A romantic date night at The Balcon, St James's

I'm a big believer in making the most of every day and sometimes after a particularly long day at work there's nothing better than a romantic dinner or drinks with friends to look forward to. Which is how one cold Monday evening we found ourselves sharing a bottle of wine and enjoying a delicious 3 course meal at The Balcon:

Located within The Sofitel Hotel near Trafalgar Square, The Balcon specialises in French and British cuisine and upon walking in we both fell in love with the luxe elegant decor. There's a stunning spiral staircase leading up to a small balcony and the whole restaurant had a cosy romantic feel with dark wooden furniture, plush velvet chairs and striking gold accents.

As we perused the menu a glass of Viognier white wine was soon poured and a selection of breads brought to the table. Usually I'm more of a cocktail or prosecco drinker but despite this I really enjoyed the crisp refreshing taste. In fact it went with our meal perfectly and I made sure to make a note of the bottle so we could enjoy it again the next time we visit.

The menu at The Balcon is small but refined and with a selection of meats and vegetarian dishes on offer there's something for everyone. For starter I wanted something light so choose the steak tartare where as R went for a hearty lamb wellington with pea puree and girolle sauce.

Both came beautifully presented but I personally thought the steak tartare was the star of the show. You could tell there was a lot of knife skill as the beef pieces were perfectly even and the balance of flavours just right with the artichoke crisps adding a lovely crunch to the dish. I believe the tartare can also be ordered as a main and they'll even mix it up at the table so you can customise the dish exactly to your tastes.

Between starters and mains we were able to enjoy some more of the delicious white wine and catch up on our day together. By this time the sun had set and it was so lovely to look out into Central London from the warmth and comfort of our little corner.

Mains were soon brought over and with our impending honeymoon in mind I'd chosen the sea bream as a slightly healthier option. I was particularly impressed with the crispiness and cooking of the fish and enjoyed the samphire and salsify as an accompaniment, although I would have preferred slightly less of the beurre blanc.

R on the hand had gone for a confit duck leg. We were both impressed with the depth of flavour that was packed into the lentils and thought the sausage and bacon pieces were a nice addition.

If I had to pick just one course which really stood out then without a doubt it would have to be the desserts at The Balcon. The presentation was so pretty and both dishes tasted just as good too. If you ever visit then make sure you try the vanilla and passion fruit mousse with walnut cake and caramel. Fruity, soft and refreshing it was the perfect end to a delicious meal. The chocolate fondant was such a classic too, although with an interesting twist of the pear ice cream.

Overall we both really enjoyed our meal at The Balcon. There's a lovely relaxed but romantic atmosphere, staff couldn't have been more helpful and the delicious hearty food perfect for warming up after a long day. 

The Balcon, 8 Pall Mall, SW1Y 5NG

Have you ever been to The Balcon? What are your favourite date night restaurants?

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*We were guests of The Balcon