Harden's survey result
Summary
“Like being in an old fashioned Parisian brasserie”, this big venue, “centrally located by Covent Garden Piazza”, provides a “hectic but impressive” backdrop to a meal. Many reporters feel “it has a whole lot going for it”, but even they often acknowledge either “seriously poor” cooking, or the trade-offs that a visit entails: “Yes it’s on the pricey side and the food is average really, but it’s still a tradition that we enjoy.”
Summary
“An excellent simulacrum of a Parisian brasserie” – this big, prominently situated Covent Garden fixture, just off the Piazza (created by English-born New Yorker, Keith McNally, but nowadays part of Caprice Holdings) provides “good vibes for Sunday brunch or a meal around a show”. But even fans feel “the main draw is the buzzy atmosphere, not the unexciting food” and – especially when it becomes “too busy for its own good” – this is, for its critics, “the worst kind of hell”, with food that’s “absolutely average and poor value for the price”.
Summary
“Comfortable and inviting” – this glam-looking offshoot of the famous Manhattan joint (brought to Covent Garden by NYC founder Keith McNally, and nowadays owned by Richard Caring’s Caprice Holdings) features decent “brasserie-style” cooking. But even those fans who say (slightly ambitiously) that “it’s a place to see and be seen” note that it’s “not as good as the NYC namesake” and can feel a little “robotic”, especially as “staff can struggle with the volume of people”.
Summary
“This American-style French brasserie” in Covent Garden – an offshoot of Keith McNally’s downtown NYC institution – has a “great atmosphere any time of day”: “love the decor as you enter”. It’s “a large space but a very cosy one”, and, say fans, “not outrageously priced considering its position and what it must have cost to create”. But at times it’s “a victim of its own success – packed, loud and slow, with staff trying heroically to cope”, and “the food is not exactly world-shattering”, just “fine in a ‘here’s one I prepared earlier and heated up’ sort of way”. Top Tip – “it’s very good for breakfast, which is less costly than other meals here”.
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Balthazar?
4 - 6 Russell Street, London, WC2B 5HZ
Restaurant details
Balthazar Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Big buzzy faux Parisien brasserie with lots of classic French cuisine executed pretty well and a lively atmosphere "
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always | £27.50 | £59.50 |  |
|
|
Traditional European menu
| Starter | Main | Veggies | Pudding |
|---|---|---|---|
| £14.60 | £23.70 | £5.75 | £6.75 |
| Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £33.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.75 |
| Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £4.25 |
| Service | 13.50% |
4 - 6 Russell Street, London, WC2B 5HZ
Opening hours
| Monday | 11:30 am‑10:45 pm |
| Tuesday | 11:30 am‑10:45 pm |
| Wednesday | 11:30 am‑10:45 pm |
| Thursday | 11:30 am‑10:45 pm |
| Friday | 11:30 am‑10:45 pm |
| Saturday | 10 am‑10:45 pm |
| Sunday | 10 am‑9:45 pm |
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