Fairytales & Dreams At St James Piccadilly
“Do you recognise him?” enquired my eagle-eyed friend as a smartly dressed young man whisked past our table. And as I glanced at the chisel-jawed gent I realised I did. Was he an actor, a singer, a guy-about-town? No, he was the face of the cocktail I has just decided to order. As this peculiar piece of information began to process in my head, I stared once again at the Once Upon A Time booklet that laid in my lap. But this was no fairytale manuscript – it was the cocktail list of the Bar at St James.
The Sofitel St James sits at the end of Pall Mall between Waterloo Place and Haymarket. You enter the hotel on the Piccadilly facing side of the building, and the restaurant – Le Balcon – from Pall Mall.
Le Balcon is a bright and breezy upmarket bistro, with ostentatious decor and a breathtaking winding staircase in the centre of the room. But head through it into the darker and more intimate bar, and you are transported into a world of subtle historical nods and chic furnishings.
With the imaginative list in front of us, we went about deciding which fairytale to indulge in. Each concoction takes the form of a fairy story and is illustrated with a caricatured face of one of the serving staff. Straight out of Alice in Wonderland, this enchanting touch reels you into the whole, dark, atmosphere of the bar. After much deliberation, and advice from Head Bartender Remi, I settled upon ordering a Satine’s Dilemma – straight out of Moulin Rouge – which combines Botanist gin, plum bitters, lemon juice, grape shrub and bitter foam, and my observant companion was enticed by the Enchanted Rose – Belvedere vodka infused with red berries, framboise eau de vie fortified with white tea syrup, St Germain liqueur, Peychaud’s bitter and rose water. A symbol of love inspired by Beauty and the Beast, this dream in a glass was served smoking with dry ice, drawing gasps from neighbouring tables as it was placed before us.
Situated in the shadows of the famous Phantom, these cocktails are as theatrical as you can get. Every sip was delightfully devoured until we ordered our next adventures, the Crazy Tea Time – a maraschino-based trip into a fantasy land with a magical colour-changing finale, and my mischievous Fear O’Clock which combined Mount Gay Black Barrell rum infused with tisane Fidji, homemade sweet vermouth, Campari and Violet liqueur. the phrase ‘that looks too good to drink’ almost passed my lips. Almost, but not quite.
I’ll be honest, with three more inventions untested, we were tempted to sack off the dining and stay in the St James Bar all night. But bellies ruled the brains and we made our way to Le Balcon and took our seats at a table in the top corner, overlooking the bustling and bright room.
Le Balcon offers a range of traditional French dishes with modern twists, at very reasonable prices considering the location. Small plates such as celeriac and Jerusalem artichoke soup, and rare breed beef brisket come in at £8 each, starters of octopus, foie gras, and Welsh lamb Wellington stretch from £12-20, and classic French mains including confit duck leg, polenta crusted brill, and a roasted pork belly are all priced at £22.
Particularly recommended are the roasted goats cheese starter with pomegranate honey and almonds, and my companion’s main of Beef Bourguignon with a creamy mash. My vegetarian main was a delicious and light ravioli in a butternut squash and parmesan dressing. The sweetness of the flavour combination was delightful, and a perfect counter-balance to the sullen staff who attended our table. While the lady who seated us had been friendly and polite, sadly our server offered no explanation of dishes, no option of extras, and even walked off halfway through a (rather one-sided on my part) conversation. Possibly having a bad day, but certainly not the service we had expected, especially after our incredible experience in the bar earlier.
The food at Le Balcon is tasty and well presented, and the surroundings are relaxed and bright. Our meal was very enjoyable and we would certainly return. The highlight of the night though was indubitably the bar. The cocktails on offer were among the most imaginative and well presented I’ve ever encountered (and I’ve encountered a few, I can tell you!), and the service was second to none.
Work is already in progress on creating the summer list which will go live on Midsummer’s Day. And I for one can’t wait.
- For more information on the St James Bar and Le Balcon restaurant at Sofitel St James, to view menus, or to book a table, click here.
