The first Balthazar restaurant was opened in New York by Keith McNally in 1997 and offers a French bistro menu. It arrived in Covent Garden, London in February 2013 and on the recommendation of a friend I visited it with said friend and the eldest son last week.
This is an attractive restaurant, bustling, noisy and the menu is very French. It was also completely full and but when I arrived needing an extra place for my son there was no hesitation, just a two minute wait.
Balthazar is open all day, for breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner but if you want a proper table for a meal there you’ll have to book. There have been mixed reviews – read Jay Rayner at The Observer, Matthew Norman at The Telegraph and Nicholas Lander at the FT. I would have liked more of my moules to be open, but the whole experience was great fun and after all they have only just opened. I went there for lunch and would certainly do so again.
It doesn’t compare, food wise, with some of the great French bistros I’ve visited, such as Le Dome in Paris (coming up shortly) but we should give it a chance and in the meantime, getting a table will continue to be difficult.
Balthazar Restaurant: 4-6 Russell Street, London WC2 020 3301 1155
