Balthazar Boulangerie, Covent Garden, London

Photo by Samad | Facade of Balthazar Boulangerie

While wandering around the touristy parts of Covent Garden, I came across a spot called Balthazar. Curious, I Googled it and I luckily saw that it had good reviews. Without a second thought, we entered to check out what they hype was all about. Balthazar is apparently known for their brunches but, we weren’t keen on spending too much time in the restaurant so instead, we opted for the equally impressive looking boulangerie next door which poses French-style interiors, ornaments and yummy looking baked goods.

Photo by Samad | The baked goods looked so incredible and irresistible!

Photo by Samad | The interior reminds me a lot of a boulangerie I’ve visited in South of France! Very classy and ornate.

Photo by Samad | Spinach and Ricotta Quiche (£3.00 take away, £3.60 sit in)

Photo by Samad | Balthazar Boulangerie Chicken Pie (£3.00 take away, £3.60 sit in)

Bear in mind, this isn’t a restaurant so the food you’ll see here are mostly freshly baked items that would vary in prices depending on whether you sit-in or take it to-go.

So, I opted for a simple Chicken Pie to soothe my cravings for a filling savoury dish. This dish seemed like such an ordinary and uninteresting dish, but when you’re like me hungry and craving something savoury, this Chicken Pie was God sent. I think when it comes to simple foods, you have to prepare it properly and with quality ingredients. The pie pastry was fluffy, crunchy and not too oily nor dry. The filling was moist, hot and didn’t taste frozen, like pre-packaged pie you can get in Tesco. Granted, I was starving when I devoured this yummy thing so my opinion of it might be biased, but for something as simple as a this Chicken Pie, I was impressed and happy with my choice.

Photo by Samad | Pear Galette (£3.00 take away, £3.60 sit in)

The first time I tried a galette was while traveling South of France. Galettes are usually served during New Years celebrations and it’s commonly the size of a tyre rim -- yes, pretty darn large. During the New Years lunch, you eat a galette with your family and then if you find a piece of treasure within the galette, which is usually a porcelain doll depicting a known Christian character of some sort, you’ll be dimmed the “King” or “Queen” of the day! It’s a fun tradition, especially amongst children.

So I was excited to see a smaller version of the galette and immediately chose that to try! It was very yummy. It was caramelised and had notes of cinnamon in it. The pear was not as prominent as I had hoped but it was still good. Might be on the sweeter side for most people so I’d avoid it if you don't have a sweet tooth.

Photo by Samad | Rhubarb Dacquoise (£3.50 take away, £4.25 sit in)

I also had something very similar while in South of France except it was cranberry instead of rhubarb. This one has cream in it! The flavours are a lot lighter and cakey. I’m not a big fan of this cake because it was more particular in flavour and texture compared to the galette. It’s pretty dry on the outside but moist in the centre, because of the cream. I can only compare it to being similar to cream puffs if the puffs were cake?

Photo by Samad | Rhubarb Dacquoise with the cream filling!

Well, if you're in Covent Garden and want a quick and simple lunch, stop by Balthazar Boulangerie! It's super cute and has many quick, yummy and affordable French baked goods that you can have to sit-in or if you're on the go.

Balthazar Boulangerie

6-8 Russell St.,

London WC2B 5HZ Website: https://balthazarlondon.com/boulangerie/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/BalthazarRestaurantLondon

Twitter: https://twitter.com/balthazarlondon

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/balthazarldn/

#bakery #boulangerie #London #coventgarden #French #Desserts #pie