We arrived to a jam-packed venue and were shown to a little table bang in the middle of the hustle and bustle. The cocktail menu was impressive, it was a Pisco Sour for me and it didn’t disappoint!
We started with The Cornish Crab and Croquettes. The Cornish Crab with pink grapefruit, squid ink crackers, avocado puree and wood sorrel was light and fresh with plenty of contrasting flavours and textures. The addition of the grapefruit worked really well for me. The Manchego and Serrano Ham Croquettes were cooked to perfection, crispy on the outside and gooey inside with Spanish paprika aioli bringing all the flavours to life.
More cocktails followed, Jaliscan Night and The Slap on the Rum, both delicious but being a lover of tequila, I definitely had my favourite. The Rum cocktail was cold and fresh, however, the Jaliscan Night was spectacular in colour, formidable in flavour and packed a heck of a punch!
For our mains, we ordered the Vegetable Curry and the Duck with fondant potato and rhubarb. The curry was light but full of flavour and fresh vegetables and the Duck, perfectly pink, with the rhubarb kept the flavours fresh to the palate. The portion sizes were generous, even the Bearded One himself struggled to clean the plate.
Next I decided to look around the newly designed venue courtesy of Simon Costin, I would describe it as eclectic, sociable and relaxed. I loved the eccentric touches like the doll’s house around the fireplace. The sofa looked comfortable and inviting, I can definitely see myself returning there with several bottles of wine or even partaking an Absinthe Fountain Ritual, something else to be enjoyed with friends!
Despite being quite replete, we decided to treat ourselves to desserts, Oreo Cheesecake and Doughnuts with Cream & Chocolate, knowing that we were unlikely to finish but we gave it a jolly good go. Indeed they were opulent, velvety and exquisite.
The General Manager, Fabio Pace was very open about his love for the company and what they are trying to achieve. All the staff at Balans in Clapham were attentive and friendly contributing to the overall atmosphere and experience. Finally, we finished with another favourite, The Expresso Martini and collected our goody-bag.
All in all it was a fantastic evening, many thanks to Lauren at Merimance PR and all the team at Balans Clapham and you will certainly see us again!
Majella
Restaurant Openings and Reviews Editor, Majella O’Connell