached eggs with smoked salmon. The homemade English muffin was delicious, the salmon was fresh, and the eggs were perfectly cooked. I was able to get the hollandaise sauce on the side. Overall, great meal, excellent service in a prime location. read more

Service is everything. I guess someone forgot tonight. Friendliness is so important. read more

Touristy, sure, but a decent place to refuel if you're near Covent Garden or the Royal Opera house. The service was great, the food above average and the atmosphere lively. I had the pate, the fish pie and a complimentary glass of sparkling wine. Enjoyed all of it just fine. read more

Balthazar - Fish Pie - French Near Me - London, XGL

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Most disappointing meal of our entire 3-week holiday thus far. Like others have noted, the standards of the London outpost of Balthazar is not even near that of NYC. I am sitting here right now and we are looking for another place to re-fuel for the afternoon. The menu online is not available in reality, the service is scant, and the food is subpar. The bacon is disgusting, the eggs were awful, and the pancakes were sorely dry. Asked for simple scrambled eggs with chives - a dry, over cooked version arrived. It is quite an indication of quality when a restaurant screws up scrambled eggs. None of the juices are fresh squeezed and they ran out of the one orange juice. The kind lady next to us inquired about gluten free options before sitting down, which they said they had much of. In ordering, the same server was short and in accommodating of her requests, giving her exactly 3 less than favorable options. This is a tourist destinations only, with a fast and furious turnover. Nice area for people watching and a quick beverage at most. In looking around, most people here are just sipping cappuccinos and cold beverages...no food. read more

Balthazar - Undercooked, soggy bacon and hockey puck pancakes. The other two tables who ordered the same also did not finish their meals. - French Near Me - London, XGL

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This was truly the worst meal I have had in a long time. The salad came out with the entree when we asked fir it first. The steak looked like it came from a bargain bin and was painted with liquid smoke. The frites were very ordinary. I was so bitterly disappointed because Balthazar in NYC is a fave. The one star is fir the French Onion soup that was delicious. read more

These guys saved me from the ineptitude of the corner bakery, just down the block, who couldn't seem to handle 2 customers at once. Being familiar with the patisserie and restaurant in NYC, I knew I could find quality and service here. They came through with my Americano, and small almond loaf, that was just enough to take the edge off my jet-lagged feed cycle, before lunch. Two pleasant young ladies waited on me, and chatted with locals. It wasn't crowded in the 5 stool interior, and it was just a nice and relaxing respite. read more

Balthazar - Nice Americano and small almond loaf. Nice respite on a stool. - French Near Me - London, XGL

The food here was decent at best. The waitstaff was pretty...mediocre. The most unimpressive restaurant we went to in London. We had reservations and tried to seat us in the middle of the restaurant despite it being virtually empty. We asked to move to a booth and they were pretty rude about it. The food, again, was decent. When we finished we were pretty ready to go. The bill took forever to arrive to us. I wouldn't come back here. Maybe the one in New York is nicer? read more

**Review is for the Boulangerie** Found myself daydreaming about food (surprise, surprise) - specifically Balthazar's hazelnut rocher. It's been a while, but I still think back to my halcyon summer of snagging a fresh lemon tart or fluffy croissant each morning. Balthazar (the restaurant proper) and their adjacent Boulangerie are stationed in bustling Covent Garden. The restaurant remains woefully out of my price range, so the bakery became my preferred haunt. Grab one of their canary-yellow boxes, load up on some heavenly carbs, and resist the urge to eat them until you arrive at your dining location. The shop has great versatility - everything from fresh loaves of French bread (served with giant butter pats) to whimsical, fist-sized meringues. The bread is good stuff. Full stop. Soft, warm, and perfectly crisped. Grab a loaf, head to a market for some cured meats or lox, and make some causal tartines in a local park. I've never regretted doing so. My favourite desserts were the chocolate hazelnut rocher and their lemon tart. Likely in my top 5 pastries ever consumed to date? The richness and texture of the rocher's mousse was remarkable. Think a Ferrero Rocher but ten times the size, softer, and far more rich. Needless to say, the first time I tried one I was back the next day for a repeat experience. As for the lemon tart it has a thick, eggy curd. Many tarts I've had in the US suffer from that artificial gelatine-based filling (you can't even really call it a curd), but Balthazar's tastes like true sugared lemon. Their oversized macarons - almost comparable in size to a hamburger - are adorable, but just a tad saccharine for my tastes. The flourless chocolate cake sphere was like pure cocoa magma and sensationally rich. It's heaven in there. Didn't know there's a sister location in NYC, so my mouth is watering at the prospect at having some Balthazar bread and sweeties within (conceivable) driving distance. read more

