All the right points were hit seemingly with prescience during my recent dinner at the Sofitel St James Hotel’s Balcon resulting in one of the better restaurant experiences of my year thus far.
In many ways, The Balcon’s dinner menu appears as though it were written just for me – almost eerily so in fact. A starter course of pan-fried snails with chorizo, sweet potato purée, oloroso jus, and hazelnuts (£11)? That’ll do just fine thank you – and how did Chef Matt Greenwood manage to read my mind for a perfect way to commence a meal? Ditto on the roasted hake fillet, with ratatouille, green olive tapenade, and shellfish oil (£21) main course and strawberry, pomegranate, pistachio and rosewater trifle (£7) dessert as well.
Every course was presented elegantly (not daintily), yielded extraordinary flavours (not fussy) and had me feeling like a champ to have ordered such dynamic (not overdone) dishes. Something about the food suggested a “go for it” attitude from the chef yet still with enough restraint not to take the gusto too far. The snails with chorizo for instance: it seemed a bit daring but any gourmand would be gleeful to devour such an assemblage. Similarly, adding ratatouille and tapenade umph to a fillet of hake – without overpowering the flavour of the fish – was something of a kitchen triumph.
Service was gracious, swift and friendly. I probably could have praised the wine list as I did the food menu (a quick glimpse suggested great things!) but I stuck with a (perfectly drinkable) house recommend glass of Voignier that went down a charm with my hake. The dining room is a lovely and refined (still comfy though) setting for upscale dining.
For your next celebratory occasion I come across on the calendar to require a gorgeous meal, give strong consideration to doing it at The Balcon. That’s certainly my intention.
The Balcon is located at the Sofitel St James Hotel, 8 Pall Mall, SW1Y 5NG. Find out more at thebalconlondon.com.
