Harden's survey result
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”.
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”.
Summary
A “terrific buzz” helps justify the presence of Keith McNally’s “bustling” NYC import, as does its “handiness for Covent Garden”. Opinions differ over its performance relative to the Manhattan original, but there’s some agreement that here in WC2 “the service is only just OK, the bistro/brasserie food is very average, but it’s the ambience which makes it bearable”. Brunch is a good way to give it a whirl.
For 31 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).
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Restaurant details
Balthazar Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Good vibes for Sunday brunch with a jazz band too. Food is expensive and not the main draw factor, t's the buzzy brasserie atmosphere and very good for a meal before, or after the opera"
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £44.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £4.95 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £3.95 |
| Service | 12.50% |
4 - 6 Russell Street, London, WC2B 5HZ
Opening hours
| Monday | 11:30 am‑10:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 11:30 am‑10:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 11:30 am‑10:30 pm |
| Thursday | 11:30 am‑10:30 pm |
| Friday | 11:30 am‑10:30 pm |
| Saturday | 10 am‑10:30 pm |
| Sunday | 10 am‑9:30 pm |
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