Balthazar - I still dream of that hazelnut mousse dome - French Near Me - London, XGL

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Disappointing restaurant. Food was barely average. Location is nice and service was ok. read more

Came in for a quick-ish lunch on a weekday whilst on business. Cute spot - felt a little touristy, but the food was great. I did a combination of appetizers for lunch - French onion soup, octopus salad, and burrata. Each dish was flavorful and the portions were perfect - the only slight miss was the onion soup needed a smidge more salt. Overall, a lovely lunch - my server was also very attentive and brought me a glass of free champagne when I sat down. Would definitely go back and try other items. read more

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So many good eating choices, keep looking. The menu was not very exciting. The food was so full of pepper, it was inedible. The cheese plate looked like it was sitting around for a while. The bread was delicious. Servers were busy, the nicest person in the restaurant was the guy who took our credit card. read more

Balthazar - French Near Me - London, XGL

A bustling restaurant perfect for an afternoon lunch meeting. I've only ever ordered the chicken paillard as it's a personal favorite, but the afternoon ambiance is a major draw as well. It's a busy, happening spot, but not overbearingly loud as some other places in the area tend to be. Highly recommend! read more

Balthazar - French Near Me - London, XGL

We dined at Balthazar today and it was probably the worst dining experience I have ever had. All the food came at once, waiter never came back to the table, no water. We were so excited to dine here and it was terrible. read more

Good breakfast spot. However Limited menu. The almond waffles are excellent. Orange juice fresh squeezed. Filtered coffee hot and strong. I'd come back. read more

Balthazar - Waffles - French Near Me - London, XGL

Very disappointed. Begged my partner for months to visiting the location in New York and falling in love. Upon arrival we both ordered the Steak Frites medium. Came back super rare. Assumed it was due to a frozen piece of meat thawed. Kindly asked for it to be cooked at medium. Server took our pieces of meat and returned them super well done. He did offer us fries though to compensate. I recommend the NY location, but cannot recommend this one. read more

Meh... Maybe I'm just a hard sell but my steak could have been more blue and the fries were semi soggy. The latter was especially disappointing because they are supposed to be really good fries. They were even on "the best thing I ever ate" on Food Network as Bobby Flay's pick. These were not the best thing I ever ate. Like the New York location, it's crowded (even on a weeknight) so you should definitely make a reservation unless you don't mind sitting at the bar. Would I go back in London? Probably not. There are better places to eat. read more

Balthazar - Steak frites - French Near Me - London, XGL

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An excellent breakfast but did not really jump into elite category. Balthazar was highly recommended to me and I was warned of the crowds. My friend was correct, even though I booked early, they only had two tables left for a Sunday, with the latest booking 9:45. Unfortunately, arriving at 9:45, I was not offered the full brunch menu (which probably would have been more interesting), as brunch did not start until 10. I had eggs royale (eggs Benedict but with smoked salmon). It was done perfectly, the Hollandaise had a nice citrus accent. Nothing to complain about but nothing awe inspiring. It is also quite a busy restaurant, do not expect a relaxed French dining experience. read more

This is a must if you are in London. Classic and well curated atmosphere with good music, great seating, and an excellent staff. Oh, and the food is delicious too! I had the steak and eggs on the brunch menu, the steak was cooked perfectly and the Mac & Cheese we shared for the table was superb. read more

Balthazar - Steak & Eggs, delicious! - French Near Me - London, XGL

I stumbled in here when looking for somewhere to grab a bite on my lunch break. Not realising where I actually was I ordered the French onion soup and a chicken BLT. It took me a few minutes to realise that this wasn't your typical cafe. Bread lined the walls, the cakes on display looked ridiculously good - especially the donuts - and everyone (the staff) was speaking with a French accent! I still haven't sussed if they were real or fake accents yet... The price for a soup and sandwich was costly (£11!!) but at this moment SO worth it for a warming lunch having been out in the cold for so long. The French onion soup was everything a French onion soup should be and you could tell it had been stewing for quite some time. It also came with some large cheese croutons for dipping - a nice added bonus. Highly recommended. Then to my sandwich. I was actually rather full from my sandwich so I saved half for Jody but I must say it was a pretty decent sandwich - the bread, as with those hanging on the walls, was fresh and tasty and the fillings distributed well - no sandwich gaps, woo (big pet hate of mine)! I finally realised, after stuffing my face, that this was the cafe section of infamous Balthazar (which I am yet to visit)... Definitely worth a visit for a nice alternative to the hustle and bustle of Covent Garden and a much cheaper option than the main restaurant itself. read more

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A beautiful large, French bistro in Covent Garden with tablecloths and waiters in uniform. Service is attentive but the waiters are particular about their respective areas so you can't call on a different waiter even if yours is busy. We went here for lunch: grilled salmon on warm spinach, walnut and lentil salad; club sandwich with frites; basket of warm fresh bread. All delicious and fairly large portions. Very quick to bring to the table. Maybe we didn't order the right things but they weren't particularly special. The chips were very bright yellow which made me the think the oil may not have been the best. I enjoyed the club sandwich despite it falling apart in my hands because of the soft French sourdough loaf bread used. Two lunch mains for £38 is a bit steep but good if you're in the area and looking for somewhere fairly refined to eat. read more

Balthazar - Grilled salmon on warm spinach, walnut and lentil salad - French Near Me - London, XGL

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I knew coming to London I had to try Balthazar's. I wasn't able to make it to the one in NYC, so why not? We made a reservation for 8pm and when we got there it was packed! We ended up waiting for about an extra 20 minutes for our table. The restaurant kept apologizing for the wait and were kind enough to offer a bottle of champagne while we waited for our table to clear out(bonus!). I was just surprised and pleased in a way with the profuse apologies...Not used to it in America! Ha. I ordered the steak and fries (go figure) that they are known for and everyone else got the special of the day which was a pork belly dish. We also ordered the burrata. Get the burrata if you love cheese!! Even if you're lactose intolerant, I'd still highly recommend it ;) Don't let me forget to tell you about the fries. Omg. Actually, I take that back. I can't tell you. You just have to try it for yourself. You will seriously feel like you're being whisked away into the clouds while sitting on a bed of fries. That was me. Besides the wait, I loved it all, and would come back. Great service, awesome decor, and delicious red wine with amazing people :) read more

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We were excited as we were in London for the week. We've eaten in New York and it was good. First my husband and I are both 6'3" men. They seated us at the smallest table in the restaurant, there were other two tops but the chose to seat us where they did. We were so close to our table next that we spoke to them not because of desire but because we had no choice. The food was VERY MEDIOCRE. Being from New Orleans we we used to well cooked and good quality food. The starters of crab and shrimp were both not fresh as they tasted fishy. We ordered the beef Wellington, it was good but I've had much better. The dessert was terrible. With drinks it was 240 pounds and it was not worth this. When I spoke to the maitre d he was snarky and obviously didn't care that I had a not great experience. Don't bother you'll get better at a bistro. read more

grilled langoustines (yabbies) with green tomato salsa, chives and aromatic oil served with Jacob's Creek Reserve Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2013 - a very light white wine that makes it a great companion to shellfish and white meat seafood - I think I just came up with the term, white meat seafood. I am thinking sea bream, bass, monkfish and halibut. Probably mackarel and tuna would be too strong and cloud the taste of the wine. The wine has also a very strong oak aroma and smoky bouquet that is not present in it's taste. I was glad otherwise it could all be a little too much. hot smoked duck with cherries, beetroot and braised lettuce accompanied with an Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir and cherry sauce served with Jacob's Creek Reserve Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir 2013 - with some serious buttered vegetables together with the layer of fat in the duck was, to some, delightful. I only managed one and had to take the other two off because it was just too much. The meat was a little tough and chewy but the intensity of the deep dark cherry sauce was very nice. The wine was easy to drink, very mild tannin that brought out the gameness in the duck. kangaroo with pepper, cabbage, pancetta and carrot with Barossa Shiraz sauce served with Jacob's Creek Reserve Barossa Shiraz 2013 - It was the best kangaroo meat I've had but I can only compare to Iceland supermarket's frozen kangaroo meat (there, I said it!) and I thought that it was a slightly unfair comparison so I referred to a true Aussie foodie that was there that night. She confirmed that it was very good indeed; so lean and cooked to perfection. It was good with the suggested Barossa but I thought that it was equally good with the Pinot Noir too. dark chocolate sphere with mint, eucalyptus and a hot chocolate sauce served with Jacob's Creek Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 - after seeing so many media videos of chocolate desserts melting when sauce is poured, this was my reality moment. But chocolate sphere did not entirely melt and the waiter was not going to wait for my silly phone camera to come on. Shame... tea, coffee and petit fours - macaroons, lemon meringue and chocolate were delicious. The cold coffee was not great but these petit fours, especially the lemon meringue, were delicious! I had the last sip of my Chardonnay Pinot Noir Brut NV with this sweet tangy dessert and to mark the end of a wonderful evening. read more

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I came here for brunch to meet a local friend. After a 9 mile (15km) run, I was HUNGRY. My friend beat me here, and had a reservation. When I arrived, the place was bustling, and I was quickly shown to the table. Service was friendly and helpful, but not overly so. I had the duck shepherds pie. The shredded duck was perfectly tender, and full of flavor. If I hadn't just done such a long workout, I probably could not have finished, but I was pretty famished, and I ate every bite. My friend got the avocado toast, which looked amazing. Great ambiance... high ceilings, large windows which bring in a lot of natural light, and well decorated. The bathroom is up a steep flight of stairs, but has room for several people. It seems pretty busy, so I would suggest a reservation. read more

Despite living in NYC, I've never actually visited Balthazar in soho, though I do delight in their sticky buns as often as possible. Anyway, we happened upon this location in Covent Garden and decided to dine here. Of course I had the steak frites, and it was sooo good. The meat was a little on the rare side but I like it that way, and the French fries were perfect. I also ordered the salad with butter lettuce and hazelnut - delicious. Great ambience and the staff wears old-fashioned uniforms. Plus, I think the menu was priced less expensively than the NYC one, even with the conversion! read more

Balthazar - French Near Me - London, XGL

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Good place to have an english breakfast although i think its also nice to have dinner here. Restaurant bar is stacked with different spirits. Came in with a reservation. good breakfast for big groups. nice warm place. cool interior. read more

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I love a poached egg, and they don't come better than at Balthazar! The staff are very friendly and attentive, and although we were initially told it would be a 40 minute wait (we arrived at 11am on a Sunday without a booking), we were seated within 15 minutes. The food took a little while to come but when it finally arrived it was DELICIOUS. I had poached egg & avocado with a side of bacon, the portions were very generous and filling! It's a little pricier than your average brunch spot, but well worth it. The atmosphere is that a 40s Parisian diner, it definitely injected a hint of sophistication into my Sunday morning hangover. read more

Balthazar - YUM - French Near Me - London, XGL

Ordered take away from their bakery for a quick bite to eat! We got a sausage roll, mushroom & hummus sandwich and roast beef sandwich, totalling to £14.40. If you dine in, the cost of each dish is increased by about £1.50. The sausage texture was soft like a minced meat. The roll itself was extremely oily but it tasted great (probably because of all the oil). The roast beef sandwich was great toasted, although it had too much bread and not enough sandwich contents. The mushroom & hummus sandwich came with a SURPRISE EGGPLANT. I feel like there was more eggplant than mushroom, and instead should've been called "eggplant sandwich with mushroom and hummus." I'm not mad at it though because I love eggplant, but just a warning for those of you who are expecting mushrooms and hummus and end up with an eggplant too. read more

The hosts are very rude, it made me leave before even thinking about asking for a table, but we decided to give it another try later on. Hosts are still rude, so we just decided to grab drinks and a dessert rather than spending money here on dinner if it was going to be just as disappointing as the staff. Luckily, the bar staff is a little nicer. We ordered a carafe of red wine and dessert, which was not worth remembering the name. It was like a panda cotta with a creme brûlée top (torched sugar) which was unevenly torched, the middle too burnt and the sides left with raw sugar. I did feel like the flavors were wonderful, but the presentation was unimpressive. Overall, my experience here was not worth coming back. If you're looking for nicely done french food, keep searching. I will say the ambiance is aimed for a more romantic feel, but the decor is very similar to that of the Cheesecake Factory (an American chain restaurant.) I apologize for the not so great photos, the lighting inside at night is not ideal for photos and I didn't care enough to waste my time editing them. read more

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Went here for the mac and cheese as it was featured on Time Out's best mac and cheese spots. Food was lovely, and reasonably priced with good service and a nice atmosphere, although quite bustly and tables jam packed so good for a quick pre-theatre meal rather than a long romantic dinner! Food - The mac and cheese was good but only one type of cheese so quite far off London's best! Wine was reasonably priced too. read more

Balthazar - Mac and cheese - nice big portion! - French Near Me - London, XGL

One of my favorite NYC restaurants and the hype of 'designed to be identical to NYC' we had to check this place out and make our assessment as loyal NYC patrons. Result: Pretty Damn Amazing. When greeted at the door our jaws dropped and we were impressed at the likeness of the NYC look and feel. The gentleman host said to me the only difference you'll see is outside there are black cabs instead of yellow ones and then he offered to paint one yellow... now that's service. LOL On 2 March we were transported to a mini-NYC at Balthazar after tapping redial 24 times we were about to feast! I can appreciate my fellow yelper, Kate H.'s experience of 137 attempts to get a table. I realized I needed to modify the reservation which resulted in 67 calls. CRAZY but this was a must-try for myself and some special New Yorker friends. Everything was great and aside from a few opening hiccups (all places go through them) the staff gave us a great night. I started off with the winter kale salad followed by the linguini "Fruits De MeR" and both were quite good. There were 8 of us and we had two reservations since they were only taking a max of 6 per table. The staff was so kind to try and seat us close together however we ended up with a round table and managed to get everyone seated cozily in the same place. There were many great dishes served up at our table, rock oysters, salad niçoise, côte de boeuf, duck and stone bass. One person's only minor complaint was the stone bass was already deboned. (personally I find that a bonus) However he prefers to demonstrate his skills of removing it as one piece before enjoying and like I said minor thing. Each person said they enjoyed their meal and would recommend it. Due to the newness of everything serving times were a tiny bit delayed but when you have great company it doesn't get noticed as much. So after bottles of champagne, red wine, fabulous food and yes, dessert followed by dessert wine our time at Balthazar came to a close. The restaurant is beautiful and the food was very good. I'm sure with time their service and delivery times will improve. One of the managers was kind enough to drop by and chat with us. She was visiting from the NYC restaurant and helping get London on track. I look forward to my next dining experience at Balthazar and I'm almost certain you'll enjoy it as well. Cheers to a little piece of America right here in London y'all! read more

Balthazar - Kale Winter Salad - French Near Me - London, XGL